Cintra Wilson recently wrote a piece on GOP presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani, whom she described as a “narcissist” and “hubristic bully.”
As if to prove the point, it appears the former New York mayor has gone so far as to trademark himself.
Rudy Giuliani never shrank from defending his image as mayor, but as a businessman he’s gone a step further – even trademarking his own name, the Daily News has learned.
The unusual step, revealed in a recent Giuliani company contract obtained by The News, states under the heading “Use of Mr. Giuliani’s Name” that the “trade names and trademarks ‘Rudolph Giuliani,’ or ‘Giuliani Partners LLC’ . . . shall not be used . . . without prior written consent.”
Now, by trademarking “Rudolph Giuliani,” the former mayor does not appear to be warning everyone about misuse of his name, only those companies that have done business with his consulting firm.
Of course, that leads to the more salient political point, which the New York Daily News touched on, “[H]ow will the former mayor’s roster of mostly private business clients play when viewed through the harsh prism of presidential campaign politics?”
Apparently, Giuliani’s own aides are already imagining the negative ads that could spring from his business dealings.
In the five years that Giuliani has worked in the private sector, his clients have run the gamut, from gambling interests like the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which may further trouble Christian conservative voters, to large power-generators like the Atlanta-based Southern Co., which environmentalists regard as among the worst polluters in the nation.
He has lent his name to every corner of the energy industry – representing nuclear, oil and natural gas concerns – and worked with the pharmaceutical industry to keep cheap prescription drugs from flowing into the U.S. from Canada.
And that’s just what is publicly known.
Giuliani Partners and its subsidiaries are all privately held companies, and the former mayor has refused to release a full client list – making a clear analysis of his net worth impossible, and very likely raising disclosure questions, should he run for President.
Giuliani can add a TM to his name, but I don’t think it’ll help.