The Bad Decision Bear needs your help to remain free! Poachers are attempting to capture the Bad Decision Bear through the filing of trademark applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These poachers would like to own the “Bad Decision Bear” logo and ultimately license and control who can use it and where it can be used.

The Bad Decision Bear was created by a small band of Hashers from San Diego some time in 2011, and is being poached by a Phoenix-based marketer of a crazy, drinking game who is attempting to claim legal ownership of the Bad Decision Bear to capitalize on its popularity in an effort to promote sales of the game.

The Bad Decision Bear has grown in popularity throughout the Western US and has been used in many different Hashing, Ragnar and Burning Man events through the past five years. The full history of the Bad Decision Bear and how this protest came to be can be read about here.

Unfortunately, this is possible because the original creators of the Bad Decision Bear never legally protected it, but instead, intended for it to be freely shared and used by anyone for any creative endeavor similar to an open source arrangement.

I am hoping to collect enough signatures to help influence the USPTO to block these trademark applications so that the Bad Decision Bear can remain free for use by anyone without restriction. It is not my intent to cause a lot of drama over this, but truth must be known. Think twice before purchasing items with the Bad Decision Bear logo since doing so will only validate and support this poaching activity.

Remember all of the good times that the Bad Decision Bear has been there for you, every late night, every bad decision, so now its time for you to be there for the Bad Decision Bear. Say "No" to owning and restricting the Bad Decision Bear.

Please consider signing this petition and sharing it with others to help keep the Bad Decision Bear free!!!