Idaho House to Turkey: Hands off Idaho’s good name!
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Hey, Turkey, hands off Idaho's good name.
That's the message sent by the Idaho House Thursday, where representatives voted unanimously to condemn a Turkish agricultural company's bid to trademark the word "IDAHO" for labeling products including sugar beet seeds.
The measure, which has already cleared the Senate, urges the Turkish Patent Institute to reject Beta Agriculture and Trade Co. bid.
The Idaho Potato Commission already has a trademark on "Idaho" -- and hired a Turkish lawyer to keep the central Anatolian company from intruding on Idaho turf.
Rep. Ken Andrus of Lava Hot Springs said it's alarming to many Idaho residents that somebody in another country would try to pilfer the state's good name for commercial exploitation.
According to its website, Beta's products include not only sugar beet seed, but watermelons, beans and barley.
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