Opinion: Mongols Biker Gang -- Registered Trademarks Apply

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Yeah, yeah, a thousand law enforcement guys rolled out over six states and whacked the Mongols motorcycle gang but good -- murder, racketeering, drugs, money-laundering charges, the whole shebang.

But here’s the sneaky genius part, as The Times’ story detailed: The Mongols have trademarked their name, which is usually accompanied by their revered emblem of a guy who looks like Genghis Khan, wearing a ponytail and astride a chopper. It’s such a big deal to the Mongols that they control their emblem more rigidly than Chanel. The indictment says that one member got permission to get the insignia tattooed on his head -- after he shot two rival gang members.

Soooo ... the feds want the United States government to own that trademark.

That means anyone caught wearing a Mongols patch without the feds’ permission could get busted for it right then and there, evidently for trademark infringement!

Okay, so it’s a little like the knockoff police going after fake Louis Vuittons. But don’t laugh -- remember, they got Capone for tax evasion.