It is one of the most recognised images in the world — the Pope, hand held aloft in blessing. Increasingly, however, the Pope’s name or image is found in less traditional contexts — from soap products and snowstorms to endorsing tomato paste. In a move to control this growing use or misuse of the papal brand, the Holy See has announced that in future anyone wanting to use the face or name of the Holy Father or Supreme Pontiff must obtain Vatican approval.
Robin Fry, a copyright lawyer from the London firm Beachcrofts, said: “Popes throughout history have been plagued by their image being reproduced, whether as little trinkets, or, recently, mechanical dolls. There has even been a Pope soap on a rope. But like any other business, the Vatican needed a clear intellectual property programme so that it may control uses of its key expressions — not for commercial purposes, but simply to retain the...