Olympic Mottoes Borrow Lines from O Canada

[Posteritatis]

Quoth the Ceeb:

Two phrases borrowed from Canada's national anthem have been chosen as the mottoes for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and organizers have already moved to protect the commercial rights to the lines.

The lines "With glowing hearts" from the English version and "Des plus brillants exploits" from the French version will soon be emblazoned on Olympic merchandise and promotional material as a national campaign to promote the mottoes is rolled out across Canada this fall.

The phrases were recently trademarked by the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee in anticipation of the announcement, it was revealed Wednesday.

I'm not sure if this is more absurd, or only as absurd, as the fact that the IOC owns any logos in the US that have five circles on them.

What, precisely, the fuck gives them the right?

[daleo]

1. Maybe these phrases are now in the public domain?

Besides, the current government is ok with a bit of plagiarism. VOC could have been under time pressure and feeling a bit over-zealous.