ALS Stops Effort to Trademark #IceBucketChallenge

The ALS Association, which has raised over $100 million due to its ice bucket challenge going viral, has withdrawn its efforts to trademark the phrases "ice bucket challenge" and "ALS ice bucket challenge," the Washington Post reports. The applications with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office sought to trademark the phrases for purposes of charitable giving. One trademark attorney Erik Pelton said the effort was "shameful" because it could prevent other charities from using the phrase.