Although St. Patrick himself is steeped in hundreds of years of legend, there are a few remaining things that we know today. Many scholars credit him with bringing Christianity to the Irish people. We celebrate him on the 17th of March, the date that supposedly marks his death. One of the most common legends that most people may know revolves around the shamrock, a symbol of Ireland frequently used with the holiday and with Irish products and services. The tale holds that St. Patrick used the three leaves on commonly found Irish clover, the shamrock, to explain the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since his death, the tales of St. Patrick’s life have grown and become strongly tied with Irish culture.
The modern holiday began on the small island years ago but it has now grown into a major celebration with economic opportunity. No shortage of green items are available to enhance the festivities. This St. Patrick’s Day, our team took some time during our regular Thursday afternoon meeting to host a Skribll.io tournament. The Irish theme meant drawing prompts such as shamrock, rainbow, pot of gold, and the classic green beer.
Speaking of Irish symbols, there are several Irish and St. Patrick’s-related examples of protected intellectual property. The U.S. Trademark Office has thousands of registrations and pending applications that feature a shamrock as part of the design. One product somewhat synonymous with the holiday is the classic pint of Guinness. Guinness first trademarked its iconic harp in 1876. The same type of Irish harp is actually the Republic of Ireland’s official national emblem. In order to differentiate between the two, the Irish government turned the harp the opposite direction! Trademark complexity is as old as the protections themselves, but that’s where we can help. Gavin Law Offices is here for all your trademark needs.
(This is not intended as legal advice. Contact a lawyer for assistance in your particular situation.)
