Sunday, June 01, 2014

Lawyer Up

This is asinineZazzle gave me instructions on how to file a counter-notice, and I plan to. Not because I really care about the dumb design, but because this is ridiculous asshattery that shouldn’t be allowed to continue.” -- Dave Lartigue, t-shirt designer and wordsmith

Like the salmon flocking to Capistrano, the lure of the phrase 'ridiculous asshattery' is one we find impossible to resist. So when wired.com used it as a tag in this story on a trademark infringement claim, tractor beam - sucked us right in.

U.S. trademark registration 4,473,631 gives Paul Ingrisano, dba Pi Productions Corp, a New York corporation, the rights to the symbol for pi followed by a period. Ingrisano uses the mark on t-shirts. So far, so good.

Our story took a turn, though, when Ingrisano found that Zazzle, an online print-on-demand retail store, was selling various items with pi imprinted upon them. Through his attorney, Ronald Millet, he filed a cease and desist order (or, more accurately, a CEASE AND DESIST order - I think he really, really meant it).




Clearly intimidated by the all-caps demand, Zazzle removed all items with pi from its online store, which prompted Lartigue's indignation. After several days of backlash, the company did begin once again allowing its users to sell pi-based articles.

No word yet on which words Millet will capitalize in his next complaint to Zazzle.

19 comments:

zman said...

Copyright and trademark are two different things.

rob said...

i just write things down, man, i don't really check them for accuracy.

rob said...

but feel free to edit for legal correctness

zman said...

It's the embedded letter that goes back and forth between the two.

Shlara said...

Anything with "lawyer," "legal" or "contract language" and I automatically tune out.

Maybe that's why I got a "D" in B-Law the first time I took that class...

zman said...

SB XXV on nfl network. I forget how this one ends ...

Mark said...

We're going to get smoked in Brazil. Our back line defense is a joke.

Mark said...

That was a beautiful goal though. Brilliant work by Bradley and Johnson.

rob said...

in case you were wondering, you should say 'lawyer up' like 'ante up'. yap that trademarking fool.

Mark said...

Bravo, Rob.

Danimal said...

Shunning the propane. Workin the lil bbq inside the lanai due to rain....just made a little magic with some shrimpfh and some wood cheeips. Drinking Intuition I-10's. Van Morrison radio on the marconi thing. Shit. Mother-in-law just crashed. At least she won't be modeling bras bros. Am I right guys?

mayhugh said...

Got incredibly banged up at a wedding last night. On my hungover drive back to the compound, saw a car with W&M bumper stickers and the license plate "JRKSTOR". Made my day.

rob said...

how did the usmnt look overall? getting outshot 23-8 against turkey doesn't exactly scream worldbeaters.

Mark said...

Defense was putrid. Wouldn't be shocked if somebody hung 3-4 goals on them in group play.

rootsminer said...

My maw in law situation nearly got worse yesterday. We were planting some heirloom tomatoes and I guess she got a bee in her britches - though I was going to see her bloomers (and yes, I think they were bona-fide bloomers).

TR said...

Red Viper!

Shlara said...

people keep posting that cracked skydeck glass to FB and twitter...its killing me.

Mark said...

Playoff hockey, y'all.

zman said...

TR got a new car?