That Trademark Smile

It's going to be "Have A Nice Day!" time at the Patent and Trademark Office this summer, as the agency sets out to decide whether Wal-Mart can claim exclusive rights to the bright yellow happy face that first grew to prominence in the early 1970s. Wal-Mart says it has invested billions of dollars over the years in advertisements linking its name to the shiny, upbeat image, the Los Angeles Times reports. But Frenchman Franklin Loufrani has been busy trademarking the smiley symbol all over the world in recent years.