Everyone is already trying to make money off of Cecil the lion

People will try to make a dime off of anything, including, apparently, Cecil the lion. Killed last month in Zimbabwe by a dentist, Cecil has been all over headlines recently (Was Jericho the Lion also murdered? What about this other lion?), and his likeness could soon end up stores, too. Motherboard reports that there have already been four trademark applications filed to the United States Patent and Trademark office, all of which are vying to claim Cecil for themselves.

The four applications were all filed for "paraphernalia," meaning the companies are looking to claim the rights to Cecil in order to make T-shirts, stuffed animals, and home decor. A travel agency, the maker of Beanie Babies, and the toy company responsible for plush toys of One Direction band members all filed for trademarks.

If these companies are really going to cash in on the Cecil craze, though, they may have already missed their window of opportunity: Motherboard points out that the Cecil the lion hype is unlikely to last the duration of the lengthy legal process required to acquire a trademark.

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