Nike Rips Off Minor Threat

And Dischord Records isn't happy about it. via pitchfork
UPDATE: Nike's skateboarding division issued this apology.

Comments

[Kevin Gilmartin]

yeah, totally lame lame lame.

[Matty]

Nike is so "Out of Step" on this one.

[Jansku]

There's an apology up on
http://www.nike.com/nikeskateboarding/
I think that's quite nice of them.

[Del]

Nice of them to apologize?! Gimme a break. F U Nike.

[Ome Ko]

In my eyes just cashing in with a sob story.
Guilty of being Nike.

[chris]

"tell your mama and your papa, sometimes good guys dont wear nike"

[Kelley]

Nice one, chris! I agree

[qandnotlu]

yeah, totally $, $, $

[moron]

I have no love for Nike or corporate soullessness but how is this any different than say, the gajillion corporate logo spoof t-shirts or any other symbol appropriation? If Dischord released an album cover which was a spoof of say, the Exxon logo on it would that be OK? If this had been a spoof of say a Celine Dion album would you care at all? If not, why not?

I'll grant you that it's a cynical and shameless move on Nike's part but it's not like we all do not do similar things in our own lives.

I don't think Nike is evil for this, just pathetic.

Cheers

[NL]

The difference is something called "fair use." When an individual makes a comment about a copyright holder, constituting criticism or spoof or the like, they are permitted to replicate the copyrighted material. A corporation has no right to fair use. When they use copyrighted material, its understood that their aims are solely commercial.

[james]

Nike comments in their apology that their designers were 'inspired by minor threat', obviously not enough to take a stand against a corporation which uses sweat shop labour.

They didn't know the historical/political reasons why dischord records exists and why Minor Threat didn't simply sign to EMI??

pretty dumb.

[vivamonk]

This has nothing to do with "Fair Use." Fraud, maybe, but that would be hard to prove since Minor Threat doesn't make skateboards and Nike is not a record label...yet.

Minor Threat should lighten up. It's not the same picture. A bald guy on some stairs. Not exactly Ansel Adams or Diane Arbus.

[James]

"Minor Threat should lighten up"

ha ha ha!

if you don't know why that's funny go check out the minor threat discography.

:-)

[Bill hUie]

read the apology. translation: please please don't sue us. please.

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