Overprotective

How important is your brand to you? Would you go to great lengths to protect it. Would you sue the pants off a small business owner at the risk of demoralizing an already tarnished image?

Citigroup would.

Protecting your intellectual property is important. Very important. But it doesn't mean let your lawyers go lawsuit crazy on every infraction. In most instances, there are less public and diplomatic ways to handle the outcome.

©2009 David Scott | Cosmic: Advertising & Design

Illegal Logo?

Here's an interesting story. Funny, how our city's skin head community can still wear their swastikas or how we can still read Martha Stewart Living even though she's a convicted felon.

Did the law go too far? Is this a violation of our freedom of speech and expression?

Perhaps the gang is not the most responsible group of individuals, but for those that are innocent, I would think they deserve a chance to redeem their brand by promoting the best they can.

©2008 David Scott | Cosmic: Graphic Design & Branding

Wacky Warning Labels

M-Law is a group of concerned citizen's in Michigan who are out to stop lawsuit abuse and want to restore common sense to our court system. Each year they host a Wacky Warning Label award with $500 going to the winner. This year's winner goes to Kevin Soave of Farmington Hills, Michigan who submitted the "Avoid Death" label above.

Other entries include an iron-on transfer that instructs not to iron while wearing shirt and a letter opener requiring safety goggles as recommended equipment.

It's unfortunate that good design and packaging is ultimately spoiled by these required and unnecessary labels. Perhaps it is an opportunity for the design community to work with lawyers to create good design solutions. Maybe even wipe out lawsuit abuse altogether.

©2007 David Scott | Cosmic: Graphic Design & Branding