Over the last few years it has become increasingly common to see the Punisher Skull symbol on police vehicles and as badges on police uniforms, and even in the military.

The Punisher, a violent vigilante who uses brutal, deadly force on criminals has become a symbol of heroism for police departments, a rallying symbol displaying a disregard for life and the protection of communities in favor of brutal violence and oppression.

Marvel and Disney have not been shy about enforcing their copywrite in the past.

When a grieving family used Spider-Man's image on their child's temporary headstone, this was your statement:

"We have striven to preserve the same innocence and magic around our characters that brought Ollie such joy. For that reason, we follow a policy that began with Walt Disney himself that does not permit the use of characters on headstones, cemetery or other memorial markers or funeral urns.”

The Punisher is a vigilante and a criminal in his own right. The cocreator of the Punisher, Gerry Conway, has denounced the use of the Punisher Skull as a symbol for police: 

“The vigilante anti-hero is fundamentally a critique of the justice system, an example of social failure, so when cops put Punisher skulls on their cars or members of the military wear Punisher skull patches, they’re basically sides with an enemy of the system," Conway told Syfy in January 2019. “They are embracing an outlaw mentality. Whether you think the Punisher is justified or not, whether you admire his code of ethics, he is an outlaw. He is a criminal. Police should not be embracing a criminal as their symbol.”

Your own comics have addressed this issue, but the audience of a single issue of the Punisher is much smaller than official platforms and press releases.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, protests have sparked across the country condemning the brutal and systemic problems of use of force by  the police, particularly targeted at minorities and the black community. Since these protests have begun Americans and the world have been inundated with videos of police officers using brutal tactics on citizens utilizing their First Amendment rights of peaceful assembly.

Marvel and its parent company, The Walt Disney Company, have been silent as police officers with the Punisher Skull emblazoned on their vehicles and uniforms have been filmed brutalizing peaceful protesters. It is no longer possible to ignore the systemic issues of police violence. These officers have rallied around your copyrighted imagery as a symbol of their brutal abuses of power.

We urge not just a formal, written condemnation from Marvel and the Walt Disney Company about the appropriation of your copyrighted Intellectual Property by violent and abusive elements within the police, but formal legal action against those who unlawfully and flagrantly encourage violence inspired by your character the Punisher.