Ron DeSantis Uses Disney Font For 2024 Campaign Hats
In the latest wrinkle in what is becoming an increasingly tedious story, Ron DeSantis is now selling “DeSantis President 2024” hats in the Disney font.
While that hats in and of themselves are not really noteworthy, the implications surrounding the use of the Disney font could be.
Could DeSantis’ Disney Font Affect Disney’s Lawsuit?
DeSantis has frequently used his battle with Disney to fire up his base and help launch his 2024 presidential campaign. While the new hats play into the public posture that DeSantis wants to exude, they could also affect his upcoming court case.
The Walt Disney Company is currently suing the DeSantis administration in federal court, saying that the recent policies surrounding the Reedy Creek Improvement District are retaliatory.
Specifically, Disney is arguing that the company has been singled out by the DeSantis administration for exercising their First Amendment rights and criticizing Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill.
A Continuing Feud
Since that time, DeSantis and Disney have fought over control of Reedy Creek. Florida has also passed other measures such as a state takeover of Walt Disney’s World’s monorail system inspections.
What Disney is arguing, is that DeSantis has singled the company out and is looking for retribution.
If the company could frame the hats as criticizing Disney, it would be another example of the governor’s adversarial position.
Copyright Infringement
Additionally, DeSantis’ use of Disney font seems to be a clear copyright violation. According to IP law professor Jake Linford of Florida State University, however, the political aspect of the dispute may muddle things.
“If you take out the political stuff, it’s a slam dunk case for Disney. Does the political aspect change things? The answer is a solid ‘maybe.’” He said.
Christine Haight Farley of American University says Disney would be wise to use hats as an example of DeSantis’ retaliatory methods.
“This is an interesting theoretical question: ‘What would trademark law say in a dispute like this?’ Disney would be wise to not step in it,” Farley said. “There is a case to be made there is a message here: ‘Join me, we’re going after Disney, I’m trying to poke them in every way.’”
In the end, DeSantis using Disney font will probably not shift the verdict in the upcoming lawsuit. It is, however, another example of just how dumb this feud has gotten.
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