Buster

Businessman Seeks George Zimmerman Trademarks For Beer Mugs, Bumper Stickers, Aloha Shirts

4/12 UPDATE: Entrepreneur now says he is abandoning "Zimmerman" TM bid

In addition to several trademark filings including Trayvon Martin’s name, government officials have received one application seeking to capitalize on the name of the gunman who shot to death the Florida teenager.

On March 30, a San Francisco businessman submitted an online application to trademark the phrase “I Believe You Zimmerman.” According to United States Patent and Trademark Office records, Lawrence Sekara paid $1100 to apply for the mark for use in four separate classes.

The 49-year-old Sekara, pictured above, wants to place “I Believe You Zimmerman” on a wide variety of merchandise, including beer mugs, bumper stickers, leggings, footwear, “Button-front aloha shirts,” and other assorted apparel.

In an interview, Sekara, owner of Corporate Fulfillment Services, declined to discuss what products he planned to market, saying that he wanted to “keep that under wraps” until a related web site--ibelieveyouzimmerman.com--launches in a couple of weeks. He registered the domain on the same day he made his online USPTO filing.

Sekara, who said that he has invested $5000 in his fledgling business, acknowledged that while he has had no contact with George Zimmerman, he planned to share some of the “I Believe You Zimmerman” proceeds with the neighborhood watch captain, pictured at left, who killed Martin on February 26 in Sanford, Florida.

Noting that members of the public have “jumped to too many conclusions” about the shooting, Sekara said that he was not concerned about being criticized for seeking to profit from the case.