Keep calm It's the trading standards officer

[Markola]

I have just had a personal visit from the nice people from trading standards. Who informed me that my Keep calm T shirts must be removed from my online store.

She informed me it was not covered under UK copyright but it was under EU copyright. I didn't even use the crown! The shirt read Keep calm City are going to Wembley. Oh yes I cant use the word Wembley if the design has football connotations.
Nice to see my local authority following EU legislation to the hilt.

Not too fussed though I cant stand them keep calm designs anyhoo.

[mrs maggot]

i knew about the "Wembley" part but the keep calm bit is interesting - i wonder how she will visit all of the spreadshirt people

[Markola]

I was flying a bit close to the wind with one or two other designs tbh so I may have brought this on myself.

[NikGrey]

I messed about for DAYS trying to perfect a nice 'Purple' for this type of MUG - Didn't use it in the end as I had an idea it may bring trouble.

I remember being at a friends house for an overnight stay before we traveled to Amsterdam the next day - early on the the morning of the trip there was a knock at the door - Trading Standards, my (Now Ex Mate as he was too dodgy overall and I ended up not trusting him after he smuggled something on my person on another trip which could have landed me in a world of sh*it).

Anyway, he was selling dodgy perfume on eBay - I could hear the whole conversation from upstairs and I must say the officers were firm but fair, professional at every turn.

Quite a memorable event though.

[James990]

THe only Keep Calm that they can try and stop you selling is the White lettering on a red background in the Keep Calm font saying 'Keep Calm and Carry on'! Under the law they CANNOT stop you selling any parady of Keep Calm, or if you do Keep Calm carry on in Green, pink or what ever colour you like except red they cannot stop you selling them.

Yes if they are football club names or copyrighted any other way they can stop you. I have already had this out with my own trading standards people. In fact they are really on thin ice with the Keep Calm white on red, because the bloke who has got the EU trademark has himself broke the law in going to the EU. He was turned down in the UK!

[NikGrey]

Thanks James - I may re-visit this as I did put a lot of work into it, and wasted a lot of ink.

My version is the "I Cant Keep Calm - I'm a 'Surname'" on my lovely Purple.

[James990]

I carry over 200 Keep Calm mugs and they cannot touch them. I even have one with t e white letters on the red background, and if they want to take me to court, they have to take me to the EU one, because I have NOT broken any UK laws with it!

[ArtyGamer]

I have a Scots version - 'Calm The Heid And Stoap Moanin'

I'd like to see them bring up any trademark issue with that!

[arthur.daley]

so, question is, who does own the keep calm as a trademark? As I understood the situation keep calm was created by an unknown government employee donkeys years ago. Has someone purchased 'keep calm' from the government and registered it as a trademark or just taken it and registered it as their own anyway?


Arthur

[funkey monkey]

This is a good read on the subject!

http://www.theawl.com/2011/10/keep-calm ... mark-fight

But i can't find out what the outcome was!

But i would say in the UK it would be ok as long as you don't use the slogan "Keep Calm & Carry On"