US cultural sway waning?

[Carl Remick]

>From: kjkhoo at softhome.net
>
>US cultural sway may or may not be waning, but these two items are hardly 
>indicative.
>
>The second item is perhaps the more evident: Mecca Cola is a copy of "the 
>real thing" and is thus condemned at inception to be under the latter's 
>sign. It may well come out from under that, but I doubt it as it depends 
>for recognition upon the continued existence of "the real thing".

Yes, but Mecca-Cola both "depends" on Coca-Cola and *mocks* it at the same 
time.  In essence, Mecca-Cola says to the US:  "Screw you and your precious 
'intellectual property.'  We're going to steal the cursive type, squiggle 
line and red background of your registered trademark, and what the hell are 
you going to do about it?"  This is a direct challenge to US branding as 
legally defensible property, and the US corporate interests here respond in 
an uncharacteristically obsequious way (for obvious reasons).  As the 
article noted:  "Asked whether Coke contemplated legal action because of 
Mecca's similar label, ... [one Coke executive] replied: 'Our lawyers are 
aware of it, absolutely. But I don't believe there's a decision to take 
legal action.'"  Usually US companies react like rabid Rottweilers to even 
the slightest copyright infringement.  This is quite a humiliation for the 
Coca-Cola Company.

Carl

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