§8921. Unauthorized use of Marine Corps insignia

(a) The seal, emblem, and initials of the United States Marine Corps shall be deemed to be insignia of the United States.

(b) No person may, except with the written permission of the Secretary of the Navy, use or imitate the seal, emblem, name, or initials of the United States Marine Corps in connection with any promotion, goods, services, or commercial activity in a manner reasonably tending to suggest that such use is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Marine Corps or any other component of the Department of Defense.

(c) Whenever it appears to the Attorney General of the United States that any person is engaged or is about to engage in an act or practice which constitutes or will constitute conduct prohibited by subsection (b), the Attorney General may initiate a civil proceeding in a district court of the United States to enjoin such act or practice. Such court may, at any time before final determination, enter such restraining orders or prohibitions, or take such other action as is warranted, to prevent injury to the United States or to any person or class of persons for whose protection the action is brought.

(Added Pub. L. 98–525, title XV, §1532(a)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2631 , §7881; renumbered §8921, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §807(d)(13), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1837 .)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 8921 was renumbered section 9321 of this title.

Another prior section 8921, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 551 ; Nov. 2, 1966, Pub. L. 89–718, §3, 80 Stat. 1115 , provided for retirement of a promotion-list colonel, except as provided by section 8301 of title 5, on 30th day after he completes 30 years of service or 5th anniversary of date of his appointment in that regular grade, whichever is later, with authority for Secretary of Air Force to defer retirement in certain cases, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 96–513, title II, §217(a), title VII, §701, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2886 , 2995, effective Sept. 15, 1981.

Prior sections 8922 and 8923 were repealed by Pub. L. 96–513, title II, §217(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2886 , effective Sept. 15, 1981.

Section 8922, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 551 ; Nov. 2, 1966, Pub. L. 89–718, §3, 80 Stat. 1115 , provided for retirement of a regular grade brigadier general, other than a professor of the United States Air Force Academy, except as provided by section 8301 of title 5, on 30th day after he completes 30 years of service or 5th anniversary of date of his appointment in that regular grade, whichever is later, with authority for Secretary of Air Force to defer retirement in certain cases. See section 635 of this title.

Section 8923, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 552 ; Nov. 2, 1966, Pub. L. 89–718, §3, 80 Stat 1115, provided for retirement of a regular grade major general, except as provided by section 8301 of title 5, on 30th day after he completes 35 years of service or 5th anniversary of his appointment in that regular grade, whichever is later, with authority for Secretary of Air Force to defer retirement in certain cases. See section 636 of this title.

Prior sections 8924 to 8926 were renumbered section 9324 to 9326, respectively, of this title.

A prior section 8927, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 553 ; Aug. 21, 1957, Pub. L. 85–155, title III, §301(20), 71 Stat. 389 ; May 20, 1958, Pub. L. 85–422, §11(a)(8), 72 Stat. 131 ; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–861, §1(196), 72 Stat. 1540 ; Sept. 30, 1966, Pub. L. 89–609, §1(33), 80 Stat. 854 , related to computation of years of service for determining whether a regular commissioned officer should be retired under former section 8913, 8915, 8916, 8919, 8921, 8922, or 8923 of this title and for determining retired pay of officers of Regular Air Force retired under former section 8913, 8915, 8916, 8919, 8921, 8922, or 8923 of this title, was repealed by Pub. L. 96–513, title II, §217(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2886 , effective Sept. 15, 1981. See section 1405 of this title.

A prior section 8928, act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 554 , related to computation of years of service of Air Force Nurses or women medical specialists for purposes of retirement under former section 8912 of this title, or retirement pay under section 8991 of this title, was repealed by Pub. L. 85–155, title IV, §401(1), Aug. 21, 1957, 71 Stat. 390 .

A prior section 8929 was renumbered section 9329 of this title.

Amendments

2018-Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 7881 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Savings Provision

Pub. L. 98–525, title XV, §1532(b), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2631 , provided that: "The amendments made by subsection (a) [enacting this chapter] shall not affect rights that vested before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 19, 1984]."