UM sent Taylor Lewan cease and desist
Lewan said the letter was regarding to a white T-shirt that read “Michigan’s The Boys” in yellow and blue writing and a cartoon wolverine, an apparent trademark owned by the University of Michigan, with “BWTB” printed on the cap. The shirt, which retailed for $32.00, is no longer available for purchase on the Barstool Sports website.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:14 PM ^
Just how do we all know he wasn't asked first?
February 8th, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^
To give Lewan leeway would require giving leeway to anyone, eliminating UM's rights to its trademarks. That's the way the law works.
Lewan asking first then might allow leeway but no one can unilaterally force UM's hand, in effect saying "I'm doing this. Now let's talk about a deal."
February 8th, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
I haven't seen the shirt so I don't know how strong the University's claim is but assuming there is an infringement I don't blame the University for sending a cease and desist letter. If the owner of trademark doesn't police the mark, then it can fall in the public domain like Aspirin. Usually those things work themselves out.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:04 PM ^
gee, I wonder why
February 8th, 2023 at 12:11 PM ^
There is some dramatic history between Lewan and the university as he was concluding his period of eligibility in Ann Arbor. Remember?
February 8th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
So are those lung bronchial trees on either side of the wolverine? Is the wolverine the heart?
February 8th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
I love it when we start talking anatomy.
February 8th, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
Trying to find some replacement organs, Don?
February 8th, 2023 at 4:07 PM ^
Seems to be working for Don.
Before:
After:
February 8th, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^
My thoughts exactly Don. What the hell are they going for, there?!
February 8th, 2023 at 3:01 PM ^
I think it's recognition by Barstool that their core audience would have been really into Ed Hardy apparel if they were born 20 years earlier.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:07 PM ^
Yeah, here's the shirt in question. Seems like a pretty obvious trademark violation and while I'm not surprised a Barstool entity wouldn't spend a ton of time doing legal due diligence this shouldn't have come as a surprise.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Obvious copyright issue and a lazy design to boot. Maybe Lewan should be mad at whoever designed this.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
The design could be used by UMich astrophysicists to prove the multiverse theory… this shows that in one of the infinite parallel universes, Michigan signed with Affliction over Nike and Adidas.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^
And it would have cost them not even $500 to have a graphic designer whip up a generic wolverine cartoon that would have been sufficiently unique to avoid a copyright violation. Either they have no clue what they're doing, or they were planning on getting away with it as long as they could until they got caught, or they're just flat-out lazy.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:40 PM ^
Shoulda murderwolfed.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:08 PM ^
there's going to be a bunch of kids in Zambia getting new tshirts
February 8th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
Can add these to their collection of incorrect Super Bowl Champs t-shirts!
February 8th, 2023 at 12:11 PM ^
The cease and desist should've also cited the ugly design.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:16 PM ^
i mean, yeah, [these situations are often perceived as] big companies beating up on the little guy, etc. [if you believe that, then] the look for the university is somewhat...problematic.
that said - i'm not a lawyer, but there is, as i understand it, a legal imperative here to defend your trademark, essentially anywhere and everywhere. an undefended trademark is a trademark that doesn't exist.
also, barstool suuuuuuuucks.
also also, i'm sure this is my old-man memory here, but i'm blanking on "BWTB." what does it mean?
[clarifying edits in bold]
February 8th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
This is basically all on Lewan and Barstool. It's an obvious trademark violation and they could have easily reached out to UM and tried to get a license for it if they cared. And Barstool isn't some "little guy"; they're owned by a billion-dollar "entertainment" company and were valued at $450M at the time of purchase. I've got no sympathy for them not putting in the barest minimum of effort here.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
totally! i didn't mean to imply any kind of sympathy for lewan; i definitely don't think it's deserved in this case.
the reporting on these things - and unfortunately the perception - just always seems to get slanted as some poor brave entrepeneur fighting against The Man. for reference, see the once-annual stories about the nfl suing some mom-and-pop grocery story over using "Super Bowl" on some window flyer.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:00 PM ^
Bussin' with the Boys - It's his podcast with Will Compton
February 8th, 2023 at 1:29 PM ^
Pretty strange to be butthurt about blatant copyright violation. Take that crap elsewhere. Also very strongly contrasts with your next sentence, so I don't know wtf you're even on about.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:34 PM ^
well, i guess that explains the negs. i thought i was getting negged for not liking barstool.
fwiw, i am absolutely not, in any way, butthurt about the copyright violation, and indeed think the university is completely justified and correct to send a c&d letter.
i was, as i say in my next post in the thread, noting that there's a perception that copyright owners are often portrayed as some sort of bullies in these situations, and they really shouldn't be. nothing more.
February 8th, 2023 at 2:32 PM ^
This isn't "beating up the little guy". You can't just use trademarked logos without permission. Especially when you're selling something to make money off of it.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:11 PM ^
oh, ffs. read my other posts in the thread. there's no way you can read them and still think i see this as "beating up the little guy."
February 8th, 2023 at 4:36 PM ^
You made edits because you wrote your posts poorly and delivered the wrong message.
February 8th, 2023 at 11:15 PM ^
wait, now it’s a problem that i edited to clarify, specifically to avoid misinterpretation by deliberately obtuse nitwits like yourself? fuck right off.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:16 PM ^
Policing the use of your trademark is pretty standard practice for a trademark owner.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
People seriously defending Lewan in here.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
A cease & desist letter is actually the polite way to go about it. The impolite way would be to let Lewan and Barstool sell the t-shirts and then sue them for the revenue. At least now they have the opportunity to negotiate a deal with the UofM Licensing Department -- which isn't difficult.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:29 PM ^
Good point. The University may be using their C&D log as their proof that they are properly maintaining their copyrights, so they have a policy to send the letter in every circumstance. I suspect the letter was accompanied by a phone call/letter/email saying that we would like to work with you and here is the form or link to start the process.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
Da hell is BWTB???
Being with Tom Brady?
Bring Women To Bed?
Beat Women To Behave? (I mean, it's from Lewan...)
February 8th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Bussin with the boys I think. I'm too old to know what it means.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
Barstool podcast hosted by Lewan and Will Compton. I think I may have listened to one of the first episodes back in like 2019 but nothing since then, so I don't know anything about the podcast other than who the hosts are.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
If only they had sent him a C&D while he was in school and causing problems...
February 8th, 2023 at 1:05 PM ^
Fuck Taylor Lewan.
He's a scumbag who threatened to hurt the victim of Brendan Gibbons.
Now he's ~popular ~~~~, and no, that doesn't give him a free ride for his past abuses, nor does it allow him to steal copyrighted content.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
I forgot the specifics. I just know I cringe every time I see him.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:17 PM ^
Lewan is the only prominent former Michigan player in my lifetime who's I've always thought seemed like kind of a jerk. This just seems like more of that.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:19 PM ^
Let me introduce you to Frank Clark...
February 8th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
Weird. Lewan should be very familiar with lawyers.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:58 PM ^
Lewan is a grade-A douchebag.
February 8th, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^
Good. Taylor Lewan isn't one of UM's finest products.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^
Fuck Taylor lewan and everything he does. I support the university stopping him from profiting off of customizing a university owned trademark.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:26 PM ^
I mean they should have one against him for threatening a victim
February 8th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
Kind of looks like bored Lewan clickbait.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:27 PM ^
Look... I'm an avid fan of BWTB... No real issue with Taylor, I know about the accusations of what he said... no charges were brought against him and he adamantly denies saying them.
All that being said... it is VERY easy to reach out to the university on copyright issues. I literally reached out to them last week on something and they were great to work with. They have a brand to protect. There are many ways he could've designed that shirt and not had a C&D sent. But just doing it without asking, he deserved the C&D and is in the wrong for speaking out on it. A simple, "We missed this one, made a mistake, and will no longer be selling them, but will redo the design" would suffice.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:38 PM ^
If you are siding with Barstool and Lewan on this, then you don't really know what to tell you.
February 8th, 2023 at 7:30 PM ^
Fuck Lewan, the guy might as well get "douche" tattooed across his face.