Car Expo Attempts to Silence Community Protest
Autoshowshutdown.org is a parody of of the Chicago Auto Show's website. It's a clearinghouse for information about "Auto Show SHUTDOWN Festival" -- an annual event where hundreds of cyclists parade through Chicago to raise awareness about global warming and to promote sustainable transportation.
In January 2007, a lawyer for the auto show sent a threatening letter to the protestors, claiming that the website amounted to trademark infringement and that it would seek damages if the parody was not taken down. EFF defended the protestors, reminding the auto show that trademark infringement must involve some commercial use, which is clearly not the case in this non-profit, community-organized protest.
Original Title of Threatened Content:
AutoShowShutdown.org
Original location:
Date:
December 29, 2006