Black Panther Heirs Seek Spicy Trademark

JULY 18--Former Black Panther associates of Huey P. Newton, the late co-founder of the militant organization, are seeking to trademark the phrase 'Burn Baby Burn' so they can slap the words--long associated with conflagrations that left cities like Watts and Newark in cinders--on hot sauce. According to pending filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (which you will find below), the Huey P. Newton Foundation also wants to trademark the phrase 'Revolutionary Hot Sauce.' The Oakland-based group, which is run by Newton's widow Fredrika and ex-Panther David Hilliard, submitted the trademark applications late last year and, according to USPTO records, appears close to securing government approval of its requests. On the foundation's web site, the Newton group describes itself as a 'community-based, non-profit research, education, and advocacy center dedicated to fostering progressive social change.' It is unclear exactly what role spicy condiments play in this noble multicultural pursuit. In 1966, Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party, which would later be called 'the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States' by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. In 1989, he was convicted of stealing money earmarked for a Panther-affiliated public school. Newton was murdered later that year, at age 47, by an Oakland crack dealer who shot him three times in the head. Now that 'Burn Baby Burn' is close to being trademarked, perhaps an entrepreneur would consider 'Black Power' for a minority-owned electric company. Or a courier service might make a run at 'By Any Means Necessary.' (6 pages) (6 pages)