Can the Pope copyright his image, like other famous people do so that if anyone wants to make merchandise with his likeness on it, they have to pay for a licensing fee or pay royalties or the like?

Let’s not forget this classic song The Pope Smokes Dope

I wonder if Francis would approve….

Ex-Benedict

There are at least a dozen versions of Pope Soap on a Rope.

@ibstubro

Are you aware that the link you posted is basically a tourism promo for the Shreveport, La. area?

Nothing about any pope to be found :)

It’s no wonder that Benedict could retire early.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Xr_nhYwM--/18k3hwet4gy24jpg.jpg

Could Pope Francis peruse legal action against those making cheap merch with his specific name likeness? Possibly. I doubt it would be very fruitful however, as they’d never be able to stop bootlegged merchandise*. Could he or the church claim a copyright on the word “pope”? Doubtful. It’s a title, like king. And even in big commercial enterprises certain usage of a person’s (especially a public figure) name and image are permitted under fair use laws, as Robert Fischer found out when he went after the makers of the book and film ‘Searching For Bobby Fischer’.

(*Case in point: those stickers you see in the back of every pick up truck in America that has Calvin pissing on something. Not a single one has ever been licensed or approved by the creator of Calvin and Hobbs or by any party acting in his behalf.)

@Darth_Algar You are correct. The term “Pope” is indeed a title, and the The Pope of Rome is not the only church leader using the title “Pope”. There is also the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa, (Pope Tawadros II), and the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and of All Africa, better known in the west as the Greek Orhodox Patriarch of Alexandria, currently, Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria.

He could have his own official merchandise like the NFL. Or does he already? A local convent here makes soap and it is overpriced, comes without an ingredients list as per INCI rules for cosmetics here in Europe but it has a blessing said over it in the pot and written on the box.

It seems pretty common these days for abbeys and convents to make consumer goods to support themselves. I know of one in Chicago where the monks build wood caskets. There’s one down in Kentucky that makes bourbon fudge, and another one not too far out from Chicagoland that engages in book printing.