Two Thumbs Down in Hollywood Trademark Dispute

monxrtr writes: ""Two Thumbs Down"! Even though "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" is as old as the Romans voicing public approval or disapproval, it seems film review critiques Siskel and Ebert trademarked the symbols. Now that Ebert is in a dispute with Disney, last weeks episode featuring the influential "thumbs up, thumbs" down review, which Hollywood marketing relies on to advertise new release movies and DVDs, was notoriously missing from the lineup of films reviewed, reports the Chicago Sun Times. So it appears the "thumbs up, thumbs down" review method is a monopoly protected intellectual property; Disney has not been able to reach a relicense agreement with Roger Ebert and the estate of the deceased Gene Siskel, owners of the trademark, for their movie review show "At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper.""