Jack Daniel's send the nicest trademark warning ever

[editor]

An author used a Jack Daniel's-derived cover design for his book.

Instead of the usual bullying onslaught from cash-seeking lawyers, here's the cease and desist letter he received.

Respect due.

http://boingboing.net/2012/07/22/jack-daniels-has-a-very-nice.html

 

[scifisam]

That seems very sensible to me. They're right that they have to protect their brand, which they're doing so by sending this letter, but if the book should end up popular then they get free publicity. Clever lawyers.

 

[abe11825]

That *is* the nicest C&D letter I've read! Two thumbs up for the PR / legal team at JD for not requesting harsh terms, and actually offering some monies to help change the cover (in future editions). They could have been twats about it, but then again, the author was taking liberty in the font...

 

[dylanredefined]

Being polite is not a sign of weakness good on them.Other lawyers should take note.

 

[Pickman's model]

I thought by the end of the letter they were going to offer him a case of jd

 

[xes]

I drink ethically

 

[5t3IIa]

I see their "Hey, we're just here wanting to give you a cuddle over an oak smoked barrel" ads on the tube. As a huge corporation they have positioned themselves with real genius.

 

[biggus dickus]

Gary Larson did a similar thing in the last decade, his cartoons were being shared all over the net so he wrote a nice letter explaining how they were his work and asking people to respect them by not putting them everywhere for his lawyers to send out and pretty much everyone respected his wishes (although I've seen them appearing on facebook recently....)

 

[gabi]

Great brand (from a purely geeky design/branding pov). Nice to see their lawyers are as good.

 

[gabi]

Pretty shitty from the designer really. Hopefully he flagged up the potential repercussions before going to print.

 

[marty21]

Pity JD are not the official Olympics sponsor -

 

[SpookyFrank]

That cover is both an obvious rip-off and not a particularly good design.

 

[Brubricker]

He's a writer. You always be nice to your best customers.

 

[killer b]

He's a writer. You always be nice to your best customers.

wonder if that's what they're getting at with the line about being flattered by his 'affection' for the brand....

 

[weltweit]

My only experience with UK trademark lawyers was that they were ouch expensive!!

 

[eoin_k]

It's a shame they can't make decent whiskey.

 

[Brubricker]

It's a shame they can't make decent whiskey.

That depends on how drunk you happen to be.

 

[killer b]

they do make some nice whiskey. some of the small run stuff they do is incredible. if expensive.

 

[quimcunx]

That *is* the nicest C&D letter I've read! Two thumbs up for the PR / legal team at JD for not requesting harsh terms, and actually offering some monies to help change the cover (in future editions). They could have been twats about it, but then again, the author was taking liberty in the font...

What they offered was money towards changing it if he was willing to do it before the next edition.

Anyway, yes, polite is good. Reasonable is good. No need to be an arsehole.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

Nice PR stunt.

 

[Wolveryeti]

Mr Jack was an old fashioned kind of guy. You could always see him at the bottom of his creek burning hickory sticks with his hobo friends. It wasn't the cheapest way of burning charcoal, but it sure did make for some sweet slow-sippin' goodness.

Enjoy sensibly.

 

[Brubricker]

they do make some nice whiskey. some of the small run stuff they do is incredible. if expensive.

American distillers didn't do much of that until the past couple of decades so most people aren't as familiar with it. If you went looking for better offerings back in the 80's you wouldn't have found much. For the longest time, American liquor always meant low-end shit. I guess that's what you had to do to stay in business back when dirt-cheap illegal moonshine was everywhere.

 

[abe11825]

What they offered was money towards changing it if he was willing to do it before the next edition.

Anyway, yes, polite is good. Reasonable is good. No need to be an arsehole.

Either way, because of the niceties, it'd be in his best interest... he won't see this type of service again if he chooses otherwise.

 

[Tankus]

It is a PR stunt ...... that works ....I've seen this mentioned across several forums ...pretty clever

 

[5t3IIa]

Either way, because of the niceties, it'd be in his best interest... he won't see this type of service again if he chooses otherwise.

I think the bit he really needs to note is the 'respond by' date in bold. As long as he does that he's sweet.

 

[rutabowa]

ohhhh this makes them even more evil to me, as they have convinced everyone they are nice.

 

[Nylock]

From the comments below that article:

Jack Daniel's: Smooth, like our lawyers.

...If you're nice enough about your trademark, it seems that the public will reciprocate with new slogans

 

[gabi]

ohhhh this makes them even more evil to me, as they have convinced everyone they are nice.

Yes, it would've been much less evil of them to take this small-fry author to court and sue the fuck out of him

 

[rutabowa]

Yes, it would've been much less evil of them to take this small-fry author to court and sue the fuck out of him

no... that would have been bad too.

 

[Wolveryeti]

If you tried this without getting paid to do so by JD's pr department you would get assraped - no question.