California Milk Processors upset over "got breastmilk" t-shirts

[annie_noah]

It appears that the California Milk Processors Board is upset over a breastfeeding advocate’s t-shirts with the slogan “Got Breastmilk?

http://www.adn.com/matsu/story/474936.html

http://phdinparenting.wordpress.com/...got-a-lawsuit/

http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/200...oard-goes.html

[~Megan~]

Are they going to go after all the other knock offs of their slogan? I've seen no less than a dozen other "Got.....?" shirts

[KittyKat]

I think I rolled my eyes so hard I just saw my brain.

Got a life?

It's not like breastfeeding mothers are singlehandedly (pun intended) undermining the entire trade of the dairy producing conglomerate.

Though I will admit to thumbing my nose in their general direction, as I buy my UNpasteurized UNhomogenized grass-fed milk from a local farmer each week.

But I digress, you'd think they'd WANT to stay on moms' good sides since I'm sure the bulk of their customer base is probably young families going through gallons of milk every week as we're told over and over and over and over how vital cow lactational secretions are to the proper growth of human offspring.

[jaidymama]

It's inevitable... When people get grumpy they aim for a target that is standing out. I think breastfeeding has really been getting a lot of press in the last few years, so despite the other knockoffs perhaps the breast is a bigger target.

Or maybe it's more Freudian... they secretly harbor a grudge because they were never breastfed. ?

[TattoMomK]

Well until they figure out how to milk US -- we're screwed.

Until then we aren't making the big guy's any money. Period. Breastfeeding is great for babies, but it plays hell on the dairy-lobby's pocketbook.

So we can't "borrow" their slogans. After all, we aren't making them money. While we aren't making money for ourselves, we are "stealing" from them.

I mean COME ON -- WE ALL KNOW that our babies need COW'S MILK to survive this dangerous world.

Ask most main-stream pediatricians when your baby turns one. Apparently your baby will die of malnutrition without cow's milk. : And cow's milk farmers -- ok wait -- take that back -- the dairy PROCESSING BOARD (BIG distinction) doesn't want that "fact" to change. No matter what.

[annie_noah]

Originally Posted by TattoMomK

Well until they figure out how to milk US -- we're screwed.

Until then we aren't making the big guy's any money. Period. Breastfeeding is great for babies, but it plays hell on the dairy-lobby's pocketbook.

So we can't "borrow" their slogans. After all, we aren't making them money. While we aren't making money for ourselves, we are "stealing" from them.

I mean COME ON -- WE ALL KNOW that our babies need COW'S MILK to survive this dangerous world.

Ask most main-stream pediatricians when your baby turns one. Apparently your baby will die of malnutrition without cow's milk. : And cow's milk farmers -- ok wait -- take that back -- the dairy PROCESSING BOARD (BIG distinction) doesn't want that "fact" to change. No matter what.

ITA! That's just what I was thinking when I wrote this on my blog:

While I completely agree with Jennifer about the ridiculousness of it all, I do see one big difference between this situation and her battle with the Pork Board over t-shirts that said “the other white milk.” Pork is not a substitute for breastmilk. I have never heard of a mother saying, I just can’t breastfeed or I don’t want to breastfeed, so I’m going to give my baby a pork-based infant formula instead. I’ve never heard of a mother say, my child is now one year old, so I’m weaning him onto pork because he doesn’t need to nurse anymore.

However, an increasing number of mothers are choosing to breastfeed and are choosing to breastfeed for longer. More mothers now know that nursing toddlers do not need cow’s milk if they are still nursing 3 to 4 times per day. So it is entirely possible that the milk industry is starting to feel like breastmilk is taking a bite out of its market share.

[Belle]

I have a "got breastmilk?" bumper sticker. I find it hard to see how people are going to confuse that with the original.

I love that mom's response.

"They say I'm going to confuse milk consumers," she said. "How can you get confused between a boob and a bottle of milk from the store? They're two different kind of jugs."

[frontierpsych]

love that response. So true.

[ColoradoMama]

Originally Posted by KittyKat

But I digress, you'd think they'd WANT to stay on moms' good sides since I'm sure the bulk of their customer base is probably young families going through gallons of milk every week as we're told over and over and over and over how vital cow lactational secretions are to the proper growth of human offspring.

Yea, but their product goes into formula - remember? Grrrrrr. :

[Can Dance]

I was thinking a bit more about this and also thinking about what was said in Milk Money Madness I believe it was. She pointed out that MILK had become synonymous with COWS MILK. and how utterly backwards that was. And that attaching the word BREAST to MILK, makes people think of sex in this culture, or at the very least a very strong association. I haven't read it for a while, so don't shoot me if I am a bit off.
all of this to say, if we were calling COWS MILK what it is COWS MILK, and instead MILK was assumed to be speaking of breastmilk, then maybe the shoe would be on the other foot. like "they are only saying got milk? are they asking if adults are getting BREASTMILK? oh the horror...
does that make any sense at all?

[Gale Force]

Raw milk advocates used it as well: Got raw milk? They got C&D letters. It's not personal.

[arihillfarm]

Originally Posted by Can Dance

I was thinking a bit more about this and also thinking about what was said in Milk Money Madness I believe it was. She pointed out that MILK had become synonymous with COWS MILK. and how utterly backwards that was. And that attaching the word BREAST to MILK, makes people think of sex in this culture, or at the very least a very strong association. I haven't read it for a while, so don't shoot me if I am a bit off.
all of this to say, if we were calling COWS MILK what it is COWS MILK, and instead MILK was assumed to be speaking of breastmilk, then maybe the shoe would be on the other foot. like "they are only saying got milk? are they asking if adults are getting BREASTMILK? oh the horror...
does that make any sense at all?

At least my 7 year old daughter knows the difference. Yesterday she was drinking a glass of milk in front of her almost 3 month old brother and he was looking particularly interested in what she was doing. She then said, "Silly boy, you can't have this. This is cow's milk, not breast milk."

-Astrid

[nancyw]

Originally Posted by ~Megan~

Are they going to go after all the other knock offs of their slogan? I've seen no less than a dozen other "Got.....?" shirts

yes, exactly.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by KittyKat

I think I rolled my eyes so hard I just saw my brain.

Got a life?

For real.

[1littlebit]

i cant believe they would even say something about it to be honest... breastfeeding advocacy is a big thing right now... taking an stance that could be seen as anti breastfeeding is a terrible business decision right now. not to mention what a stupid thing to get upset about... like the slogan is going to send everybody running to the breastmilk bank instead of the grocery store?

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by KittyKat

I think I rolled my eyes so hard I just saw my brain.

this made me laugh so hard i choked lol

[AllyRae]

Honestly, as much of a lactivist as I am, you can't blatantly steal a slogan with a copyright on it. It's illegal. I see their point, even if I think it's a ridiculous one. I think I'd much rather see the lactivists come up with their own very memorable unique slogan rather than taking something people associate with a cow's product.

[neostudded]

Yeah. How pathetic.

[Meredith&Alexander]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

Honestly, as much of a lactivist as I am, you can't blatantly steal a slogan with a copyright on it. It's illegal. I see their point, even if I think it's a ridiculous one. I think I'd much rather see the lactivists come up with their own very memorable unique slogan rather than taking something people associate with a cow's product.

Yeah, that.

If you let your copyright (or trademark) get diluted by other uses, you can lose it entirely to the public domain.

[Porcelain Interior]

Guess they better get out their big guns and go after the "Got Jesus" t-shirt makers too.