Nassau Executive Blakeman wants to trademark county's tourism slogan
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman speaks during his State of the County address held at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola on March 6. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is seeking a federal patent to trademark his tourism slogan of late: "Nassau County: Golden From Coast To Coast."
Nassau's rules committee on Monday approved a $5,000 contract with the law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP to file a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The vote was 4-3, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed.
The county has been using the slogan in advertising for the Cricket World Cup, scheduled for June at Eisenhower Park, and Nassau's 125th anniversary celebrations this year, also known as the "Quasquicentennial," legislative documents show.
Blakeman, a Republican, announced the new slogan in May 2023 in a tourism commercial that ran for two weeks on national media outlets promoting county beaches, restaurants, parks, shops and museums.
Lawmakers chuckled Monday as deputy county attorney Brian Libert described the contract under consideration.
"This is so ridiculous," Nassau Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) said.
"You're looking to trademark 'Nassau County: Golden Coast to Coast'? Who the heck is going to steal that? What are you worried about a trademark for that?" asked Nassau Legis. Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview). Drucker asked if officials from other municipalities had threaten to sue, such as in Nassau County, Florida.
Another county attorney, Richard Soleymanzadeh, responded that "while the term 'Nassau County: Golden Coast To Coast' may not have been used, the different phraseology of 'golden coast' or 'gold coast' has been used."
Vying for the patent was "in the best interests of the county, to prevent litigation ..." Soleymanzadeh said. The $5,000 fee was a "low amount of money compared to other contracts that have been approved," he added.
Nassau used $600,000 from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to pay for last year's commercial, which ran in New York State as well as in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Arizona, and on the right-wing news channel Newsmax.
Nassau is using $10 million from its federal coronavirus relief aid to pay for anniversary events scheduled throughout the year.
Chris Boyle, a county spokesman, said no money from the American Rescue Plan Act would be used for the trademark contract.
According to the Patent and Trademark Office, lawyers filed the patent application on Feb. 26.
Also Monday, the rules committee voted 4-3 to approve a "home rule message" in favor of the state extending Nassau's red light camera program for five more years. State authorization expires on Dec. 1.
Before state legislators can reauthorize the program, county legislators had to pass a "home rule message" in favor of the extension.
Republican county legislators approved the message, while Democrats opposed.
In a separate matter, the rules committee approved a $750,000 contract for Rosenberg Calica & Birney LLC, a Garden City law firm, to defend lawsuits challenging Nassau's red light camera program and other fees. Republicans supported the measure, while Democrats opposed.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is seeking a federal patent to trademark his tourism slogan of late: "Nassau County: Golden From Coast To Coast."
Nassau's rules committee on Monday approved a $5,000 contract with the law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP to file a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The vote was 4-3, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed.
The county has been using the slogan in advertising for the Cricket World Cup, scheduled for June at Eisenhower Park, and Nassau's 125th anniversary celebrations this year, also known as the "Quasquicentennial," legislative documents show.
Blakeman, a Republican, announced the new slogan in May 2023 in a tourism commercial that ran for two weeks on national media outlets promoting county beaches, restaurants, parks, shops and museums.
Lawmakers chuckled Monday as deputy county attorney Brian Libert described the contract under consideration.
"This is so ridiculous," Nassau Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) said.
"You're looking to trademark 'Nassau County: Golden Coast to Coast'? Who the heck is going to steal that? What are you worried about a trademark for that?" asked Nassau Legis. Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview). Drucker asked if officials from other municipalities had threaten to sue, such as in Nassau County, Florida.
Another county attorney, Richard Soleymanzadeh, responded that "while the term 'Nassau County: Golden Coast To Coast' may not have been used, the different phraseology of 'golden coast' or 'gold coast' has been used."
Vying for the patent was "in the best interests of the county, to prevent litigation ..." Soleymanzadeh said. The $5,000 fee was a "low amount of money compared to other contracts that have been approved," he added.
Nassau used $600,000 from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to pay for last year's commercial, which ran in New York State as well as in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Arizona, and on the right-wing news channel Newsmax.
Nassau is using $10 million from its federal coronavirus relief aid to pay for anniversary events scheduled throughout the year.
Chris Boyle, a county spokesman, said no money from the American Rescue Plan Act would be used for the trademark contract.
According to the Patent and Trademark Office, lawyers filed the patent application on Feb. 26.
Also Monday, the rules committee voted 4-3 to approve a "home rule message" in favor of the state extending Nassau's red light camera program for five more years. State authorization expires on Dec. 1.
Before state legislators can reauthorize the program, county legislators had to pass a "home rule message" in favor of the extension.
Republican county legislators approved the message, while Democrats opposed.
In a separate matter, the rules committee approved a $750,000 contract for Rosenberg Calica & Birney LLC, a Garden City law firm, to defend lawsuits challenging Nassau's red light camera program and other fees. Republicans supported the measure, while Democrats opposed.
Scott Eidler covers Nassau County government and politics for Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.
