Co-presentation with Dave Tinker, CFRE as a breakout session at Technow 2011 presented by The Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University.
Presentation from Robert Morris University's Bayer Center's TechNow11 conference on why you need social media policies and ways for a nonprofit to minimize risk.
We Didn't Say That! - Minimizing Risk Via Social Media PoliciesDave Tinker, CFRE
Presentation on minimizing risk via Social Media Policies from Pittsburgh Regional Training Collaborative in January 2012. Focus on Nonprofit organizations.
Your professional reputation online matters. This presentation explains who is using the internet and social media in the United States, opportunities for lawyers to connect online, the harm that may result from not claiming your firm's social media profile and what to do when faced with negative criticism.
Social Media, Employment, and Brain InjuryPaul Smith
Slides for my presentation at the Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference, February 26th, at the Hayes Mansion in San Jose, CA. Created by Paul F. Smith (http://neuronico.net).
A presentation addressing the legal implications of social media.. These issues include privacy, copyright, trademark, and trade secrets issues for employers, employees and ISPs, as well as the SPAM Act and FTC rules. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Contact me at dsaper [at]saperlaw.com if you'd like to use the presentation or if you have any questions.
Presentation by Sara Meaney, co-owner of Comet Branding, a PR+Social Media agency, and Kelly Twigger, owner of ESI Attorneys on the legal implications of social media given at BizTech 2010 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 30, 2010.
Presentation from Robert Morris University's Bayer Center's TechNow11 conference on why you need social media policies and ways for a nonprofit to minimize risk.
We Didn't Say That! - Minimizing Risk Via Social Media PoliciesDave Tinker, CFRE
Presentation on minimizing risk via Social Media Policies from Pittsburgh Regional Training Collaborative in January 2012. Focus on Nonprofit organizations.
Your professional reputation online matters. This presentation explains who is using the internet and social media in the United States, opportunities for lawyers to connect online, the harm that may result from not claiming your firm's social media profile and what to do when faced with negative criticism.
Social Media, Employment, and Brain InjuryPaul Smith
Slides for my presentation at the Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference, February 26th, at the Hayes Mansion in San Jose, CA. Created by Paul F. Smith (http://neuronico.net).
A presentation addressing the legal implications of social media.. These issues include privacy, copyright, trademark, and trade secrets issues for employers, employees and ISPs, as well as the SPAM Act and FTC rules. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Contact me at dsaper [at]saperlaw.com if you'd like to use the presentation or if you have any questions.
Presentation by Sara Meaney, co-owner of Comet Branding, a PR+Social Media agency, and Kelly Twigger, owner of ESI Attorneys on the legal implications of social media given at BizTech 2010 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 30, 2010.
Social Media: Implications for Intellectual Property Lawblaine_5
With the rise of social media comes the rise of user-generated content that infringes the intellectual property rights of others. Learn about areas of concern such as defamation, patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret, how to establish effective social media policies for clients that prevent infringement, and how to educate your client to control and monitor use of their IP in social media.
How can CPAs use Social Media to help them grow as professionals and leaders? Presentation by Janice Maiman (AICPA) and Tom Hood, CPA (MACPA) at the inaugral AICPA Leadership Academy in Chicago on July 10, 2009
Visual Resources Association Annual Conference
March 27-30, 2018, Philadelphia
Session: The Brave New Media of Visual Resources: Managing Intellectual Property Rights on the Frontier
Presenter: Lael Ensor-Bennett, Assistant Curator, Johns Hopkins University
Social media Risk Management Presentation Sample (Animations don't work in sl...Alexander Larsen
An introduction to social media, the types of risks it can cause, some business solutions to mitigating the risks and protecting your company reputation, as well as how it can be used as a tool for successful business continuity and risk management functions.
In the age of social media, intellectual property can be murky territory. In this presentation, Primum Marketing Communications, a Milwaukee-based agency, covers social media implications on copyrights, trademarks, patents, defamation and trade secrets. The presentation also takes a look at some Terms of Service and Privacy Policies for several popular social media sites and covers best practices for marketing your brand without crossing the legal line.
A care assistant is fired for posting insults about the elderly residents in her care and a waitress loses her job for posting a negative comment about customers – the number of firings related to employees’ use of Facebook is growing fast. They also highlight the increasingly blurred boundary between private and work life online. In an effort to help employers develop a fair and effective social media policy, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Social Media Council has published a white paper: ‘Staff Use of Social Media Policy – Legal Dimension’.
Social Media, Employment, and DisabilityPaul Smith
Presentation developed for the Monterey County Job Developer Consortium and the Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference. Discusses the growth of social media, its use in recruitment and job search, how social media tools can assist the job search of people with disabilities, and provides practical tips on using social media to find a job.
Created by Paul F. Smith (http://neuronico.net).
Social Media Policy Essentials for Lenders and BrokersSmarsh
Learn how to adopt and enforce social media policies that make sense for the mortgage industry, including:
-What elements should be included
-Best practices for developing a social media policy
-How to enforce a policy once it's made
The Importance Of Ethics In Social Media In Marketing&Advertising 03 10 09Karl Kasca
The Importance of Ethics in Social Media in Marketing and Advertising was a presentation given to Mark Stern's Ethics in Marketing & Advertising class at UCLA Extension on March 10, 2009. This presentation shows why it's important to be ethical when using Social Media and Social Networking. The necessity of using disclosure, transparency, authenticity, and trust for those marketing on the web is emphasized. A variety of social media and social networking examples are shown.
Blog posts on AttractMoreVisitorsblog.com:
1) The Importance of Ethics in Social Media in Marketing and Advertising blog post: http://snipurl.com/hmyvo .
2) How to Use a Slideshare Presentation to get Top Ranking in Google search - Case Study:
http://snipurl.com/ggw03 .
A copy of the Employment Law presentation given at the Kansas City CFO Breakfast Series event. Topics in this presentation include:
- Social Media As Company “Property”
- Legal Issues Affecting Ability to Protect
- Whistleblowers—Current Trends
“- Hot Issues”-A speedy checklist
This presentation look at:
Growth of social media
Making Contacts
Branding
Dangers of information online
Case study
Thesis: The mastery of social media is vital to career success.
Corporate Social Media Guidelines - Protecting Your Organization From Hidden ...Raul Colon
One wrong move can land you or your company into an unknown abyss. The lack of guidance from Social Media and non-existent controls can cost companies hundreds of thousands or even millions. The hidden risks of not understanding the many channels of Social Media are immeasurable. With a better understanding and some guidance on Social Media Patterns yourself and your company are going to be able to mitigate the arising risks.
This presentation describes the evolution of social media usage in the insurance industry. Areas covered include typical uses for insurance organizations, developing a social media policy, the dangers of social media, and some fun facts as well.
Social Media: Implications for Intellectual Property Lawblaine_5
With the rise of social media comes the rise of user-generated content that infringes the intellectual property rights of others. Learn about areas of concern such as defamation, patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret, how to establish effective social media policies for clients that prevent infringement, and how to educate your client to control and monitor use of their IP in social media.
How can CPAs use Social Media to help them grow as professionals and leaders? Presentation by Janice Maiman (AICPA) and Tom Hood, CPA (MACPA) at the inaugral AICPA Leadership Academy in Chicago on July 10, 2009
Visual Resources Association Annual Conference
March 27-30, 2018, Philadelphia
Session: The Brave New Media of Visual Resources: Managing Intellectual Property Rights on the Frontier
Presenter: Lael Ensor-Bennett, Assistant Curator, Johns Hopkins University
Social media Risk Management Presentation Sample (Animations don't work in sl...Alexander Larsen
An introduction to social media, the types of risks it can cause, some business solutions to mitigating the risks and protecting your company reputation, as well as how it can be used as a tool for successful business continuity and risk management functions.
In the age of social media, intellectual property can be murky territory. In this presentation, Primum Marketing Communications, a Milwaukee-based agency, covers social media implications on copyrights, trademarks, patents, defamation and trade secrets. The presentation also takes a look at some Terms of Service and Privacy Policies for several popular social media sites and covers best practices for marketing your brand without crossing the legal line.
A care assistant is fired for posting insults about the elderly residents in her care and a waitress loses her job for posting a negative comment about customers – the number of firings related to employees’ use of Facebook is growing fast. They also highlight the increasingly blurred boundary between private and work life online. In an effort to help employers develop a fair and effective social media policy, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Social Media Council has published a white paper: ‘Staff Use of Social Media Policy – Legal Dimension’.
Social Media, Employment, and DisabilityPaul Smith
Presentation developed for the Monterey County Job Developer Consortium and the Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference. Discusses the growth of social media, its use in recruitment and job search, how social media tools can assist the job search of people with disabilities, and provides practical tips on using social media to find a job.
Created by Paul F. Smith (http://neuronico.net).
Social Media Policy Essentials for Lenders and BrokersSmarsh
Learn how to adopt and enforce social media policies that make sense for the mortgage industry, including:
-What elements should be included
-Best practices for developing a social media policy
-How to enforce a policy once it's made
The Importance Of Ethics In Social Media In Marketing&Advertising 03 10 09Karl Kasca
The Importance of Ethics in Social Media in Marketing and Advertising was a presentation given to Mark Stern's Ethics in Marketing & Advertising class at UCLA Extension on March 10, 2009. This presentation shows why it's important to be ethical when using Social Media and Social Networking. The necessity of using disclosure, transparency, authenticity, and trust for those marketing on the web is emphasized. A variety of social media and social networking examples are shown.
Blog posts on AttractMoreVisitorsblog.com:
1) The Importance of Ethics in Social Media in Marketing and Advertising blog post: http://snipurl.com/hmyvo .
2) How to Use a Slideshare Presentation to get Top Ranking in Google search - Case Study:
http://snipurl.com/ggw03 .
A copy of the Employment Law presentation given at the Kansas City CFO Breakfast Series event. Topics in this presentation include:
- Social Media As Company “Property”
- Legal Issues Affecting Ability to Protect
- Whistleblowers—Current Trends
“- Hot Issues”-A speedy checklist
This presentation look at:
Growth of social media
Making Contacts
Branding
Dangers of information online
Case study
Thesis: The mastery of social media is vital to career success.
Corporate Social Media Guidelines - Protecting Your Organization From Hidden ...Raul Colon
One wrong move can land you or your company into an unknown abyss. The lack of guidance from Social Media and non-existent controls can cost companies hundreds of thousands or even millions. The hidden risks of not understanding the many channels of Social Media are immeasurable. With a better understanding and some guidance on Social Media Patterns yourself and your company are going to be able to mitigate the arising risks.
This presentation describes the evolution of social media usage in the insurance industry. Areas covered include typical uses for insurance organizations, developing a social media policy, the dangers of social media, and some fun facts as well.
Developing a Social Media Policy for Your Law FirmLisa Hopkins
While many rules are clearly laid out for lawyer advertising in Texas, social media continues to be uncharted territory. Understanding how social media affects your law firm on multiple levels is important. This presentation addresses the ethics surrounding posting on social media, including discussions on what content the firm can share in relation to case results and client testimonials. As well, Lisa it provides insight on how your law firm can craft a social media policy for your firm as well as your employees that will help avoid any brand disasters.
Social Media in a Law Enforcement WorkplaceClarissa N. Iverson.docxrosemariebrayshaw
Social Media in a Law Enforcement Workplace
Clarissa N. Iverson
Strayer University
Professional Communications
Agenda
How to market the police?
How to use social media to prevent and solve crime.
Social media policy for civilian employees and sworn officers.
How to Market the Police?
Law enforcement agencies now must utilize social media in many ways, such as recruiting and overall communication with the community.
Social media reaches a wide range of community. As far as it being useful for recruiting employees outside their local target market.
Showing the basic police academy process and the steps individuals need to take to apply and what to except is a great way many agencies have used social media to attract followers and potential employees.
Additionally, social media has been a great way to connect law enforcement with the community. Last year, many were engaged with the “Lip Sync Challenge” that agencies across the country participated in on social media.
Solving Crime
Using Social Media to Solve and Prevent Crime.
Social Media leaves a “digital fingerprint”
Many criminals will post themselves engaging in criminal activity.
Many criminals do not know if a social media friend or follower grants them access to their account to view the criminal activity it does no violate privacy.
Surveys have indicated 1,221 federal, state and local law enforcement who use social media, 4 of 5 use social media to gather intelligence.
Iverson, Clarissa (IC) - Business: https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/30/tech/social-media/fighting-crime-social-media/index.html
Catching Up With Modern Technology
Law enforcement and the judicial system have not caught up with current technology.
Police having a hard time regulating criminal activity because now criminals use social media and the Internet to expand their traditional reach.
Gangs use the Internet to work in conjunction with each other and to work together.
Social Media Policy
Establishing policy for individuals working in law enforcement.
Law enforcement agencies must be careful how they post on official social media accounts
Officers personal social media accounts can reflect badly on a department.
Officers have been in the news for posting inappropriate videos or racist joke, while on duty.
Agencies should adopt a social media policy and have them written in their directives.
The purpose of the policy should have a purpose and determine what it needs to cover.
The social media policy should be clearly defined to avoid confusion.
The policy need to establish what is acceptable and what is unacceptable uses of official and personal social media.
Iverson, Clarissa (IC) - Law Enforcement Social Media Policy. (2019, March 13). Retrieved from PowerDMS.
Additional Information
Police Officer Tommy Norman has used social media to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement. His Instagram page has over 1 million followers and he now has people around the wo.
Answer these 5 questions as related to social media:
1) What the heck is it?
2) Is it a fad?
3) Why are some afraid of it?
4) Why do we often get it wrong?
5) How do we do it right?
How Law Firms Build Trust for Your Business Online (Social Media Policy)Mike Mintz
This presentation gives the legal and business framework for corporations looking to build trust online with their customers. Through partnering with a law firm to craft a custom social media policy, deploy it to staff, and maintain continuous monitoring and litigation support, businesses can more effectively enter the social media space with confidence.
In this special Ethics Month webinar, PRSA's Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS) provided insight and training for public relations professionals on social media ethics and how the PRSA Code of Ethics can help determine the proper course of action and protect you and your clients' reputation and credibility. Current examples of unethical practices in social media were examined. BEPS members also provided guidance on how public relations professionals can ensure their social-media campaigns uphold the ethical standards of the profession.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: Key Elements for Social Medi...lorrainefleck
Social media has revolutionized how all organizations, including charities and non-profits, can promote their brands. While social media presents a novel marketing channel for charities and non-profits, as with any innovation, there are risks. This presentation will address and provide practical tips on risk management in social media by addressing the following questions.
(1) Why do social media policies matter?
(2) What issues should a social media policy address, and why?
(3) Is it possible to use social media to promote your charity or non-profit without being “anti-social”?
Similar to Technow 2011 Presentation on Social Media Policies & Risk Management (20)
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: Key Elements for Social Medi...
Technow 2011 Presentation on Social Media Policies & Risk Management
1. We Didn’t Say That!:
Minimizing Risk Via Social Media
Policies
TechNow 2011 Conference
October 27, 2011
Todd Whiteman & Dave Tinker, CFRE
2. What We‟ll Go Over
Define Social Media & Social Networking
How Social Media Impacts Your Group
What is a Social Media Policy
What a Social Media Policy Looks Like
What Types of Insurance Might Cover Social
Media Use
What You Can Do to Avoid Claims
Online Resources
3. Definition
What is Social Media?
A group of applications that allow for user
generated content
What is Social Networking?
Placing individuals into specific groups
connected by a common interest
4. Statistics
Social Media
90% of US Internet users visited a social media site in 2010
22% of all time spent online is on social media sites
40% connect via mobile devices
Facebook
750 million active users
More time spent on Facebook than any other site
Average user connected to 80 groups, events, and community
pages
Twitter
200 million users
65 million tweets per day
Sources: comScore, Facebook, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Wikipedia
5. Why You Need One
Use by employees, volunteers, consultants, and
people you serve
Impact on marketing and brand, fundraising, and
awareness
e.g. Pittsburgh Gives and Westmoreland Gives
NPOs of all sizes need a policy
Avoid Claims
6. What is a Social Media Policy?
What it is:
It sets expectations and boundaries
Operational guidelines for people who use social
media in their job
What it is not:
Static
7. Components of Social Media Policy
Define social media
Identify that you have concerns and interests
Tell people what to avoid
Remind people to protect privacy
State how it‟s related to other agency policies
Logos, photos, videos
„Friending‟ clients, co-workers
How to engage others
8. Don‟t Have One?
Can lead to
Leaks
Badmouthing
Someone else speaking on your behalf
Fear Not…It‟s Not Too Late
9. Social Media Policy Guidelines
In 2010 AFP International crafted guidelines for
members of
AFP
ASAE
NTEN and
The DMA, Nonprofit Federation
Results were released in late 2010
http://is.gd/yGv43r
10. Protect Your Organization
There are ways to protect your organization
before and after a situation arises -
Before:
Employee Handbook
Internet Usage Policy
Employee Communication Policy
Social Media Policy
After:
Insurance Coverage (General Liability, Professional
Liability, Directors & Officers, Employment Practices, Internet
Liability
Damage Control
11. Handbooks And Training
Employee Handbooks can include policies and
procedures for Internet Usage, Employee
Communication and Online Social Media.
They can be tailored specifically for your
organizations operations and exposures and can
also include volunteers.
Training is equally important!
12. Insurance Policies
General Liability
Most organizations have this coverage and believe it
will cover everything and anything.
Provides coverage for claims for Bodily Injury and
Property Damage and excludes the organizations
professional liability and claims for financial injury.
Personal Injury provides coverage for libel and
slander.
By endorsement you can purchase
coverage for claims resulting from
postings on blogs, websites and email.
13. Insurance Policies
Directors and Officers
This is a step in the right direction which provides
coverage to the organization, it‟s Directors and
Officers and it‟s Employees.
Coverage is for claims brought based on poor
decisions or no decisions that lead to a claim that
may or may not have been covered.
Employment Practices can be added which covers
acts against employees and can be extended to your
clients.
Your organization is just as vulnerable to internal claims as it
is to external claims! An employee sending an inappropriate
internal email or viewing an inappropriate website can be the
trigger.
14. Insurance Policies
Professional Liability
This is typically coverage for your “profession” which
could be performing arts, child care, community
action etc…and is for your mistakes, not your
intentional actions.
Example – Your organization provides housing for individuals
with disabilities:
#1 A client wanders from the home and is injured – is there
coverage?
YES - Your job is to protect that individual.
#2 You post on your blog that the person (by name) has been
nothing but trouble and deserved it. – is there coverage
NO - The suit brought is that you named that person and
slandered them causing them and their family emotional
injury.
15. Insurance Policies
Internet Liability and Social Media Coverage
This coverage was specifically designed to cover
Social Media, Your Website, 3rd Party Websites and
Email Communications
Claim Examples:
Posting of picture without authority
Employee postings on your website, Facebook or 3rd party sites
Volunteer badmouthing a competing
organization
Distribution of internal email to outside
parties
Theft of money or data from your website
and computer system.
16. Management
Your organization and individual duties
Who makes changes and determines appropriate
content?
Depending on your size and structure it may be the
Executive Director, Development Staff, Consultant or IT.
Does your board or a committee have any input?
Have you presented guidelines to your staff?
17. Who can make claims against you?
Your current employees and past employees.
Your clients / constituents
Your competitors
Your partners
Your vendors
Your funders and donors
Your volunteers
Your members
The general public
18. Online Tools to Help You
AFP Social Media Guidelines- http://is.gd/yGv43r
Beth Kanter‟s list – http://is.gd/tSujQv
PolicyTool - http://socialmedia.policytool.net/
Social Media Policy Samples -
http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php
19. What We Discussed
Define Social Media & Social Networking
How Social Media Impacts Your Organization
What is a Social Media Policy
What a Social Media Policy Looks Like
What Types of Insurance Might Cover Social
Media Use
What You Can Do to Avoid Claims
Online Resources
21. Contact Information
Todd Whiteman
Vice President, Property / Casualty
Enscoe Long Insurance Group, LLC
412-206-0364
twhiteman@enscoelong.com
www.enscoelong.com
Dave Tinker, CFRE
Director of Development
ACHIEVA
412-995-5000 x 436
dtinker@achieva.info
www.about.me/davethecfre
22. Example: Red Cross Rogue Tweet
AN EMPLOYEE WITH ACCESS TO THE @REDCROSS TWITTER ACCOUNT ACCIDENTALLY POSTED
ABOUT THEIR NIGHT OF DRINKING DOGFISH HEAD MIDAS TOUCH AND TAGGED THE MESSAGE
#GETTNGSLIZZERD.
TOOLS FOR MANAGING MULTIPLE TWITTER ACCOUNTS AND SMARTPHONES THAT HANDLE
TWITTER MESSAGING ALONGSIDE TEXT MESSAGING HAVE MADE SUCH MISTAKES EASIER
THAN EVER BEFORE. THE RED CROSS MESSAGE WAS INITIALLY VISIBLE TO NEARLY 270,000
FOLLOWERS SUBSCRIBING TO THAT ACCOUNT BUT DOZENS HUNDREDS OF RE-TWEETS (WHEN
THE SAME MESSAGE IS RE-SENT FROM ANOTHER PERSON) AND TWEETS ABOUT HIS POST
HAVE PUT THAT NUMBER WELL INTO THE MILLIONS.
IN A SLIGHT TINGE OF IRONY, EARLIER IN THE DAY, THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION RELEASED A
PRESS RELEASE ABOUT ITS SAVOR EVENT COMING IN JUNE; ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF THE
EVENT IS TO RAISE THE IMAGE OF BEER TO BE EQUAL TO THAT OF WINE, A DIFFICULT TASK
GIVEN THE BARRAGE OF BEER ADVERTISEMENTS FEATURING LOWBROW HUMOR. ON THE
OTHER HAND, IT‟S A NICE BIT OF PUBLICITY FOR DOGFISH HEAD THOUGH THE BREWERY,
GROWING AS RAPIDLY AS IT IS, DOESN‟T NEED IT.
RED CROSS LATER DELETED THE TWEET AND REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE THAT READS,
“WE‟VE DELETED THE ROGUE TWEET BUT REST ASSURED THE RED CROSS IS SOBER AND
WE‟VE CONFISCATED THE KEYS.” AT LEAST THEY HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR ABOUT THE
MATTER.
WE‟LL SEE IF THEY DO IN THE MORNING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. THE RED CROSS PR HEAD SAYS THAT HUANG WILL NOT
BE FIRED OVER THE INCIDENT.
23. Example: Chrysler Consultant Tweet
Someone with access to the official Chrysler Twitter account, @ChryslerAutos, dropped an F-bomb on its more
than 7,500 followers earlier today.
“I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f*****g drive,” reads a
retweet of the slipup.
The actual tweet has been deleted from the account, and the company quickly tweeted an apology, saying that
its account had been compromised.
Jalopnik, which originally noted the mishap, reported that people familiar with the Chrysler media organization
said the source of the tweet is likely an employee of the social media company that runs Chrysler‟s Twitter
account.
Like a tweet from the Red Cross last month that spawned #gettngslizzerd, Chrysler‟s tweet seems to be the
result of an employee confusing personal and brand accounts. Bad taste on Twitter can‟t always be prevented
(cough, Kenneth Cole), but please, brand Twitter account managers of the world, double-check your tweets.
Update: Chrysler confirmed in a blog post that the off-color tweet came from an employee of its social media
agency, New Media Strategies. The employee, according to the post, “has since been terminated.” Meanwhile,
the @ChryslerAutos account has actually gained Twitter followers since we first reported the incident.
24. Nonprofit Organization Settles Trademark
Lawsuit: Little House on the Prairie
Earlier this week, Friendly Family Productions, LLC, the company that produced the television series Little House on the Prairie
settled its lawsuit against a nonprofit corporation that operates a small museum outside Independence, Kansas.
The museum is located at the site of the original house that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book of the same title.
Friendly Family Productions alleged that the museum infringed the trademark LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. According to
complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the predecessor to Friendly Family Productions acquired rights to that
trademark from the author's descendants in 1974.
What got Friendly Family Productions all riled up (to use a term that Ms. Wilder would have been comfortable with) was the use of
the trademark on merchandise that the museum sold, including the merchandise that it sold through a website with the domain
name www.littlehouseontheprairie.com. Friendly Family Productions acknowledged that it had no quarrel with the museum using
the words "little house on the prairie" to describe the homesite or the museum, because a purely descriptive use like that does not
infringe a trademark. On the other hand, Friendly Family Productions had considerable quarrel with the museum putting those
words on merchandise (caps, T-shirts, magnets, note cards, key chains, and other items typical of promotional merchandise) and
selling them over the internet. Friendly Family Productions claimed that the use of those words implied that the merchandise
came from the owner of the trademark, when it did not. That is, in a nutshell, the reason trademarks exist -- to identify the source
of the goods that bear the mark.
According to an article in the Wichita Eagle and other sources, Friendly Family Productions originally offered to pay the museum
$40,000 if it would stop using the trademark. The museum refused the offer, choosing instead to fight the lawsuit. The terms of the
settlement agreement are confidential, but we know that the nonprofit corporation has changed its name from Little House on the
Prairie, Inc. to the more descriptive Little House on the Prairie Museum, Inc., and www.littlehouseontheprairie.com is no longer
active.
There's no way to know how much the two-year litigation cost the parties.