Posted on 09/29/2007 9:30:51 AM PDT by Stoat
Photoshop credit: Blue Crab Boulevard
***
This is one of the logos MoveOn.org doesnt want you to see: Go ahead. Sue.
Earlier in the week, the LA Times reported that MoveOn.org, the infamous left-wing thugs who sponsored the General Betray Us ads, had unleashed its lawyers on Internet retailer Cafe Press, which allows folks to sell custom-designed t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc. The anti-military smear merchants dont take kindly to be being mocked and satirized on homemade items and knick-knacks:
Last week it demanded that the site remove eight items, arguing that they violated MoveOns merchandising trademarks.
Trademark law doesnt confer monopoly rights over all uses of a registered phrase or symbol, however, and it wasnt created simply to protect the trademark owners interests. Instead, its designed to protect consumers against being misled or confused about brands. The courts have repeatedly ruled in favor of parodies and critiques; thats why www.famousbrandnamesucks.com doesnt violate famousbrandnames trademark. And most, if not all, of the items targeted by MoveOn were clearly designed to razz it, not to trick buyers into thinking they were the groups products.
Beyond that, its amazing that MoveOn would try to squelch political speech.
Amazing? Not really. These are radicals who are out to squash their critics and political opponents by any means necessary.
I know, I know. Cafe Press has been guilty itself of political speech-squelching. But in this case, Cafe Press didnt fold completely when the MoveOn.org cease-and-desist letters arrived:
While we understand that negative commentary is unsavory, our shopkeepers parodies of the MoveOn.org trademark are permissible here, especially when one considers the First Amendment implications raised by the social and political importance of your organization, the policies it advocates, and the countervailing messages conveyed by the parodies, wrote Daniel Pontes of CafePress to Carrie Olson, MoveOns chief operating officer. Olson had been the one requesting the takedown.
One of the targeted Cafe Press shop owners, Parsing Poet, sold items protesting MoveOn.org at The PoliStew Cafe.
He e-mailed me about his tangle with the legal mafia at MoveOn.org:
I had a store for a few days called The PoliStew on CafePress. First off, get it straight. Im not of the far right or left. I am military and I am pissed off over the Petraeus ad. So I started my shop to speak out about the group that supported it, and also to suggest that they dont speak for all Dems. As of today, the shop is closed temporarily. I received a copy of this from Cafe Press, who got it from THE GROUP THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED:
From: carrie@moveon.org
Cc: Trademark
Subject: Notification of Trademark Infringement
To:
CafePress.com
Attn: Candice Carr
Intellectual Property Rights Agent
950 Tower Lane
Suite 600
Foster City, CA 94404Dear Ms. Carr,
I am contacting you as the representative of MoveOn.org, and therefore the trademark owned as MoveOn.org We have been alerted to an entire page of items on your website that infringes on our registered trademark, and we request that you remove all items immediately, and ask the poster to refrain from shipping any items purchased on this webpage. We also request that you give us contact information for the company / person who posted the items.
This content has certainly NOT been authorized by anyone at MoveOn.org, nor anyone affiliated with MoveOn.
Parsing Poet continued in his e-mail:
Cafe Press wonderfully told them about First Amendment Rights. Cafe Press told them to shove off, but went and removed some but not all of my merchandise that had the words XXXX-XX on it. Okay. So there. Well, you have to think with a friend like the left leaning group that paid big bucks to demean a four star general, that the Democrats have conveniently created their own in-house enemy. I decided on my own to shut down my store temporarily, retool, and come up with even more pointed campaign of their hypocrisy. It will support General Petraeuss reputation, and it will refrain from use of their name, however, they shall be dubbed, the #1 contributor to the Democratic Party THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED. So go ahead, have a chuckle. Show the shirt on your blog show the damned world. In fact, soon this photo will be on a MUG at my store! Tell everyone that a right leaning Democrat got shut out by XXXX-XX because they cant even take dissent from within their ranks.
Spread the word.
Parsing Poet is fighting back. Heres his new shirt for sale (proceeds benefit military families):
Buy the mug, too!
Edward Padgett is a disgusted friend of Parsing Poet. He posted four of the images MoveOn.org forced Cafe Press to remove and he writes:
I subscribe to the MoveOn newsletter, and even considered hosting an anti-war rally in San Dimas, but now I want no part of this radical group and will remove my name from their newsletter subscription Why is it, MoveOn organization can dish it out to our president and general, but feels threatened by simple slogans against them? Move On used the First Amendment when they smeared the Generals name in the NY Times. However, they cite trademark infringement when it comes to anyone using theirs to criticize them on a t-shirt. It wasnt. Trademark infringement would be if the shopkeepers were selling it as official moveon merchandise, which its clear by the lack of their logo and also the message that it was a protest message. Carrie Olson, COO of MoveOn also demanded the shopkeepers personal information, which amounts to bullying and threats. Fortunately, CafePress refused to give them that information. I guess to MoveOn, the First Amendment is only for the rich.
I guess to MoveOn, the First Amendment is only for the rich.
Someone should put that on a t-shirt, too.
***
I featured one of the banned logos at the top of this post. Here are a few others from The Polistew via Edward Padgett. If youve got a blog, it might be nice to feature one in Spartacus-style solidarity with the targets of MoveOn.orgs thuggish cease-and-desist campaign.
Go ahead, MoveOn.org. Suuuuuue:
These are the Stalinist thugs that Orwell warned us about.
They do not believe in free speech or the exchange of ideas.
You are to listen, submit, pay, and obey, comrade.
you can email me:
tellitonatee@gmail.com
Overall, the graphics/slogans could use some work on those shirts.
MoveOn never moved on from Clinton’s corner.
They did briefly become open about their socialist agenda (and even posted it on their website). I wonder how many people in the general public realize that Move On is a PAC with limits on donations, prohibitions on foreign contributions (which they got caught accepting), etc.
They do not believe in free speech or the exchange of ideas.
You are to listen, submit, pay, and obey, comrade.
And if you dare to protest, your assets will be expropriated by the State (or, in this case, an anti-American organization that considers itself above the State) and your puny little life will be crushed under the great Red Wheel (to borrow an expression from Solzhenitsyn)
Looks like he caved, to me anyway.
Indeed it does. It may have been a difficult decision for him, however....I am trying to imagine myself in a similar situation....if I had a family, was not wealthy, had no powerful contacts or associations in politics, the media or the law, getting a letter like that would likely make me think pretty hard about things. We all know that even when you're on the right side of the law, a big organization with legions of high-priced lawyers can ruin a person financially just from defending himself.
Thankfully, Michelle Malkin has taken up his cause and so he may be able to breathe easier now that much of the heat will be off of him.
Agreed. Hopefully the sight of these will motivate some of the more artistic FReepers to design their own (and I see that they already have!)
MoveOn never moved on from Clintons corner.
They did briefly become open about their socialist agenda (and even posted it on their website). I wonder how many people in the general public realize that Move On is a PAC with limits on donations, prohibitions on foreign contributions (which they got caught accepting), etc.
I don't believe that even very many Democrats are aware of the full extent of the funding sources and other activities of MoveOn, thanks in large measure to the virtual media blackout on such issues. Those who don't look into the New Media sources (and Free Republic in particular) would never have any idea that MoveOn is anything other than a small cadre of gentle people who merely want to bring America back to the principles laid down by the Founding Fathers (LMAO)
moron.org
Like Hiladabeast is?
Shouldn't that be:
MorOn.org?
I think it should be MooveOn.org
MarOon.org?
Does anyone know where the “I Will Not Submit” T-Shirt that Michelle is wearing in post 1 can be found?
Here you go :-)
BTW, I've been meaning to look up how you vary font. Now I know, thanks.
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