On Notice: The Art of Advertising (the) Law

You have legal notice. So says Print Magazine’s February issue. I subscribe to Print magazine and like it quite a bit. If you’re overwhelmed with reading material but wish to keep up with graphic and print design, Print is a great one-stop source. Anyhow, as I was reading this on the subway the other day I noticed something quite peculiar in this particular issue: there were two advertisements and one article dealing only with the subject of trademark and contract law.

One advertisement by the Graphic Artists Guild (“GAG”) informed readers of the dangers of oral agreements. The other advertisement–the one that left me with an Alfred E. Neuman face—was by Little Trees Car-Freshener, warning readers of their registered trademarks in The Little Tree®, The Tree design, LITTLE TREE, LITTLE TREES, and CAR-FRESHNER. The irony lies in the fact that the article covers a brief history of trademarks. This is but another example of how artists and arts organizations are becoming aware of the legal issues pertinent to the making and representing of artwork, but perhaps also to the growing interest in artlaw.

I want to spend a bit more time on the Little Trees ad, so I’ll just say that while I support GAG’s advertisement of the perils of oral agreements, I’m not so sure the information is entirely correct. Needless to say, the fact that an organization would pay to advertise not itself but a legal issue affecting its members is commendable beyond comment. Good for them.

Page 1 of 2 | Next page