Marvel Comics is continuing in its bid to steal the word 'super-hero' from the public domain and put it in a lock-box to which it will control the key. Marvel and DC comics jointly filed a trademark on the word 'super-hero.' They use this mark to legally harass indie comic companies that make competing comic books.
A trademark's enforceability hinges on whether the public is likely to associate a word or mark with a given company -- in other words, when you hear the word 'super-hero,' if you think 'Marvel and DC,' then Marvel will be able to go on censoring and eliminating its competition.
One way of accomplishing this dirty bit of mind-control is by adding a ™ symbol after the word 'Super-Hero.' That TM lets the world know that you claim ownership over the word it accompanies. If you can get other people to do it, too, eventually you may in fact get the world to believe that the word is your property -- and then, it becomes your property.
Interestingly -- the Oxford English Dictionary shows an early use of "super-hero" in 1917 "‘CONTACT’ Airman's Outings 211 'The *super-heroes of the war'". This happens to be a magazine -- of the non-comic book variety. So perhaps DC and Marvel didn't create the word/concept?
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