Hey kids,

On Monday I launched the Chocolate Miis.  On Tuesday I was maintaining my site when I got an email from a nice lady at De Novo Legal, LLP.  Apparently it had come to their attention that I had been using “Heavy Winter Storm’s” “Planet of Fighting-Hobbies” without their permission and that they would like me to remove all references to “Planet of Fighting-Hobbies” immediately, or face legal action...

Yep, my first “cease and desist”. 

This is what they requested: “Heavy Winter Storm” hereby requests that your company immediately cease and desist all current and future use of the “Planet of Fighting-Hobbies” trademark in the above cited website and any future websites. 

So I did comply.  I don’t want to bring the ire of “Heavy Winter Storm’s” lawyers to my front door.  I removed all uses of their trademark.  I didn’t remove the products, though, that would take SO much more programming, and I have chocolate to make.

It took me ten hours to redesign all of my pages: gone is Khorium Ore-naments, replaced with “Mining-themed Holiday Ore-naments”.  Gone are WoWSquatz, replaced with MMORPGSquatz (better use of the Squatz name, anyways).  The hardest part was still allowing the reader to understand that the products aren’t all that different and that they still celebrate “Planet of Fighting-Hobbies” and all like games.

I’m not angry, I have no need to be.  It’s like getting pulled over for speeding.  You know you are speeding and the only reason to be angry is because you got caught.  So I will continue to sell my personalized Squatz based on any MMORPG that people play, and the “Mining-themed Holiday Ore-naments”.  They just won’t be advertised with “Heavy Winter Storm’s” logo. So check out my new store and the trademark-less products and let me know if the feeling remains the same, or if I am still crossing the line.