Does the pope own the Vatican brand? Spain, so far, says yes

MADRID (AP) - A Vatican crackdown on the commercial use of its official emblems has met resistance from a Spanish website that refuses to stop referencing the seat of the Catholic Church in its masthead.

So far, Spain's trademark office has taken the Vatican's side. It ruled that InfoVaticana.com can't register as a brand because its name might mislead consumers.

InfoVaticana staff scrubbed the colors of the Vatican's flag, the Holy See's emblem and a logo with Saint Peter's keys from the site. But they are fighting to keep the InfoVaticana name.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke says protecting the Holy See's image "is not a matter of ideology or freedom of expression, but one of officialdom."