3200 NATIONAL CITY CENTER • 1900 EAST 9TH STREET • CLEVELAND, OHIO 44114-3485
• (216) 621-0200 • FAX (216) 696-0740
WRITER’S DIRECT DIAL NUMBER
(216) 861-7103
July 20, 2001
Via E-mail: stef@britswedeguy.cc
URGENT
Stef
RE: Unauthorized Use of Copyrighted and Trademarked Materials
Dear Sir:
Baker & Hostetler LLP serves as general counsel for United Feature Syndicate,
Inc. ("UFS"). UFS syndicates the comic strip DILBERT® by Scott Adams in thousands
of newspapers in the United States and throughout the world. UFS owns all of the
copyrights, trademarks and other subsidiary rights relating to the DILBERT® comic
strip and its characters. The rights owned by UFS strictly prohibit any individual
attempts to reproduce, transmit, copy, or otherwise utilize the DILBERT® comic
strip, or the characters appearing therein, without the express written permission
of UFS.
Notwithstanding the above rights, it has come to our attention that that you operate
the website located at http://home.swipnet.se/stef/dildo/, which contains
the trademarks and/or derivative reproductions of the DILBERT® characters. Your
unauthorized use of the DILBERT® materials constitutes infringement in that Internet
users will erroneously believe that such materials are licensed by, sponsored
by, affiliated with or authorized by UFS. In addition, given the type of infringement
you are displaying, UFS is particularly concerned with the tarnishment and disparagement
of the DILBERT® strip by you.
We therefore demand that you immediately remove all unauthorized DILBERT® materials
from the website address http://home.swipnet.se/stef/dildo/ and any other
sites over which you have control. You must confirm to me in writing
that you have complied with our demand by no later than July 25, 2001.
In addition, we demand that you furnish us with the following information by July
25, 2001:
1. The date you first began creating, displaying and/or distributing the infringing
strips via any means;
2. The names and addresses of each and every person in any way connected to the
creation, display and/or or distribution of the unauthorized strips;
3. The number of times the comics have been transmitted or otherwise distributed;
4. Whether you have used the DILBERT® comic strip and/or its characters in any
other way. If the answer is yes, describe the nature and extent of such use, and
provide the same information requested in paragraphs 1 and 2 that pertains to
that use.
We trust that you understand the concern of our client regarding the infringement
of its rights. Please contact us immediately. As stated, we require
written assurances from you by no later than July 25, 2001, to avoid the
necessity of our taking further legal action against you.
Nothing in this letter shall be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of any
right or remedy possessed by UFS or any affected party, all of which are expressly
reserved.
Sincerely,
Eric J. Steiner
cc: United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
Deborah A. Wilcox, Esq.
