The US Federal Reserve (Fed) has taken legal action against Bitcoin Magazine, alleging that the publication’s parody merchandise infringes on its image and trademarks. 

The dispute revolves around using the FedNow Service image and trademark in merchandise sold by Bitcoin Magazine, which aims to critique the surveillance capabilities of the FedNow system and its potential impact on civil liberties. 

Bitcoin Magazine has responded with an open letter, asserting its First Amendment rights and refusing to comply with the cease-and-desist request.

Fed Accuses Bitcoin Magazine Of Unauthorized Infringement

According to Bitcoin Magazine, the US Federal Reserve has initiated legal proceedings in response to the publication’s parody merchandise. 

The central bank claims that the merchandise, which uses the FedNow Service image and trademark, constitutes unauthorized infringement and misleading association with the Federal Reserve.

In an open letter penned to the Federal Reserve Financial Services’s Deputy General Counsel, Bitcoin Magazine’s editor-in-chief, Mark Goodwin, expressed gratitude for the inquiry while asserting the publication’s refusal to comply with the cease-and-desist request. 

Goodwin highlighted concerns regarding the FedNow system’s potential infringement on civil liberties and emphasized the publication’s First Amendment rights to criticize and parody the system.

First Amendment Battle

Bitcoin Magazine firmly believes that its parody merchandise falls within protected speech under the First Amendment. It argues that the imagery used serves as social commentary, specifically critiquing the surveillance aspects associated with the FedNow system. 

The publication maintains that its readership would not associate Bitcoin Magazine with the Federal Reserve and that no confusion or deception is intended. Goodwin further claimed:

We do not believe that anyone that is familiar with our editorial guidelines and general stance on the world would ever associate Bitcoin Magazine with the Federal Reserve. We agree with your assertion that “no such association or relationship exists.” We look forward to defending our First Amendment rights, and the opportunity to make clear to all Americans the difference between the open, free, and decentralized financial system that is Bitcoin, and the centralized FedNow system that threatens our nation’s founding values.

The legal dispute between the US Federal Reserve and Bitcoin Magazine over parody merchandise sold by the publication highlights the clash between intellectual property rights and freedom of speech. 

Bitcoin Magazine asserts its First Amendment rights to criticize and parody the FedNow system, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue and the distinction between the publication and the Federal Reserve. 

The outcome of this legal battle will have implications for the boundaries of protected speech and the ability to critique public institutions.

After a brief rally to the mid-$35,000 level, Bitcoin (BTC) has again pulled back, falling below this threshold and failing to establish a strong consolidation above it. Currently, the market’s leading cryptocurrency is trading at $34,700, down 0.5% over the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com