Will #brands start copyrighting hashtags and #emojis? ?

Would it be ? or ? if companies started #trademarking hashtags and emojis?
That will a question at hand Wednesday night at Brooklyn Law School, where experts will discuss how it could happen and why at a talk called, Emerging Issues in IP Law: Trademarking Hashtags and Emojis.
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“The panel will also examine the widespread use of social media marketing by businesses and the related benefits and risks from the perspective of in-house counsel and business people,” the school says.
The council of experts will include:

• Joel Schmidt, partner at Cowan Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.
• David Mitnick, founder and president of DomainSkate LLC
• Craig Abruzzo, general counsel for Birchbox

As we head into this brave new world, one obvious question tugs at us: will reaction GIFs be next? ?