Anyone have Lexis/Nexis and can check this for me?

[Cronus Protagonist]

Someone claims to own the phrase "Drop Bush Not Bombs" and I'd like to find the earliest mention of that in the press. Can anyone help me?

[Syrinx]

1. Not Nexis, but here's the earliest article from Google News.

http://www.projo.com/theater/content/projo_20040519_caesarrev.fa566.html

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. Thanks but May 19 2004 is not very long ago :)

I need the first published version to debunk the claimant's claim. Thanks for putting in the effort, though. :)

[Sandpiper]

3. Here ya go

The Burlington Free Press (Burlington, VT)

April 7, 2002 Sunday

Anti-war Voice Is Heard

By Adam Silverman

<snip>

The Burlington demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as "USA is the world's terrorist,'' "Drop Bush not bombs'' and "Honk for peace."

<snip>

Sorry, can't link the full article.

[Cronus Protagonist]

5. That's better than I could find!

Thanks.

[Syrinx]

4. maybe this is a clue

Domain Name: DROPBUSHNOTBOMBS.COM
Registrar: GO DADDY SOFTWARE, INC.
Whois Server: whois.godaddy.com
Referral URL: http://registrar.godaddy.com
Name Server: PARK13.SECURESERVER.NET
Name Server: PARK14.SECURESERVER.NET
Status: ACTIVE
Updated Date: 28-dec-2003
Creation Date: 28-dec-2003
Expiration Date: 28-dec-2004

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. Why didn't I think of that - very good!

That's a damn good record. I wish it were earlier, but it's a great resource to help prove that the phrase is in the public domain. Thanks.

[GarySeven]

7. in 613 mentions of the phrase to date

It first appears in a January 27 1991 article in the Orange County Register headlined: "A day of support, protest;
Backers of Desert Storm play catch-up;
As rallies spring up in area, opponents' advantage lies in experience, organization"

Here's the graph:

Protesters, among them a Malibu terrier named Safety Pup, bore signs
reading "Drop Bush, Not Bombs," "A Kinder, Gentler Bloodbath" and
"War is Bad for Puppies. "

[Cronus Protagonist]

8. Perfect ! Thanks!

That's all I need. I suspected it came from the first Gulf war and now I have proof. So much for his claim :)

The guy can whine all he wants, but the public records indicate that not only was it created long before the guy created his merchandise, it's been in the public domain since 1/27/1991 - Bush The First's war!

And he's in New York, the signs were either in Florida or California - pre-Internet!

Cool. Thanks!

I was shocked that someone, allegedly on our side, would try to pull a great phrase out of the public domain for his own profit and threaten people using it for political purposes, thereby limiting its use to overthrown the Bush regime.

When I go to rallies, almost half of the tables are selling something I made up - most often the Mullah Bush picture on some item or other, for example. I don't threaten them with lawsuits, instead, I congratulate them on their work to help defeat the Bush regime.

ANYBODY BUT BUSH

Click here for "ANYBODY BUT BUSH", and other fair and balanced yet stunning buttons, magnets and stickers

[gandalf]

9. I think you can search LN for free

only if you want to access the full-text article you have to pay, but you can see the search results.

[Null Pointer]

10. Can you?

I see a pay as you go search option or pay weekly, but nothing free.