Illinois Woman Applies for "I Can't Breathe" Trademark to Sell Hoodies
Fifty-seven-year-old Waukegan, Ill. resident Catherine Crump seeks to trademark Eric Garner's dying words "for use on hoodies and t-shirts for men, women, boys, girls, and infants," the Smoking Gun reports.
Crump petitioned the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Dec. 13 for the phrase that's become a rallying cry against police brutality in protests across the country. She's told the Smoking Gun she's been using "I can't breathe" for "commercial purposes" since "at least as early as August," about a month after Garner was killed by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo's chokehold.
From the Smoking Gun:
In an interview, Crump said that she had "nothing to do with the Garner family," and had not spoken to them about her trademark bid. While claiming that her purpose for marketing "I can't breathe" garments was not to make money, she declined to disclose what other reason there was for her trademark filing (which cost $325).
[Image via AP]