3M Co., which has made a fortune selling Post-It’s, is now suing the maker of a humorous line of sticky notes for trademark infringement. 3M insists it owns the rights to using “-Its” in products and that competing products will only confuse customers and give the impression 3M has authorized the silly notes.

 

Stephan Shaw, founder of The Unemployed Philosophers Guild, creator of the satiric Logical Positiv-Its, Jeez-Its and Buddh-Its, told the Minneapolis /St. Paul Business Journal: “I think they’re going to be hard-pressed to show consumer confusion,” adding, “They have no sense of humor.”

 

Shaw and his brother, David, also sell Freudian Slips and Empowermints.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

3M Sues Novelty Sticky Note Seller (by Jim Hammerand, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

3M Company v. Unemployed Philosophers (U.S. District Court, Minnesota) (pdf)