Looks like Author Patrick Wensink is a big fan of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. While commissioning the cover for his novel “Broken Piano For President” he went with a design similar to the whiskey’s bottle.
He unsurprisingly received a cease-and-desist letter from Jack Daniel’s Properties — the owner of the Jack Daniel’s trademarks.
The typeface isn’t exactly the same, but the border and presentation is a copy of the classic black label of that sweet Tennessee whiskey.
Usually the trademark disputes letters aren’t pleasant.
But this one was different. The surprising news is that Jack Daniel’s sent the nicest cease-and-desist letter we’ve ever seen. The people at Jack Daniel’s Properties not only politely explained the situation to Wensink, the company even offered to help pay for the cost of designing a new cover.
Jack Daniel’s goes one step further when they tell the author to let his book sell out rather than pulling it from the shelves, a move that has made the book an instant collectors item on Amazon where it is quickly selling.
Patrick's Official Statement:
“We will be changing the cover art for Broken Piano for President, regrettably. However, Jack Daniel's possesses the booze industry's most polite legal team. They actually offered to help pay for new artwork. Lazy Fascist Press is proudly independent, though, and will not be taking any of that sweet, sweet, corporate whiskey money. Consider the old cover a collector's item.”
If more Companies like Jack Daniel’s evolve, the world might be a better place.
