Protests for the Black Lives Matter movement continue to surge across the country, and as people take to the streets to rally against racism and police brutality, many have noticed police officers affixing the Punisher logo on to their uniforms.
Photos of the police circulating on Twitter show officers wearing the Punisher's skull logo on badges on their uniforms during protests for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Angered that the police would try to use the logo of such a popular Marvel vigilante, netizens have started calling on Marvel and Disney to crack down on the use of the Punisher skull. Protesters and sympathizers are hoping that Marvel and Disney will take immediate action – after all the House of Mouse has had a history of staunchly going after the unauthorized use of their intellectual property.
Gerry Conway, the comic book co-creator of Punisher, has also previously condemned the use of the character's emblem as a symbol for law enforcement.
According to Business Insider, a representative from Marvel has responded, saying that the company's position on the use of the Punisher logo has not changed. Marvel has never given permission to police departments to use the symbol.
However, entertainment attorneys say that Disney and Marvel can't really take effective legal action against officers unless they sell items featuring the logo.
Another angle worth considering is cracking down on the illegal sale of Punisher merchandise that can be used by the police.
Let's hope that Disney issues a full statement on the matter.
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