John Wiley & Sons, the publishers responsible for putting out those ‘For Dummies‘ series of books, sent a legal warning to the graffiti-based Smart Crew, claiming they’re infringing on the company’s trademark with this obvious parody painted on the side of a box truck in NYC. Read the full, sternly-worded letter below threatening legal action if the truck isn’t buffed.
Photo: Courtesy of Smart Crew
I don't get it – does the Smart Crew own this truck? If not, why not go after the owners of the truck?
Watch out! The South park van on west bway might just be next!!!!!!
this is BS. they can't sue them for that. They are just hoping to scare them off.
I paint on skateboards and got a letter from some JackA** in LA a few years ago claiming I am infringing because he painted on skateboards before I have and says I was ripping off his idea by painting skateboards (funny thing, I got the idea from Jeremy Fish and NOT the Jacka**). He sent the same type of legal letter trying to scare me off.
I encourage Smart Crew to paint more of these just to irritate them. If companies stopped complaining and realized art is a way to promote (see Zev work lately? lol)
Dceve gives out a mailing address?
they obviously cant sue them because the FOR DUMMIES trademark books is totally different from the truck that IS NOT FOR DUMMIES. it may look similar but with the words ITS NOT FOR clearly shows that smart crew is taking their own direction in their art work regardless if the idea was based on a book for dummies.
Failure to act is failing to fail….
D U B B L E X
M A N I C
this is fucking retarded. this is whats wrong with this country. suing over some dumb shit.
That's an obvious trademark infringement and dilution. Easy case for John Wiley & Sons. They can probably go for copyright infringement as well.
Who the hell are they going to sue? Truck obviously does not belong to this Smart Crew and I highly doubt that is their real mailing address. If Wiley could find their physical address so easily, I'm sure NYPD would have been on that already as well. Worst comes to worst, truck gets buffed, then they shold go re-paint something just like it elsewhere.
Yes… i guess Andy Warhol had the same problem, right?
Making art related to brands is not ilegal, because that graffiti doesn not have a "economic/business" aim. I would not say that sure that is an "easy case" for Wiley & Co.
the law does allow for parody, does it not?
see: saturday night live. looks like fair use to me…