Stephen Colbert's On Like Donkey Kong, As He Seeks Trademarks On Other Dated Catch Phrases

from the you-don't-know-jack dept

Mon, Nov 15th 2010 3:28pm — Mike Masnick

Last week, we wrote about the publicity stunt involving Nintendo claiming to have filed for a trademark on "It's On Like Donkey Kong," a phrase they did not actually come up with. A number of folks passed along the news that Stephen Colbert also noticed this story and decided to stake a claim to other "dated catchphrases," in the hopes that various corporate brands would later wish to buy from him such classics as "It's all that and a bag of chips" (for Frito Lay), "Talk to the Hand" (for Isotoner) and "Show me the money" (for E*trade).

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen Trademarks Dated Catchphrases
www.colbertnation.com

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Filed Under: donkey kong, parody, stephen colbert, trademark

16 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2010 @ 3:35pm

Semi-related: Canadianese can't see this.
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Richard (profile), 15 Nov 2010 @ 3:39pm

Re:
Nor can UK
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2010 @ 3:46pm

Re:
See, this is why internet blocks like this don't work. It doesn't generate more Ad revenue for Comedy Network...it makes me avoid the video entirely.
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crade (profile), 15 Nov 2010 @ 3:56pm

Re: Re:
Unless you actually want to see it, then you can get it elsewhere minus the ads :)
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Jake, 15 Nov 2010 @ 4:21pm

I suppose there's one small silver lining, at least for some people. Nintendo wouldn't be wasting time and money on this endeavour if there wasn't a new DK game in the works.
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kyle clements (profile), 15 Nov 2010 @ 4:23pm

Re:
"Canadianese can't see this."

install the 'modify headers' firefox plugin.

create a new thingy titled "X-Forwarded-For" and enter "12.13.14.15" for the value.
click 'enable'
restart firefox

Now comedy central videos will work in Canada.

A million angry nerds vs. a handful of corporate douche-bags.
Honestly, comedy central, just give up on the region filters, turn it into some good PR for you, and we can all be happy.
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trilobug, 15 Nov 2010 @ 4:38pm

Wii be Clubbin...
I'm under the impression that Ice Cube popularized the phrase in one of his songs, and those lyrics are surely protected. I don't know the law, but it seems like Nintendo shouldn't be able to do this. Furthermore, gamers aren't happy with Nintendo for this it makes them look like corporate douche bags.
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abc gum, 15 Nov 2010 @ 5:14pm

Re: Wii be Clubbin...
Just because someone in the spotlight uses what they hear on the street does not mean they now own whatever it was they stole.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2010 @ 5:39pm

Why would anyone not want to play Kirby's Adventure?!
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Sarah Black (profile), 15 Nov 2010 @ 5:58pm

Re:
I dont think you mean the same "Adventure" that Kirby means...
http://kotaku.com/5647832/check-out-kirbys-epic--uh-
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Karl (profile), 16 Nov 2010 @ 1:56am

Colbert's brother
Colbert is always more likely to bring up these issues than other TV folks, because his brother Ed Colbert is a copyright lawyer.

Colbert actually brought his brother on the show to discuss the Shepard Fairey controversy. It's all pretty good, but his brother had a zinger at the end:

Stephen: Ed, can I point something out? You have defended the AP, the photographer, and Obama without distinction.

Ed: Of course.

S: How is that possible?

E: I'm a lawyer.

S: Well, who do you really think is right?

E: Who's paying me?

Colbert is also the only TV show I know that interviewed Lawrence Lessig.

I guess more people should have copyright lawyers in the family.
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ethorad (profile), 16 Nov 2010 @ 4:33am

Re: Re:
I'd rather not. Happy voting with my mouse and not watching shows that are under ridiculous blocks.

I assume Mike tries to avoid such links, in the same way he seems to avoid paywalled news sites?
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abc gum, 16 Nov 2010 @ 4:47am

Re: Colbert's brother
Interesting side note, aren't most politicians lawyers?
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Nov 2010 @ 5:21am

IN CANADA , COmedy central videos are available.....
so fuck you
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Josh Taylor, 16 Nov 2010 @ 5:50am

Brooks and Dunn are in trouble with Nintendo
Again, Nintendo is seriously going to sue Brooks & Dunn for using Donkey Kong in their lyric "The Honky Tonk".
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Nov 2010 @ 6:13am

Re: Re: Colbert's brother
His brother also appeared during S.Colbert's Olympics coverage to discuss the Olympic committee's rabid policing of all things Olympic, even 'Yay Olympics!' signs in residential windows.

I swear I heard the brother say he'd worked for Disney. Could be wrong.
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