Woman Tries to Trademark 'I Can't Breathe' for Clothes

"I can't breathe" has become a rallying cry in the wake of the Eric Garner case, and now an Illinois woman wants the rights to that line for a clothing line, reports the Smoking Gun. Catherine Crump's application to the US Patent and Trademark Office says she plans to use the phrase on hoodies and T-shirts for all ages (yes, even infants) and states she's been using the line "in commerce" since Aug 18; Garner died on July 17. The 57-year-old tells the website that she hasn't spoken with the Garner family about trademarking Eric's dying words to police.

Crump says she's not out to make money—except she didn't provide another reason for the trademark request. Typical reaction since Smoking Gun unearthed the application? "See you in hell, Crump!" writes a blogger at Jezebel. "America, the land of opportunity!" adds a post at the Daily Intelligencer. (More trademark stories.)