With so much attention on the case, and the proliferation of imprinted products surrounding it, the question of whether people would try to profit off of the death of Martin was inevitable. The Los Angeles Times published an article last week looking at the rise of products related to Martin and George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old who shot Martin (and who, it was just announced, will have criminal charges filed against him), while The International Business Times reported that some are accusing Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, of trying to capitalize on the situation. According to documents obtained by The Smoking Gun, Fulton filed two trademark applications on March 21 for "I Am Trayvon" and "Justice for Trayvon" for use in "Digital materials, namely, CDs and DVDs featuring Trayvon Martin."
Kyle A. Richardson is the editorial director of Promo Marketing. He joined the company in 2006 brings more than a decade of publishing, marketing and media experience to the magazine. If you see him, buy him a drink.