Best Buy Geek Squad owners send cease-and-desist letter to God Squad

[RamboLiberal]

Virus infected your computer? Call the Geek Squad.

Temptation infected your soul? Ring up the God Squad - just don't expect Father Luke Strand to show up in the same clever little car he's been driving since his days in the seminary.

The young priest's attempt to add a little fun to his ministry has apparently run afoul of some corporate lawyers who care more about strictly enforcing trademarks than eternal salvation.

Best Buy, the Minnesota-based electronics retailing giant, recently sent Strand a cease-and-desist letter concerning his car. The black Volkswagen Beetle has oval door stickers that read "God Squad" in a logo very similar to the black, white and orange logos on black-and-white Geek Squad Beetles driven by the computer and electronics trouble-shooters.

The car has been around for at least two years, when it was featured in a photo of Strand and his then-colleagues at St. Francis de Sales Seminary. The car has a white square on the hood, to mimic a priest's collar, and the license plate reads, GODLVYA.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/100671289.html

Best Buy needs to lighten up. Hate these stupid corporations & their lawyers who go after the little guy for stupid crap like this.

[Odin2005]

1. BWAAAAAHAHAHA!

:rofl:

[Kerrytravelers]

2. I don't blame them.

Personally, I wouldn't want my brand being co-oped by someone else.

But that's just me. Personally, I don't find the trend of taking corporate brands and mixing them with religion particularly clever. To me, it's just more of this mixing of the corporate model and spirituality. I'm just not a fan.

[Hello_Kitty]

6. If someone steals your brand you pretty much have to go after them.

If the Geek Squad lets the God Squad get away with it, then the next person who wants to commandeer their trademark has a legal defense. "Hey, they let other people do it! Why are they selectively going after us?"

[OilemFirchen]

3. Oh, for Christ's sake.

[REP]

4. When you can't send your child to church to be molested, call The God Squad!

Don't blame Best Buy a bit. Goddamn multination corporations like the RCC shouldn't be infringing copyright.

[WillParkinson]

5. I don't blame Best Buy either...

But if you read the full article:

Baldwin said Best Buy is working with Strand to alter the God Squad logo in a way that it will still work for him without infringing on the Geek Squad trademark.

"We're confident that together we'll come up with a good (dare we say heavenly?) solution for everyone," she said.

[xfundy]

7. Honestly,

fuck them both.

Religion isn't known for creativity, and they've co-opted modern culture for many years. Good on Best Buy for suing them, but fuck Best Buy too. NOTHING in their stores is made in 'Murrica or even America.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. I dunno. Sometimes I think my computer would be better served by an exorcism.

bada-boom

[IDemo]

9. Geek Squad calling anyone else ripoffs is hysterical

[msongs]

10. usually religion co-opts entire cultures. nt

[lob1]

11. That 70's TV series, "The Mod Squad" should

sue the God Squad AND the Geek Square for stealing their "Squad" name.

[Dead_Parrot]

13. But then, an exquadra of heavily armed Romans might wade in

and all hell would break loose.

[Deb]

12. Who lit a fire under their ass?

oh yeah...

[jmowreader]

14. I don't think the Geek Squad has a case

Some asshole Christian decided about fifteen to twenty years ago to pull a Romans 14.23 on the advertising industry (that which is not from faith is sin) and print t-shirts with popular logos, just altered to be Christian ads. I saw one that was the Crest toothpaste logo, but instead of CREST it said CHRIST. The guy didn't get in trouble at all, and it's thanks to some REAL sin here: the Falwell decision that legalized parody. "God Squad" fits the Falwell definition of parody.

Seriously, guys, I don't mind the God Squad thing. I especially love how they did a partial wrap on the Beetle's hood to make it look like a priest's collar, and those five priests look like they're having a good time with this. What I DO mind are "oh, we Christians are so oppressed" shirts like one I saw on a guy in Target last weekend; it said "THIS SHIRT IS ILLEGAL" in letters about three inches high and "in 51 countries" under it, and of course a large Christian cross.

[Old and In the Way]

15. Don't fuck with God.

No matter your shitty little marketing plan.

[tblue]

16. Having that car pull into my driveway would hardly give me a sense of comfort.

I would not answer the door.