Last weekend a few of us from the CafePress office made the trip to Philadelphia to hang out with some of you. It was our second Meet & Greet of 2008, and it was a blast. About 45 Shopkeepers and guests came out to spend the afternoon with us at the Manayunk Brewery. We talked shop, laughed, learned and ate a ridicules amount of finger foods.
Meet & Greets are casual events giving us the opportunity to meet Shopkeepers, and vice versa. Shopkeepers can also meet and network with other local Shopkeepers. Many came armed with mini buttons and business cards promoting their shops and names. This time around we had many Community Forum all-stars join us, who were thrilled to meet their online peers. We also saw a few repeat faces from our last Meet & Greet in Washington D.C. Guests got to see all of our newest products, on display, get one-on-one advice on how to improve their shops, and those who stayed around long enough walked out with armfuls of CafePress samples.
Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday. We hope you had a good time, and enjoyed the leftovers and swag. Keep your ear to the ground for news on where we’ll be next!
A curious trend has presented itself to us via the t-shirt: squirrels, apparently, make good pets. Or at least some folks think so.
Now, with so many millions of members we figure that we’re going to have something for everyone. The surprise for us wasn’t so much that people like squirrels, but that people like their squirrel.
Two separate shopkeepers have noted that, incredibly, the “my squirrel” merchandise outsells general “squirrel” merchandise. Hmm.
Now we’ve all seen crazy pictures of waterskiing squirrels, commando squirrels, etc. We’ve seen these pictures and I think many of us probably thought they were Photoshopped. But now we’re starting to wonder…
I have a yard full of squirrels due to some massive, old oak trees that provide them with a wonderful Swiss Family Robinson-type homestead. I have seen these squirrels play. I have seen them taunt my dogs. I have seen them eat through my fanciful deck Christmas lights, running away with the bulb and ruining the entire section of lighting before they realize that it’s a lightbulb and not, sadly, a delicious clear nut. (It’s possible, of course, that they know darn well that these aren’t nuts and that they just do this to annoy me. It works.)
What they haven’t done, however, is give me any indication that they make good pets. Nor have I developed a specific attachment to any one squirrel or been moved to identify any particular one as “mine.”
Which is why I don’t own an “I [heart] my squirrel” t-shirt. But I am fascinated by those who do. So please, squirrel guardians: step forward and make yourselves known. I am dying to know what’s so special about your squirrel.
And if you’re an animal communicator, please do ask them why they insist on eating my Christmas lights.
-buzzcowboy (posted by admin because she is off at cowboy camp)
UPDATE from buzzcowboy: OK, I have a confession to make. When I was a kid I used to tame squirrels to the point that they would come up and eat peanuts out of my hands. One (we named him Harold) would actually come up and take peanuts off my person, i.e. I could lay on the ground and he would climb up on me and take the peanut from next to the googly-eye on my little kid 80’s t-shirt.
That being said, I still didn’t think that Harold was “my” squirrel and I didn’t consider him a pet. But I suppose that if someone had gifted me a googly-eyed “My squirrel rocks!” t-shirt (googly eyes were all the rage in the early 80’s), I would have thought it was funny. And I would have worn it.
OK – I might even still wear it, if it’s truly vintage and has the googly eyes. There, I said it.
While Buzzcowboy might be off having the time of her life, she did not for get all of her friends in the CafePress Blog Community (I call it the CBC… because I like acronyms ). Here is the letter she sent.
I’m going on vacation tomorrow, but the magical elves will be posting in my absence. Have a good weekend, everyone. And don’t forget your bumper stickers.
While news of the Olympic torch protests made its way around the world, the Chinese press had a very different message and focus than most the Western press stories.
With news of the protests minimalized in China and the message being one of criticizing the protesters for their actions, many wondered what China would do about actual people – particularly the foreigners – showing up in Beijing to protest various Chinese political policies and the Olympics themselves.
That question has been answered by the Chinese government, which claims that it will allow Olympic protests in three designated city parks.
Liu Shaowu, director of the Beijing organising committee’s security department, said protests would be allowed in Shijie, Zizhuyuan and Ritan parks.
Organisers say that fans won’t be able to take in any banners or leaflets which contain political, religious, racial, commercial, military, or other messages
“They are all close to the city proper and the Olympic venues,” he told a press conference on the city’s security preparations.
But Mr Wu was hazy about how potential protesters would apply for permission, and on whether spontaneous demonstrations would be allowed.
“As for the concrete application, and who handles those applications, I have no clear information at this time,” he said.
What’s interesting about China’s protesting rules: they forgot the power of the almighty t-shirt. As noted above in the BBC article, China is prohibiting attendees from carrying politically-charged banners or leaflets – and we’ll assume that a sticker can be construed as a leaflet. However, there is no mention of whether wearing it loud will be grounds for expulsion or any other undesired Olympic experience for the wearer.
Now, that’s not to say that we’re advocating that anyone experiment with wearing a “FREE TIBET!” t-shirt to the opening ceremonies. However, if you do so please let us know what happened…
One travel tip we will give you: don’t forget your inhaler.
Some of you may have heard about the RNC getting a bit fiesty about their grand ol’ elephant.
Those of you who didn’t hear about it may read about it in Newsweek. The July 28th issue of “Perspectives” shows a little note about it, with the cartoon at the left…
Some of you may have seen some of the media coverage (maybe here, here, or here) regarding the Republican National Committee’s recent complaints about our shopkeepers’ use of the terms “GOP,” “Grand Old Party,” “Republican National Committee,” “RNC,” and various elephant designs.
To sum it up: back in February, the RNC demanded that CafePress “cease and desist from allowing vendors to utilize the federally registered trademarks of the RNC” and threatened legal action.While we’re open to working with trademark holders, something about forbidding our shopkeepers from using popular political symbols in the height of an exciting election season just didn’t seem right.
We figured that there’s got to be something in our Constitution that would guarantee our shopkeepers the right to speak openly about political issues…
The RNC wanted us to remove designs that were both supportive of Republicans and critical of Republicans.We wondered why they would ever object to our shopkeeper’s adorable design that featured a mommy elephant leading her tiny kid elephants, accompanied by the phrase “I’m raising my children RIGHT.”We did, however, understand why the RNC objected to the design at left…
(Last week, for probably the first time in CafePress history, the term “glory hole” was discussed in the CP Legal Department, thanks to a blog commenter.)
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 (displayed at right), 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.
While we feel that the RNC’s registered trademarks are a vital part of the political discourse in this country, this compromise seemed reasonable.The vast majority of our shopkeepers’ designs are super expressive and consist of much more than just the trademarked elephant or the acronym GOP.We’ve got pink elephants, tattooed elephants, and an elephant that appears to have a real problem digesting donkeys.
We’re all happy that we were able to reach a friendly compromise with the RNC, but the intellectual property geeks in the CafePress Legal Department are somewhat disappointed that we did not have an opportunity to litigate the legal issues surrounding this dispute.
The RNC’s complaint raises interesting issues about the interaction between the First Amendment and trademark law.Now more than ever, folks are using T-shirts, bumper stickers, and buttons to express their political opinions.In Mattel v. MCA, the 9th Circuit held that certain trademarks can become such an important part of our culture and language that the First Amendment is implicated when a trademark holder attempts to quash expressive uses of the trademark.The court emphasized that “some trademarks enter our public discourse and become an integral part of our vocabulary . . . Trademarks often fill in gaps in our vocabulary and add a contemporary flavor to our expressions.Once imbued with such expressive value, the trademark becomes a word in our language and assumes a role outside the bounds of trademark law.”Mattel v. MCA, 296 F.3d 894, 900 (9th Cir. 2002).
We certainly believe that the RNC’s registered trademarks “assume a role outside the bounds of trademark law” because they are a vital part of this country’s political discourse.I mean, is there really any better way to express disdain for the Republican Party and Republicanism than this design?
So for now, the elephant is no longer in immediate danger of extinction on CafePress. And that is indeed cause for a grand ol’ party.
Thanks to all of our wonderfully creative and expressive shopkeepers, the bloggers, and tweet-happy elephant fans.
Also, a HUGE thank you to Paul Alan Levy, I am sure we would not have had such a quick and successful outcome without his superb representation and advocacy and the support of Public Citizen.
Whether proud Republican, or evolved Democrat, I think that anyone can agree that the RNC did the right thing.
Live long and prosper, elephant artists.
-by IPFreely (posted by admin due to IP Freely’s hectic schedule of fighting evil and otherwise making the world a better place)
Che Guevara t-shirts are a common sight among coffeshop hipsters, young idealists and thrift store shoppers who found one for $.99 next to the “Mountain High 2003 Fun Run!” gray Beefy T.
Whether you’re wearing your Che shirt as a cool anti-establishment statement, because you just think it’s soft or because military green brings out your eyes, Glenn Beck tells us that your Che t-shirt is a terrorist uniform.
According to Beck, Robin Meade of CNN interviewed three former captives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). These captives were saved by members of the Columbian army who went undercover to pose as FARC supporters, and according to Beck the spy uniform chosen to fool FARC was – you guessed it – a Che Guevara t-shirt.
Beck’s editorial stance on the matter of the Che t-shirt is summed up in this sentence: “How Che became such a revered superhero of the hard-core left is laughable.” He then explains his position.
Here’s the thing, though: Beck assumes that people wearing a Che t-shirt are doing so as an intentional political statement.
What Beck may be missing is that the Che t-shirt has become less of an ideology statement and more of a design element that may or may not carry any historical significance for the person sporting it. Which is to say that the wearers – particularly the wearers of the heavily licensed classic Che image at right – may not be of the intentionally left-wing mindset that he envisions.
Funnily enough, the topic of the Che t-shirt is one that I myself have investigated out of sheer curiosity in the past. I have a theory that a small percentage of people wearing this t-shirt (a) know that the guy on their shirt is a real person with historical significance, (b) know who Che actually was, let alone (c) could write a one-page essay on the life of Che Guevara.
That being the case, I have in fact asked random strangers wearing Che t-shirts if they know who’s on their shirt. While my sample is small (I’ve asked 4 people total), the answers were as follows:
1) Is this a real guy? I thought this was a logo!
2) Wait, what’s that guy’s name? He’s like Mexican or something, right?
3) Che Guevara… um… he was like, a revolutionary, I think…
Beck also laments the apparent lack of anti-Che t-shirts, and there we can help him. There are a number of unflattering Che t-shirts in the CafePress Marketplace, all made by folks like Beck who have something to say on the matter. And if he can’t find one he likes, he can make it. Hey, that’s the American way…
Whether the Che t-shirt is an intentional symbol of self-aware anarchists is still up for debate. What’s not up for debate is the belief by some that sporting a Che t-shirt means that you’re aligning yourself with terrorists.
So be forewarned, urban hipster. Travel smart and put your Che t-shirt in your checked luggage with your 8-oz bottle of Listerine.
A dog’s place as a best friend is well-acknowledged; perhaps lesser-known, however, is that dogs make nice dancing partners too.
Japan has a new trend taking hold: dance lessons with your dog. Which is to say that both you and your dog can learn to cut a rug together.
The pro: if he steps on your feet, it probably won’t hurt.
The con: if you step on his, you might be in for a hefty vet bill.
Reuters covered this groovy dog sport, complete with interviews. (Of the people. The dogs declined to comment.)
A search of the CafePress Marketplace leads to 9,000 unique dancing dog t-shirts, with about 600 more added that carry some very specific dancing dog imagery. This makes us wonder how many of you are out there dancing with your dogs.
(This also makes us wonder when the Target Dog will make a guest appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.”)
We therefore look forward to the day that someone sends us a video of a coordinated dog dancing troupe wearing matching dog t-shirts.
And if you’re training one, email us. We’d love to see it. And we might even donate the shirts.
The United States isn’t the only nation out there celebrating a historical red, white and blue event in the first 2 weeks of July; France follows 10 days behind our 4th with Bastille Day.
This day celebrates the storming of the Bastille which occurred 14 years after the U.S. Independence, and in part because of it. France’s participation in the Revolutionary War led to a financial crisis that was made all the more vivid to the French populace by unfair taxation – an issue with which the new United States was more than familiar.
Thomas Jefferson was serving as the Minister to France at the genesis of the French Revolution and witnessed this historic event; he then wrote a letter to John Jay, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, describing what he was seeing in Paris.
There are some very interesting parallels and overlap between the history of the French nation as we know it today and our own United States, but for the purposes of this blog post we’ll simply say: Happy Bastille Day, France.
). Here is the letter she sent.
Organisers say that fans won’t be able to take in any banners or leaflets which contain political, religious, racial, commercial, military, or other messages 
Some of you may have heard about the 
A dog’s place as a best friend is well-acknowledged; perhaps lesser-known, however, is that dogs make nice dancing partners too.
A search of the CafePress Marketplace leads to 9,000 unique 
The United States isn’t the only nation out there celebrating a historical red, white and blue event in the first 2 weeks of July; France follows 10 days behind our 
