Addendum at bottom: Statement of the LNC Secretary explaining what the suit is about:
The Libertarian National Committee’s Executive Committee is voting on a motion titled “Next Phase of Tidewater Suit”. Tidewater is a group in Virginia that has been using ‘Libertarian’ as part of its name.
The motion before the LNC Executive Committee reads “Move to authorize the legal strategy discussed with trademark counsel and shared with the LNC privately and to allocate $10K from budget line 8210-10 to those efforts for the next phase of this litigation.”
Votes are due by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on April 3, 2023. Passage of the motion is expected.
Addendum. The motion passed unanimously.
Statement of the LNC Secretary: Secretary LNC to lnc-business
To recap what can be public for the LNC and members:
Starting under Mr. Bishop-Henchman and the prior LPVA chairmanship of Holly Ward, the LNC was made aware of an affiliate in Virginia (Tidewater Libertarian Party) that were encouraging in advocacy against the purpose and principles of the Libertarian Party (such as supporting Donald Trump as one example – the LPVA affiliate can give more examples) and Mr. Bishop-Henchman noted that the Tidewater group had violated its own bylaws in elections. The LPVA affiliate agreed. The Tidewater group was thereafter disaffiliated by LPVA but refused to disband. Under Ms. Bilyeu, a “brand protection” (i.e., IP and trademark) lawsuit was authorized. You can view that decision here:
When this LNC was elected we inherited these decisions (which I agree with fully). The Trademark lawsuit has been served and the attorney needs an additional budget to carry out a specific legal strategy which the LNC will be updated on privately.
So to this end, as we are bound by the decision of the prior LNC to protect our trademark (again a decision I support), I ask the Chair to sponsor the following motion for voting via email by the Executive Committee:
Move to authorize the legal strategy discussed with trademark counsel and shared with the LNC privately and to allocate $10K from budget line 8210-10 to those efforts for the next phase of this litigation.
*note the prior LNC authorized 10K as you can see in the link above. There is a small amount remaining in that initial authorization.
If the “torch eagle’ is the problem, the LP should go back to it’s copyrighted for LP use Lady Liberty Logo;
Sadly, one reason for a new logo at all was the loss by the LP of it’s copies of the Lady Liberty Logo which I had then, have now and actually sent the LP at the time along with copies of the copyrighted flag design based on that logo. You can see the flag at gail lightfoot CA Libertarian on Facebook. The one shown is hand sewn.
“But I think ‘libertarian’ was only coined in the 20th century.”
17th century with respect to religious belief (free will v. predestination).
Early 19th century as a political descriptor.
When the LNC, under Sarwark, had paid for the torch eagle logo after it winning a “give us a new logo” contest, many of us at the time not only said chicken on stick was dumb but that this kind of bullshit would happen.
@Roots Teeth are awesome
The word “libertarian” was first used by anti-capitalists in France in the 18th century when the State made publishing of anarchist literature illegal. It wasn’t until the 20th century that right-wingers usurped the word to refer to freed markets. Murry Rothbard used to boast about the success of “stealing” the word.
The Trademark — you can find the filing on line — is on the Torch Eagle, not the word “Libertarian”.
“Libertarian” as a political identity or descriptor has existed since the 17th century, if not longer. You can even find it used in older European literature. The definition has evolved over the centuries, and what the LNC defines as “libertarian” is undoubtedly different than what you’d come to expect today.
“the word has been around for a couple hundred years”
Has it? “Liberty” might be many centuries old. “Liberal” maybe only since the 18th or 19th century.
But I think “libertarian” was only coined in the 20th century.
(Not that they can claim a trademark on the word itself. Too generic.)
Really? These imbeciles are going down that road? Hate to break it to them but the word has been around for a couple hundred years and the LNC and LP don’t own it. This is also a very un-libertarian tack to take. Sure will be glad when these idiots fade back into the their sewer so the adults can try and fix everything they’ve destroyed.