hurry, de smet, hurry
"Little Town on the Prairie" is not a registered trademark. Somebody needs to tell De Smet that they really ought to do something about that. Soon.

THIS story is coming through on news alerts, and will no doubt have people in an uproar. It boils down to this: the "Little House" (touch wood, turn around, curse & spit) site near Independence, Kansas, owns the registered trademark, Little House on the Prairie™. The heirs of Edwin Samson Friendly, Jr. (1922-2007) want it. Bad enough to sue when $$$ couldn't buy it.

October 7, 1992, Stacy J. Grossman, Esq., attorney for HarperCollins Publishers Inc. of New York, filed for trademark registration of Little House to cover "books published from time to time in a series." Trademark was duly registered May 18, 1993. Remember when the gingham covers came out with the cabin logo in a golden oval?

February 25, 2003, Eric H. Weimers, attorney for Little House on the Prairie, Inc., a non-profit corporation in Kansas, filed for trademark registration of Little House on the Prairie to cover "clothing, namely, pants, trousers, jeans, shorts, jackets, coats, shirts, sweatshirts, T-shirts, sweaters, hats, caps, skirts, dresses, and blouses." Trademark was duly registered August 23, 2005.

March 4, 2005, Eric H. Weimers, attorney for Little House on the Prairie, Inc., a non-profit corporation in Kansas, filed for trademark registration of Little House on the Prairie to cover "puzzles, dolls, stuffed toy animals, soft sculpture toys, modeled plastic toy figurines, collectable toy figures, reproduction historical dolls; games, namely board games, card games, bingo games and party games; and toys, namely mechanical action toys, plush toys, toy banks and toy snow globes." Trademark was duly registered April 18, 2006.

August 27, 2008, Alexandra Nicholson, Esq., attorney for Friendly Family Productions, LLC, a company based in California, filed for trademark registration of Little House on the Prairie to cover "video recordings and DVDs." Trademark has not been registered.

August 27, 2008, Alexandra Nicholson, Esq., attorney for Friendly Family Productions, LLC, a company based in California, filed for trademark registration of Little House on the Prairie to cover "entertainment services, namely an ongoing television series." Trademark has not been registered.

Friendly Family Productions turned not so friendly after their offer of $40,000 to LHOP, Inc. to hand over their registered trademarks to them was politely refused. Bravo, Little House on the Prairie™!!
- posted by pioneergirl at 9:51 PM