Join me on Pinterest where I am pinning the ongoing story of the US Olympic Committee’s offensive cease and desist letter that offended a community of crafters 2 million strong. As of this posting, the US Olympic Committee has issued a somewhat weak apology – while they hinted that they still want Ravelympics removed to protect their trademark, they would love if crafters would make things for the US Olympics and send them in. Try to resist knitting Molotov cocktails, folks.

Update: The US Olympic Committee has updated their original weak apology with a second apology to re-emphasize the fact that they regret the use of their “insensitive terms” (and the idiotic thought that all crafty people just love making things for complete strangers) toward a group that clearly didn’t intend to “denigrate or disrespect” the Olympic Games. Please note that they did not say that their form letter is condescending and needs to be entirely revamped (really, how many “lympic” activities do you know of that are doing it as a screw you to the Olympic Games?). Also, they still stand by the fact that they have “an obligation” to protect their trademark.

Knittas Gonna Knit: Ravelympics 2012

1 thought on “Pinning the Protest: One blog (and news story) at a time”

Betty McGuffin June 22, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Thanks for posting this. I found out about the fiasco this morning reading Yarn Harlot. I love her writing. But as I live in the U.S. In Kansas City, Missouri. Where Hallmark Cards has spent years suing people because their last name is Hallmark (Hallmark cards was started by Joyce Hall) and they have no right to their family name because a card company has to protect its name. A card company who pays out several times a month because it uses other card companies cards as its own. If the USOC was going after someone who was selling knock-offs of USOC merchandise I’d understand but they aren’t. If Ravelry had a Ravelry Olympics, maybe. But USOC claims it’s about money and trademark. And unlike ‘Kleenex’ they aren’t making up a word or item and trademarking it. They are taking a commonly used word and a very very old concept and claiming trademark. Wonder if they will try to go after Etsy. I wasn’t thinking about knitting a molotov, I was thinking about a ‘Vive La France’ or something for a country besides Imperialist ‘Merica.
I tried commenting on one of the USOC pages but it doesn’t post and they seem to be having site issues. I’m not sure if the apology I saw was the first or second non-apology. USOC seems to think Congress has given them world wide copyright on ‘Olympics’ and all variants, the date/year of any Olympics, ‘USA’, ‘Games’ and anything that any athlete wears on or off competition. I’ve been donating to the U.S. Equestrian team for years. I’m letting them know why I won’t do that anymore. The more I’ve tried to figure out what was going on the more annoyed about USOC. I’m currently at-They want a take down on a woman who knit a rag blue hat with “2010 USA’? Seriously just WTF USOC!
(Oooh, hey I found a nice knitting blog to bookmark!)

Reply ↓

Betty McGuffin June 22, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Thanks for posting this. I found out about the fiasco this morning reading Yarn Harlot. I love her writing. But as I live in the U.S. In Kansas City, Missouri. Where Hallmark Cards has spent years suing people because their last name is Hallmark (Hallmark cards was started by Joyce Hall) and they have no right to their family name because a card company has to protect its name. A card company who pays out several times a month because it uses other card companies cards as its own. If the USOC was going after someone who was selling knock-offs of USOC merchandise I’d understand but they aren’t. If Ravelry had a Ravelry Olympics, maybe. But USOC claims it’s about money and trademark. And unlike ‘Kleenex’ they aren’t making up a word or item and trademarking it. They are taking a commonly used word and a very very old concept and claiming trademark. Wonder if they will try to go after Etsy. I wasn’t thinking about knitting a molotov, I was thinking about a ‘Vive La France’ or something for a country besides Imperialist ‘Merica.
I tried commenting on one of the USOC pages but it doesn’t post and they seem to be having site issues. I’m not sure if the apology I saw was the first or second non-apology. USOC seems to think Congress has given them world wide copyright on ‘Olympics’ and all variants, the date/year of any Olympics, ‘USA’, ‘Games’ and anything that any athlete wears on or off competition. I’ve been donating to the U.S. Equestrian team for years. I’m letting them know why I won’t do that anymore. The more I’ve tried to figure out what was going on the more annoyed about USOC. I’m currently at-They want a take down on a woman who knit a rag blue hat with “2010 USA’? Seriously just WTF USOC!
(Oooh, hey I found a nice knitting blog to bookmark!)

Reply ↓