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From
Change.org:
In 2002 artist Jonathan Cohen aka MeresOne reached an agreement with Gerald Wolkoff, real estate developer and owner of a warehouse in Queens. MeresOne was given full curatorial and operational control to host aerosol and street artists to come paint legally without repercussions. Given the chance to curate 200,000 square feet of blank canvas, Jonathan Cohen named the art program 5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center and created it's logo.
For over 11 years MeresOne volunteered and transformed a blank and dilapidated building into the epicenter of legal aerosol art in the world, catering to beginners, famed artists, art lovers and alike becoming the number one tourist attraction in Queens, New York. www.5ptz.com
On November 19th, 2013 New York City awoke to discover all the art pieces white washed and 5 Pointz destroyed. This art genocide was ordered by G&M realty, landlord of 5 Pointz, owner of the land and building, the destruction of the art work occurred in the dark of the night. This act was justified by the owner claiming 5 Pointz was not relevant and he owned the property hosting the art.
March 2014, the landlord G&M realty filed their request to trademark the name 5 Pointz to promote, market and advertise their new project, two luxury rental high-rise towers to be erected on the graveyard which became to be known as the graffiti mecca of the world, 5 Pointz.
Join me in requesting the attention of the trademarking commission to stop G&M realty from exploiting further the art community and capitalizing on the fame of 5 Pointz created by Jonathan Meres one Cohen, by the people for the people.
From
DNA Info:
The owner of the 5Pointz complex currently being demolished to make way for apartment towers are trying to have the name of the street art mecca trademarked — a move artists criticized as trying to "bank off our name."
G&M Realty, the developer planning to build about 1,000 rental units at the Long Island City site, submitted an application in March to trademark "5Pointz," according to documents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The latest filing shows their bid was initially refused in June because the mark was too similar to another that's already registered, according to the document. G&M Realty has six months to respond to the decision.
Jerry Wolkoff, the developer, said 5Pointz refers to the location, not the artists or the artwork that previously adorned the property.
From
Bayside Patch:
Residents from Oakland Gardens, Bellerose and Great Neck were among 19 people arrested in a trademark counterfeit ring bust, the Queens district attorney said.
Police dismantled four organized trademark counterfeit rings based in Queens on Wednesday and the defendants were arraigned before Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard Buchter.
The groups allegedly imported and sold counterfeit brand name apparel and other items from China to wholesale buyers throughout the United States and the Virgin Islands, Queens DA Richard Brown said. A total 19 defendants are currently in custody.
Among the defendants was Oakland Gardens’ Suk B. Yi, 18, who was charged with enterprise corruption and trademark counterfeiting. His ball was set at $100,000 and he was forced to surrender his passport. He will return to court on Jan. 28.
Bellerose’s Bobak Ahouraie, 23, was charged with trademark counterfeiting. He will return to court on Nov. 21.
And Great Neck’s Jan Sanandaji, 37, an alleged wholesale buyer, was charged with trademark counterfeiting and will return to court on Jan. 29.
Other Queens defendants included Flushing’s Jian Zhong Jian, 43, and Xiu Wei Ye, 43 and Woodhaven’s Samantha Defreitas, 26.
The alleged bosses of the operation include Brooklyn’s Izak Chaloh, 28, Yosif Mamrout, 33, and Yu Zhen Cao, 39.
Other Brooklyn defendants included Laureano Lopez, 29, Wei Feng Cao, 45, and Zhi Wei Liang, 53. Staten Island’s Xiu Yin Jin, 34, was also arrested.
The DA said the groups allegedly operated from self-storage facilities in Queens and Brooklyn, generating approximately $10 million in combined gross annual revenue.
