RTMark
Encyclopedia
RTMark is an activist collective that subverts the "Corporate Shield" protecting US corporations. The name is derived from "Registered Trademark
".
RTMark is itself a registered corporation which brings together activists who plan projects with donors who fund them. It thus operates outside the laws governing human individuals, and benefits from the much looser laws governing corporations.
RTMark claimed as its first prank the "Barbie Liberation Organization", in which the voiceboxes of talking Barbie
and G.I. Joe
toys were swapped, and the toys then returned to the store (1993). The first prank documentable as being truly RTMark-sponsored was the SimCopter "hack" (1996), carried out by founding member Jacques Servin
.
Other RTMark stunts were gwbush.com (a faked campaign Website for George W. Bush
), and voteauction
. They were also involved in the toywar.
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
".
RTMark is itself a registered corporation which brings together activists who plan projects with donors who fund them. It thus operates outside the laws governing human individuals, and benefits from the much looser laws governing corporations.
RTMark claimed as its first prank the "Barbie Liberation Organization", in which the voiceboxes of talking Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
and G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
toys were swapped, and the toys then returned to the store (1993). The first prank documentable as being truly RTMark-sponsored was the SimCopter "hack" (1996), carried out by founding member Jacques Servin
Jacques Servin
Jacques Servin is one of the leading members of The Yes Men, a culture jamming activist group. Their exploits in "identity correction" are documented in the films The Yes Men and The Yes Men Fix the World...
.
Other RTMark stunts were gwbush.com (a faked campaign Website for George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
), and voteauction
Voteauction
Vote-Auction.net was a satirical website that during the 2000 U.S. presidential election offered U.S. citizens an anonymous and quick way to sell their vote to the highest bidder. 13 U.S. states issued temporary restraining orders and injunctions, for alleged illegal vote trading and consumer...
. They were also involved in the toywar.