I am basically allowing myself to be bullied into doing something that I legally don’t have to do. So, the other day I got an email from an attorney, which my butthole puckered, and I got sick to my stomach because nothing ever good is associated with getting a letter from an attorney. The email was a ‘Cease and Desist’ because I described Pete & Pedro Deodorant as ‘super fresh.’ They also didn’t like how our design (a smaller word above a larger word) looks like theirs. The interesting fact is that the company does not own that trademark, and the common words and phrases like ‘super fresh’ can’t be trademarked.
I don’t have any ill will towards the company, but the ironic thing is … they are selling aluminum antiperspirant which is directly in contrast to the goal of Pete & Pedro’s deodorant, which is a healthier product that is aluminum-free. The more I researched, the more I learned about what aluminum does to the body. Sweat is needed to get out toxins, which aluminum clogs this ability. I created a men’s deodorant product that is better than anything else on the market: goes on clear, is free of harmful ingredients, and smells super fresh.
I decide to call the attorney because, honestly, I don’t want to have to hire an attorney to defend myself, even if legally, I am allowed to call it ‘super fresh.’ They wanted me to change the name because they said that in the future, they’ll be going after all companies that use ‘super fresh’ in their deodorant description. I got angry because I was being forced to make a B.S. decision, and I was feeling bullied and threatened with future action if I didn’t change the product description now.
My choices were either to tell them to f*ck off or move on by changing the name. I was worried about the future, and the decision sucked either way. I ended up thinking about what my grandfather told me — I can feed my ego or feed my family, but I can’t do both. I could fight it because I can legally describe it as ‘super fresh,’ but I will probably have to deal with this company again in the future. I don’t want to deal with financial hardship and fight. I know my legal right, but people will spend money to get their way.
My decision was to change the name because I don’t want to deal with future issues with this company. I have bigger and better things to do in the future, and I want to save money by not having to defend myself. I also don’t want to have to worry about this stupid sh!t that ultimately doesn’t move the needle. I know I am not the only one who has experienced a situation like this — lawsuits are painful. What would you have done? I would like to know. Post here.
They said they would ‘allow’ 
me to sell through my inventory. Take advantage of the discount. Thanks for your help!
