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Zealot Is At It Again: Satan Returns [SOMETHING ENDS, SOMETHING BEGINS]
McZealot:
So uh, I probably shouldn't be too specific, but we had a lawyer get in touch with the school. They apologized to me today and said that they regretted using the term 'Cease and Desist' in asking us to remove said content. I was told by the Principal (who I had never met before this) that they handled the situation poorly and I wouldn't be bothered about it again.
Hey, that ended anti-climactically. Anyway, that's my Satan Diary for the year.
--- Quote from: McZealot on April 12, 2017, 01:27:57 AM ---As some of you may recall from a year ago, a friend and I organized a 'Students For Satan' group at my school. The whole thing was a satirical first-amendment exercise--if they have so many Christian organizations, I wonder how they will react to a Satanic one. We're atheists. I hadn't really been up to any new hijinks (except for one instance where we 'summoned a demon' with a Ouija board) and I thought it all seemed like a funny memory.
Until three weeks ago.
I was called into the Vice-Principals office. I may come off as a bit of an SJW online because I'm very liberally-minded, but I'm a slightly offensive person. My sense of humor is dark and I tend to make a lot of jokes at the expense of terrible situations--often upsetting teachers or staff members. So I was wracking my brain, trying to imagine what I could possibly have said this time. Anyway, she informed me that parents were very upset about our old Students For Satan website and asked me to take it down. I believe the phrasing she used was 'twenty parent phone calls a day'. I told her I'd look into it--since I was a bit sympathetic. I took down a few of the more touchy posts and thought it was a nice compromise.
Anyway, a few days later I was called in with her and the Athletics Director. I was given a legal Cease & Desist Order and threatened with lawsuit if I did not immediately cease affiliating with the school. They claimed I had violated their copyright and trademark status, and also committed defamation against the school. See--the Students for Satan logo is a play on the school mascot. I won't really get into it here, but it's a hilarious 'Satanic' version of the school mascot. This made us look official--violating the trademark they had on their mascot and also defaming the school by associating them with Satanism and hurting their professionalism and credibility in the eyes of parents. I informed them that our logo was protected under fair-use and that I would not be taking it down. I laughed at their claim of defamation. I was also pretty nervous--I just didn't want to show it. I made eye contact the whole time.
Remember: It's a scare tactic. If you let them intimidate you, they've won.
Well, I am extremely fortunate that both of my parents are attorneys. I spoke to them about it and even contacted a private copyright attorney to discuss their claim. I was informed by all three parties that I was COMPLETELY within my rights. The mascot we use is protected under satire rights--and it is also a completely original illustration. So I immediately set to work making some of the best work our club has ever created. Beautiful illustrations absolutely *trashing* the school and calling them out on their legal violations. Each one prominently featured our mascot. I was engineering posts just to piss them off.
Anyway, I was called in for a third time. This time I was with both Vice Principals and the Athletics Director. They told me more of the same--I could and would be sued if I did not Cease & Desist. I told them that they'd have to talk to my lawyer about this and that I was completely within my rights. Today I was called in again, but I secretly filmed the conversation. This is within my rights as an Oklahoman--as long as one party is aware that the conversation is being wiretapped, it's legal. Today I met with the principal, both vice principals, and the athletics director. Surely next time they'll bring out the damn president or something. They told me in no unclear terms--satire and fair-use were NOT excemptions to copyright law, and that if I did not IMMEDIATELY remove said logos they would be escalating to lawsuit via their attorneys. I told them I wouldn't be taking it down--and challenged them to file suit.
Anyway, pissing off fascistic authority is a bit of a hobby of mine. You guys seemed to like the old topic and people still ask me for updates, so I went ahead and posted the events of the last 3 weeks here.
--- End quote ---
e-maxx:
score one for satan
lordician:
What a strange story.
Good that you have some knowledge about the law though and you are not easy to scare.
Nonnel:
god LOSES and satan WINS