Got Common Sense?

Got Milk?


You've all seen the popular milk slogan. It's one of those advertising slogans ("Just Do It," "Fly the Friendly Skies") that become ingrained in the language. Or so I thought.


As a hobby/stress-reducer/creative outlet, I make cards. Handmade, one-of-a-kind cards featuring cool old stuff from the 40s, 50s and 60s. There's something so fun about rescuing a beat-up old text book from the 50s and turning it into something cool and new. After I finish a batch of cards, I put them on Etsy, via my "store" called paperlunchbox.


For some reason, textbooks of the 50s and 60s are quite fascinated with milk production. There's a story in nearly every book I have talking about the dairy. So one day, when I was making a batch of fun cards from the 50s, I created a milk-related card. 


On Etsy, each item for sale has to have a name. I try to make my names sound fun, clever and interesting. Damn you, advertising degree! So when it came time to name this card, it was an easy one ... Got Milk.


That was six months ago. So imagine my surprise when I received an email last week from the California Milk Board's lawyer in Sacramento telling me that I was using their trademarked slogan without permission and I needed to cease and desist at once or risk facing legal action.


Seriously? For my $5 homemade card? And keep in mind that the title "Got Milk" doesn't appear anywhere on the card itself ... it's just the name I used to title the card.


So I changed the listing title of the card. Would it be "Milk Sucks?" Or "F@$% You California Milk Board?" Ultimately, I calmed down and went with "Milk Time."


Has our world so lost touch with common sense that it's come down to this? I'm one guy. Cutting out pictures by hand from textbooks that would otherwise be destroyed. Having a little fun. And trying to make five bucks. What a threat I must be to the corporate milk folks.


Geez, I hope Dick and Jane don't come after me, too. Or Sally ... I've heard she's really a hard-ass when it comes to legal matters.  :)