Daily Mail reported that businessman Georgios Demetriou, 57, from Manchester, UK, submitted a petition on June 6 to register the trademark of phrases related to the ethnic protest movement after the George Floyd murder in the US.
Demetriou is the founder of License to thrill - a company that operates an online bicycle shop Ridelow in Manchester, UK since May 2000.
Mr. Demetriou said the brands will be for 'charity'', although he has been accused of trying to exploit the Black lives Matter movement after admitting that he will be able to charge royalties for those who use one of the two phrases ''I can't breathe'' and 'Black lives Matter'.
Both of these brands use it for costumes, in which 'I Can't Breathe' is for charity wrist straps.
Speaking to the World Brand Magazine (WTR), Demetriou said he plans to use the two brands for a charitable organization to help children in Manchester. Demetriou's plan, as stated, is to establish two organizations - ''Black lives Matter' 'focusing on education and ''I can't breathe' ' ''a voice for young people''.
Demetriou also said that he did not ask for leave from George Floyd's family, but would be willing to 'open' to work with them.
Demetriou's trademark registration was later posted by a user on social network Twitter, attracting the attention of many public opinion, mostly in an angry reaction because he thought that Demetriou had tried to brand a social movement demanding justice for black people to profit from their pain.
