Corporate Bullying? Copyright Infringement? Smoke and Mirrors?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/us/eat-more-kale-t-shirts-challenged-by-chick-fil-a.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

In my opinion this whole copyright infringement issues has gotten a little out of hand.  Coming from a former plagiarist (all teachers plagiarize) you might not take that seriously but enough is enough.  Chick-fil-a has made enough money off their "Eat Mor Chikin" slogan than will ever be needed to cover their expenses.  This venture capitalist has simple jumped on a parody of the popular slogan and run with it.  We are Americans, it is what we do.  James Madison stole from Thomas Jefferson to write the Constitution.  Jefferson stole from John Locke to write the Declaration.  What are we afraid of? For as long as there have been written words, art or music people have reading, seeing and hearing then simply saying "I could do that just a smidge different and make it better."  Is that wrong? Maybe. Is that cheating? Maybe. Is that fair? Absolutely



Why is it fair you might ask?  Because we have a free market.  In the free market, players are able to compete in what ever way they see fit so long as they do not murder one another.  I always find it funny when businesses, politicians, or talking heads on the radio are annoyed by something and say "you cannot do that, it looks too much like ours." yet they will turn around and do the very same thing the first time it is profitable.  Why is Chick-fil-a not going after McDonalds for copying their chicken sandwich?  I've had both, and they are pretty close.  Why do they not go after all the companies that have taken to using animals in their advertisements?  My guess is, they do not want to have these companies putting them (Chick-fil-a) under the microscope in return and so they keep to picking on small time (or what they perceive to be small time) targets like Mr. Muller-Moore.  In Mr. Muller-Moore they see a target of opportunity to crush out some left over hippie that disagrees with Chick-fil-a’s agenda.  That’s right I said. Chick-fil-a’s agenda.

Little to many of us know, but Chick-fil-a has been channeling money though 501-C4s to Conservative Republicans for years.  Yes, the company is the beacon of good, Christian, values (and I do applaud them for standing up for what they believe) but the channeling of money through back rooms, and this pithy endeavor against what could be called a venture capitalist is a bit too much in my book.  To me it smells of smoke and mirrors to divert attention away from their questionable actions. 

And why do they feel the need to hide? The whole notion of backchannel money is just not what America was founded on or is about.  Companies that do so ought to be ashamed of themselves.  I for one, wouldn’t mind if they took a stand on a political issue.  I will not boycott a place simply because they do not agree with me! More often than not I will patronize them more because they do.  We need to be open in the political discussion, and opinions! We need dialog and not this secrete money changing. I would not necessarily agree with Chick-fil-a but then again how would I know what they stand for?  They hide their true beliefs. 
  
For my money, nothing beats Chick-fil-a’s chicken sandwiches, for my money I’ll pay to watch the underdog win, and for my money I’d rather see corporate money out in the open and not culverted to the deep pockets of politicians from seedy sources.  I say leave the man alone (and really pat him on the back for creativity), and keep your opinions out in the open, and be up front with your money.