Here is an article in the Marketing Week from 20.03.2008

Urban artist Banksy bids to trademark own name

Banksy, the anarchic street artist, is trademarking his name across a number of goods and services - including paint - in a move that suggest the graffiti artist is looking to cash in on his growing fame.

The guerilla artist, who prefers to remain anonymous, is known for his controversial and political stencil stencil paintings on building and walls in the UK and across the world, including Bethlehem, where he painted murals on the West Bank barrier.

A piece of graffiti, stencilled on a west London wall was auctioned this year on eBay for more than £200,000 by the wall's owner. Other pieces of graffitiare becoming collectors' items although Banksy himself often does not profit because he paints on public or private property, often illegally.

However, a filing with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) through agent Saunders & Dolleymore shows Banksy has applied for his 'tag' to be tradmarked across more than 20 classes.
They include trademarking the name across paints, posters, books, stencils, artist materials, paint brushes and paintings, as well as wall hangings, jewellery, furniture, badges, clothing and games and toys.

The artist has also trademarked his name against artwork design and artists' services as well as for beers and non-alcoholic drinks and coffee and tea.

All I take from that is that Full Colour Black are a bunch of full colour kuntz. To trademark someone else’s work regardless of how they feel about copyright is shocking.

The conspiracist in me says just what if Banksy actually owned Full Colour Black...

Expensive to pay lawyers for both sides...

Not if they’re in on it.