Smile: It's Wal-Mart

So USA giant retailer Wal-Mart is seeking to gain copyright control over the smiley face, claiming it's (over) use of the symbol in the American retail market since the 90's gives it trademark rights for the symbol in the retail scene. This has to be one of the worst PR gaffs a corporate can make, trying to appropriate a symbol that feels to many to be unpatentable. Slightly misrepresented in the above artice (and in the NZHerald - can't see a link in the online edition) is that they were forced into it. From the LA times

[Wal-Mart] didn't move to register the trademark until someone else threatened to do so first, [forcing] the world's largest retailer is fighting a French native who has earned millions in licensing fees on smiley's back since the early 1970s, when he began securing trademarks for the happy face around the world.

But in protecting it's branding, and in turn it's profits, Wal-Mart is showing itself to be comepletely out of touch with the real world. American's, not to mention nationals of other markets Wal-Mart is/will be operating in won't take kindly to the stealing of the symbol.

Briscoe group (Briscoes and Rebel Sport) posted good results for the lastest quater, citing less discounting as the key to its success. Interesting to note NZ's most notirous Hi-Lo discounter might be working towards an EDLP strategy.