Social Mores Editor
Who knew? The Hells Angels (yes, there is no apostrophe) have not only trademarked their name, but periodically send out cease and desist orders to mainly clothing manufacturers to prevent losing their trademark.
Sonny Barger (the long time leader of the Oakland Angels and a focus of Hunter Thompson's Hells Angels book) told a reporter not long ago that back in the day if someone stole their colors, they would go out and stomp him. Now, he said, they use lawyers instead, because what are they going to do, beat up the doorman at Time-Warner?
In March 2007, the Hells Angels filed suit against Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group alleging that the film entitled Wild Hogs used both the name and distinctive logo of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation without permission
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In October 2010, the Hells Angels filed a lawsuit against Alexander McQueen for "misusing its trademark winged death heads symbol" in several items from its Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. The lawsuit was also aimed at Saks Fifth Avenue and Zappos.com, which stock the jacquard box dress and knuckle duster ring which bear the symbol which is protected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since at least 1948. The suit was settled out of court.
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