I'm not sure if I'm more upset at him for asking, or the government for granting. When someone is already using the name, you shouldn't be able to register it out from under them.
I agree, but at the same time there's a certain poetic justice to it.
For reasons I can't clearly explain, it seems oddly fitting to see the site's trademark spirited away like this.
Doesn't the usage of the Pirate Bay logo still constitute copyright infringement, though?
Good advertising for TPB, as long as they don't get sued for using their own trademark and logo.
Trademarks are assigned against classes of business. I think it's unlikely that the pirate bay torrent service would have ever been able to obtain a trademark in the food and beverage trademark class. This sounds like a non-story to me.
It looks like he's using their logo too.
Wonderful. Now to get it product-placed in Hollywood Movies.
pirate bay probably doesn't care...or already approved this...since I doubt someone would go and use someone else's logo for an actual business without asking first.