Man who declares himself publisher of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat isn’t the only one
WHO’S ON FIRST?: Dan Rositano put out a news release today saying that he was the publisher of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and that he was resurrecting the newspaper as an online publication beginning Dec. 8.
But when questioned later, Rositano - the former director of information and technology at KPLR (Channel 11) - acknowledged his application for the right to use the St. Louis Globe-Democrat trademark was “pending.”
Pending. In other words, he does not have the right to use the name no matter what it said in his news release.
And then there is Steve DeBellis, who said in an interview, “I’m the publisher of the Globe-Democrat.”
DeBellis began using the Globe-Democrat name in 1995 to publish a nostalgic-style paper six times a year. He said he found the name had been abandoned and he began using it and in 2000 he registered it as a business with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office.
The original St. Louis Globe-Democrat stopped publishing on Oct. 29, 1986.
“He should call it the St. Louis Sun, a name that’s defunct and that’s not being used,” DeBellis said. “He shouldn’t call it the name of my newspaper. If he wants to call it something new, he can call it the Rositano Rag or something like that.”
DeBellis said his newspaper is distributed free to about 500 area businesses six times a year.
He said he plans to talk to his attorney to “see what remedy we are going to pursue.”
Rositano said his lawyer, who he declined to name, had done the trademark research for him. “Maybe it’s different because we are only going to be online and his (DeBellis’s) publication is a newspaper,” Rositano said, his voice rising at the end of the sentence until it became a question.
Rositano said in the news release that the website would be free and that readers could begin registering their e-mail addresses beginning today. He said there would be “more details about the technology and people that will make the site unique in St. Louis” forthcoming on the website.
Rositano also declined to say how much money - if any - he paid for the right to use the name; how many investors he has; and who his staff is, except he said he has hired Rob Rains as the site’s sports editor.
Rains is a well-known figure in the St. Louis sports world, having covered the Cardinals for the original Globe-Democrat and then spending five years as the National League beat writer for USA Today Baseball Weekly.
He has also written or co-written nine books about sports or sports figures, including the Mark McGwire biography, “Mark McGwire: Home Run Hero,” which was on the New York Times bestseller list in 1998.
(7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)
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I don’t know Rositano’s views, but since un-biased journalism doesn’t exist in our society today, it would be a breath of fresh air to have a fair & somewhat balanced source of news in this town. The reverse racism and fabricated journalism that favors one political party and Obama must come to an end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdCimSglD3c&feature=player_embedded
Lol, this article sounds like some vindictive pre-emptive strike. Keep trying Post-Disgrace, your crap isn’t going to stay afloat in this economy for much longer….
I remember the Globe-Democrat. I liked that paper over the Post-Dispatch. I hope it comes back by either publisher as it was; fair and balanced. The sports reporting was great. I always bought the newspaper; was unhappy it folded. St. Louis and Missouri needs it back stronger than ever, and hopefully reporting as it did before its demise. Weren’t the unions a problem with it staying solvent; interesting on that, since the unions have killed other businesses lately; saved by the Obama Bell.
http://www.globe-democrat.com/
You mean, don’tca, a breath of fresh air because they will be slanted your way?
Th enew “publisher” has not indicated how his politics lie for his newspaper, if it survives the inevitable court challenge of using some other organization’s registered name.
When the Communists took over a a country, one of the first things that they did was to confiscate all the privately-held weapons, to deny the people the physical ability to resist tyranny. But even more insidious than the theft of the people’s weapons was the theft of their history. Official Communist “historians” rewrote history to fit the current party line. In many countries, revered national heroes were excised from the history books, or their real deeds were distorted to fit Communist ideology, and Communist killers and criminals were converted into official “saints.” Holidays were declared in honor of the beasts who murdered countless nations. Did you know that much the same process has occurred right here in America?
LOL! If DeBellis really wanted the name, don’t you think he would have registered the URL? It’s a digital world, DeBellis. Catch up.
Yeah!~ St. Louis is a “two on-line NEWS” city
I don’t think DeBellis has a case. Why wouldn’t you get the copyright or register your url?
This article or commentary makes the Post disgrace even more disgraceful. Feeling a little “threatened” are we? Give it a rest. Company names and trademark names - 2 completely seperate issues… and let me tell you - the Globe name is NOT trademarked right now. If it is a company per se - I will be checking on the taxes and monies of it and will get back…