An otherwise pointless news article,
Wal-Mart tries to trademark the Smiley face, is worth noting if only because of Wal-Mart's spokesman on the matter:
Until now the smiley face had been considered in the public domain in the US, and therefore free for anyone to use. Wal-Mart spokesman John Smiley told the Los Angeles Times that it had not moved to register the trademark until Mr Loufrani had threatened to do so.