The U.S. Senate has approved a measure aimed at preventing the unofficial Montana slogan “The Last Best Place” from being trademarked.
The provision, written by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., looks to stop the federal government from spending any money to process trademark applications for the phrase.
Baucus added the provision to the 2008 Commerce, Justice and Science spending bill that was approved Tuesday. The legislation now heads to negotiators who will hammer out a compromise with the House's version.
“We're going to do whatever it takes to protect that phrase,” Baucus said in a statement. “I'm just baffled that someone would try to gain exclusive rights to it. That's like trying to take the term ‘Big Sky Country' or ‘Treasure State.' It's just not going to fly with Montanans.”
By NOELLE STRAUB Missoulian D.C. Bureau
Full Story: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/10/18/news/local/news04.txt