Oleg Teterin, a Russian entrepreneur, has gotten trademark approval for the ;-) emoticon, and he intends to cash in on it, says BBC. “Tens of thousands of dollars” will be the fine, but you can continue to use it in your personal IMs.

“I want to highlight that this is only directed at corporations, companies that are trying to make a profit without the permission of the trademark holder,” Mr Teterin said in comments on the Russian TV channel, NTV.

Now, this is most likely just a PR stunt, but even if Teterin is serious, it is highly unlikely that this will hold up. Personally, I find it hilarious, so I’ll use it one more time. I needn’t worry, the Blog Herald’s owner – Splashpress Media – will pick up the tab!

So ;-) to all the readers!