Thoughts tagged "intellectual property"

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well that sucks. apparently the ALA/Freedom To Read Foundation have trademarks on the phrase "free people read freely", which i use in a lino print i made into stickers a few years ago.

Why we're reaching outFreedom To Read Foundation recently let us know that they believe some of your listings infringe their intellectual property (IP). In line with our Intellectual Property Policy, we've carefully reviewed their report and have removed these listings from our marketplace.
Review the full report from Freedom To Read Foundation Freedom To Read Foundation Representative's Information [redacted] Freedom To Read Foundation Intellectual Property FREE PEOPLE READ FREELY trademark Trademark registration number: 7446426  
A sticker made from a linocut print, which has the text “Free people read freely” in block capitals above a person in a dress reaching to take a book from a large bookshelf. The sticker is resting on a pile of old books.

i got the phrase from a 2023 speech by librarian and former ALA leader Tracie D. Hall. i didn't think to check if it was trademarked because, lol, what a wild thing to trademark. turns out the trademark had been granted two months before i made the print.

it's no big deal from a business perspective — i don't sell these stickers for much more than they cost, because i mostly just think it's an important message that i want to help people share. i've probably given away at least as many as i've sold, which i guess is now what i'll have to do with the rest.

anyway if you were wondering what happened to the stickers, now you know.