While having a discussion about Copyright's and copyright infringement... One of my friends sent me this...and yes, it's for real...and it just cracked me up... Enjoy, if you're so inclined.... I did.... Trademark attorneys are programmed to go after each and every instance that they feel weakens their trademarks. I used to work in the department at Dow Chemical associated with STYROFOAM brand plastic foam. It was a constant battle for our attorneys to keep people from referring to foam cups and coolers, etc as STYROFOAM. Well MAD magazine had misused SYROFOAM in one of their issues...so our attorney dutifully wrote to MAD Magazine. The letter to the editor and response follows "The December, 1990 issue of MAD (#299) has been brought to our attention. Please be informed that incorrect reference was made to our trademark STYROFOAM on page 12, ("MAD Reviews the 21st Century Ahead of Time"). "STYROFOAM brand foam products include insulation used in the construction industry, nautical billets and billets sold into the floral and craft industries for further manufacture. STYROFOAM brand plastic foam is not used to make cups, plates, food containers, trays or the like. "Instead of using STYROFOAM when making reference to consumer or packaging products, please use 'foam' or 'plastic foam'; for example, 'foam cup', 'plastic foam tray' and 'foam packaging material'. Marsha M. Lang Trademark Attorney The Dow Chemical Company" [end of letter] To which the Editors of MAD replied: "M.- We were so moved by your letter we xeroxed it and scotch taped it to our MAD(r) bulletin board with a band-aid! Everyone read it during our traditional MAD(r) afternoon jello break (which, by the way, we keep fresh by storing in baggies!). Before we knew it, everyone in our office began sobbing and reaching for kleenex and chap stick (some even needed vaseline and pampers!) There's no question about it -- Dow helps us at MAD(r) bring good things to life! -Ed. P.S. -- What the hell are nautical billets??" I don't think they wrote to Mad magazine after that.....
