I got these emails from 6th District McHenry County Board candidate Michael Stanard:
I first saw the logo of McHenry County Board candidate Michael Stanard on the side of his old red pickyup truck in Marengo's Founders Days Parade.
Someone in McHenry County evidently “turned me in to the authorities.” < smile >
This morning I got a call from Ron Brooks about my using the old Standard Oil icon.
He followed up the the following email.
Mr Michael Standard
It has been brought to our attention that you are using our Trade mark logo of Standard Oil Company on you campaign poster. We are the owners of record of this trade mark with the US Patent office. Please remove the Logo asap from any public uses.
Thank you
Ronald Brooks CEO
Standard Oil Company
I responded as follows:
Ron,
I didn’t mean to step on your toes. I apologize.
I was unaware of your company.
I assumed that brand identity disappeared when BP took control.
As you can imagine, using that vintage icon seemed a natural parody, given the spelling of my surname.
Would you be willing to allow me to continue until the election cycle is complete?
As a practical matter, my use of it will not damage your brand and I would appreciate your good humor and generosity in the matter.
Of course, if you prefer, I’ll stop using it and take it off the site.
Cordially,
Michael
p.s.
If that was you on the phone, I thought it might have been my high school buddy from Dallas, zooming me.
His response was:
Hi Michael
Sure I hpx; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; mpaine truck.
So you have our ok to use”>And by the way Best Of Luck to you.
Ron Brooks CEO
Cal,
I’d love to know who let Ron know about my promotional materials. Wouldn’t you?
After all, he’s is way out in Dallas, Texas and there is no way on God’s green hearth that he would have discovered it with out a ” little help ” .
Re: http://www.standardoilcompanyusa.com ( It’s a exploring and drilling company. )
I knew politics was a dirty game. In McHenry County it seems petty and small-minded as well.
= = = = =
This reminds me of one of my 1992 primary opponents objecting to my excerpting a phrase from a Mike Royko column.
He wrote, “Down in Springfield is an honest young legislator named Cal Skinner.”
When we got a call from Royko’s office, we faxed a copy of the column.
His reaction was something like, “I guess I wrote it.”
Here’s the column, probably from May, 1976:
I think Michael got pranked.
No CEO is going to write him about use of a sign.
The communication will come from the Law Dept.
And no CEO is going to give permission is a “friendly” email.
Enjoy the prank, Michael.
And good luck with your campaign.
Yeah, Standard’s campaign is important enough to prank. Huh?
Stanard’s campaign is the only one I care about. Just one man with balls on that county board and things will change dramatically.
People like our President, the Sheriff, The Treasurer, The Auditor cannot have a man like Stanard on the board.
Michael is the answer to the corruption.
Okay Cal, so we were both spot on on this weigh station name not coming to fruition.