RNC Backs Down On Threatened Lawsuit Against CafePress
ByLast week, a hot topic among shopkeepers was the fact that the Republican National Committee was threatening to sue CafePress for allowing shopkeepers to sell products that displayed images including the acronym “GOP” or their official elephant logo. Ironically, many of those designs were favorable to the Republican party. According to Paul Alan Levy of Public Citizen, “the majority of the images over which the RNC has threatened to sue reflect positive opinions about Republicans.” Why on earth the RNC decided to pursue this matter in such a volatile election year has baffled spectators.
Kudos to CafePress for sticking up for free political speech! The RNC has backed down from its threats of litigation for trademark violations under the following conditions posted by CafePress:
* CafePress will not remove any of the content the RNC complained about.
* CafePress will send a notice to the shopkeepers whose content was listed in the RNC’s original complaint and whose designs consist solely of the precise trademarked elephant, the acronym GOP, or the trademarked elephant or acronym GOP with a border.
* The notice will inform these shopkeepers about the RNC’s licensing procedure, and those particular shopkeepers will be required to use the RNC’s licensing process within a reasonable period of time.
* CafePress will monitor our shopkeepers’ progress through the RNC’s licensing system, and CafePress reserves all of its rights in the event that our shopkeepers have problems obtaining licenses to use the RNC’s trademarks.
You can view the entire story at the CafePress blog.
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2 Comments
July 21st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I wouldn’t call this a “win” for CP. Sure, there won’t be a lawsuit right now. Anyone using the RNC’s elephant or GOP will have to obtain a license. If they don’t, you’d better believe it’ll be CUPped right quick.
They successfully protected their trademark. “Free speech” doesn’t enter into it when you’re trying to make money off of someone else’s work.
August 1st, 2008 at 7:39 am
Very interesting article:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2001171739.shtm