Stitch and Bitch Scandal! According to this MetaFilter post, the Chicago SnB (love that Purl logo!) was served with legal papers from Sew Fast/Sew Easy claiming that they have a registered trademark over the phrase “Stitch and Bitch.” What? The SnBers are predictably up in arms. There’s no way they could defend such a general phrase as a trademark. What idiots. As the convenor, I feel compelled to go on the record and state that the Tapestry Craft Stitch and Bitch firmly supports Chicago SnB, and that Sew Fast/Sew Easy are a bunch of uptight, no-fun cows who probably scrapbook in their spare time. Bitches!
amy
May 10, 2005 — 7:21 pm
So are all the Debbie Stoller books gonna be pulled from the shelves cuz they break copyright? get STUFFED!
jussi
May 10, 2005 — 11:37 pm
O Tempora! O Mores!
You can’t even knitting without war
Karen
May 12, 2005 — 12:57 pm
Debbie Stoller claims invention to stitch and bitchs in her first book. I think SFSE could have a case because it is definitely on their website for a long time.
Kris
May 12, 2005 — 2:04 pm
Stoller’s books aside (which everybody knows didn’t invent the phrase anyway), there have been numerous anecdotes – all since deleted – on the SFSE site about Stitch and Bitch groups that existed way, way before the Internet. It’s hardly a novel concept, nor one that I think could be defended legally.
And interestingly, trademarks only apply in the country in which they’re registered… Meaning I have half a mind to trademark “Stitch and Bitch Cafe” in Australia and blitz our own merchandising all over the web. And hey, I could probably license the Chicago SnB to print stuff too. Heh.
Kath
May 15, 2005 — 1:14 pm
I can’t believe what BS this is!! God ppl will try on anything these days!