 The banned insignia of the Mongols bike gang |
MONGOLS MOTORCYCLE gang members can no longer wear patches bearing the motorcycle gang’s insignia following an unprecedented court order stripping them of their trademarked logo.
U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper yesterday granted an injunction that prohibits gang members, their family members and associates from wearing, licensing, selling or distributing the logo, which typically depicts the profile of a Mongolian warrior wearing sunglasses.
Prosecutors requested the injunction after authorities arrested dozens of Mongol members under a racketeering indictment.
“If a Mongol is wearing a vest or jacket bearing the Mongols patch, that item is pursuant to seizure based on this order,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Welk.
It is believed to be the first case in the nation in which the government has sought to take control of a gang’s identity — via its logo — through a court order.
“I’ve never heard the government going after something like this in this context,” said David Welkowitz, a law professor at Whittier Law School. Welkowitz said attorneys and academics who specialize in trademark law are wondering whether the order will stand.
