Pussy Riot, the Russian dissident all-female punk group whose trial on "hooliganism" charges made headlines around the world, has announced it will register its name as a trademark.
The news left sympathizers scratching their heads, since the group is known for its radical anticapitalist stance.
The plight of band members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- sentenced last week to two years in prison for performing a song critical of the Kremlin's ties with the Russian Orthodox Church in a Moscow cathedral -- has sparked a string of support rallies across the globe.
But fans need not worry -- Pussy Riot is not seeking to cash in on its new fame.
On the contrary, Pussy Riot's lawyer Mark Feigin says the group wishes to discourage attempts to use its name to derive profits or promote "questionable" projects that contradict its "ideals and aspirations."
Profits will be tolerated only if the proceeds are used to "further fight the political system's imperfections."
In short, supporters can continue to produce Pussy-Riot-themed items and perform their music for (ahem) a song...
-- Claire Bigg
The news left sympathizers scratching their heads, since the group is known for its radical anticapitalist stance.
The plight of band members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich -- sentenced last week to two years in prison for performing a song critical of the Kremlin's ties with the Russian Orthodox Church in a Moscow cathedral -- has sparked a string of support rallies across the globe.
But fans need not worry -- Pussy Riot is not seeking to cash in on its new fame.
On the contrary, Pussy Riot's lawyer Mark Feigin says the group wishes to discourage attempts to use its name to derive profits or promote "questionable" projects that contradict its "ideals and aspirations."
Profits will be tolerated only if the proceeds are used to "further fight the political system's imperfections."
In short, supporters can continue to produce Pussy-Riot-themed items and perform their music for (ahem) a song...
-- Claire Bigg