Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Leftist Crybabies Tell Politician to ‘Cease and Desist,’ Forgetting Fair Use
In Washington State, Senator Patty “mom in tennis shoes” Murray has a very credible challenger this year, Tiffany Smiley. She is a triage nurse who advocated successfully for her husband, who was blinded in the Army in Iraq. She has a very effective campaign ad out, which has gotten significant pushback by two well-known leftist organizations in Seattle. That would be the Seattle Times, and Starbucks. I would have missed this completely if the linked article had not appeared on RedState.
The ad has Smiley standing in front of an abandoned Starbucks on Capitol Hill in Seattle, near to where the CHAZ was in the summer of 2020. Both Starbucks and the Times sent her “cease and desist” letters, accusing her of illegally using their headlines and corporate logo.
Here’s a short quote from the article.
What was the response? The Seattle Times sent a cease and desist letter to someone named “Jane Smiley.” No, I am not kidding – the dolt lawyer who decided that The Seattle Times was on solid legal ground couldn’t even get Smiley’s name right. The Times claimed that Smiley was using copyrighted material without permission.
One problem: She doesn’t need permission. Smiley’s ad is quoting the Seattle Times, and the ad reproduces the Times logo and banner because that’s where the quotes come from. It’s a political ad. It is clearly not an endorsement by the Seattle Times–and no reasonable person would take it as an endorsement.
This little dustup can only help Smiley, getting her excellent free publicity. The RedState article also has Twitter video you can watch to see the ad. I expect to get to see them in one of the surveys I have been doing for a couple of organizations. Anyway, I think this reflects very poorly on Starbucks and the Seattle Times. Good, they deserve it.
Published in Elections
I consider policing to be a local issue, but I am glad to see Smiley running on it. The Dems nationalized a policy of being anti-police and they should be made to pay for it. All Commies Are Bad.
It can be tough to find adequate professional help like legal advice with so many gone or busy closing on out-of-state job opportunities and real estate.
Not sure she needs advice.
If the facts are as RB49 states them, she merely has to line up her ducks in a row, by appearing at the court date with the Fair Use response written in a way to counter the ridiculous charges put in against her.
Isn’t it Jane Smiley who needs to appear in court?
I had in mind Starbucks and the Times, actually.
I wrote about this here: Starbucks and Patty Murray
…and also sent an additional donation to Patty Smiley and sent a message to SBUX about how disrespectful this is to the millions of their customers who are *not* extreme leftists.
The coincidence of three dubious claims begs the question of coordination which could be a more substantial violation.
You also discuss the Seahawks similar reaction to a different Smiley video.
Perhaps the Seahawks should ban any Smiley supporters from attending games.
I wonder if the Seattle Times has ever run a story about a Starbucks and used a picture of the Starbucks logo? Has there ever been a Starbucks commercial that showed someone reading the Seattle Times? Perhaps they can sue each other.
And Kimberly Strassel has an op-ed in Friday’s Wall Street Journal about it. I am just behind so didn’t get to it until yesterday.
Thank you for your support and advocacy.
If the team’s management banned Seahawk fans from attending games unless vaccinated, even in prior seasons, there might already be a lack of Smiley supporters in their stadium.
Oh, yes, Seattle and King County had vaccine mandates in place for much of 2021. Mask mandates, too. Maybe that’s why I stayed out of King County, and I still do.