All I can do is shake my head at the insanity of it all. Jennifer Laycock, an SEO (Search Engine Guide) that I greatly admire has a blog designed to promote breastfeeding and gives charitable contributions to non-profit milk banks. Part of that charitable effort involves selling Tshirts via CafePress, one of which uses the phrase "The other white milk". The National Pork Board sent her a ridiculous letter via some ridiculous lawyer insisting that she remove the shirt (among other things), as it violated their trademark "The other white meat".
I recently filled my freezer with an entire hog that was cut and wrapped. I just went and looked at all the little packages of meat, and for the life of me, I just can't see a resemblance to breast milk. I'm fairly certain that I would never confuse the two, despite the similar phrasing. Meat...milk...meat...milk. Nope...not confusing at all.
You can read the whole crazy story at Jennifer's blog. Jennifer, I wish you the best of luck.
I did my part. Here’s the note I sent to the PR person linked from Jennifer’s blog:
I’m writing to congratulate your organization. I think any group of people assembled to promote something always does itself a great service when it tries to attack an individual person with a campaign to promote something wholesome.
I mean, what other kind of light but sunshine could be cast on a group that would do that?
I think your legal team’s miscalculations came when you went after one of the more influential people on the web.
I understand that your legal team is defending what it deems to be an infringement of your turf, but Christ. Why not post an image of your legal team pounding in the heads of kittens while you’re hammering out the threats to this blogger?
The world is a smaller place now, and big, porky organizations are going to be forced to face the reality that they can no longer squash individuals in anonymity and with impunity. Especially organizations who rely on grocery buying, breast feeding moms to keep their organizations solvent.
You’ve stepped in it. Now you’re going to have to smell it.
Good luck on damage control.
Best regards,
…………
And here’s the kicker – I just got a return email from the CEO of pork,org. Probably cut-and-paste, but whatever.
Jennifer got an apology from the CEO of the Pork Board. That’s wonderful! Go, Jen!