Pubdate: Tue, 17 Mar 2009
Source: Red and Black, The (U of Georgia, GA Edu)
Copyright: 2009 The Red and Black Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://www.redandblack.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2800
Author: Tiffany Stevens
Cited: http://www.uga.edu/norml/ UGA NORML
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular)

GEORGIA NORML FACES HEARING ON UGA TRADEMARK

The group that sold T-shirts with a picture resembling Hairy Dawg 
smoking a joint under the Arch will face a formal hearing with the University.

Georgia NORML, a student organization that advocates the reform of 
marijuana laws, has been accused of breaching copyright violation laws.

The Hairy Dawg image violated trademark regulations, according to the 
University and the Collegiate Licensing Company.

NORML was informed of these accusations in a letter from the 
Collegiate Licensing Company. The company told NORML it could not use 
the image of Hairy Dawg to promote and sell items.

Wojciech Kaczkowski, president of NORML, signed an agreement 
confirming NORML stopped selling the T-shirts, would not sell any 
more and had no intention of violating trademark law.

"It pretty much stated that we are not using any images of [the 
University], and I signed the letter because I did not want to engage 
in any legal battles with the CLC," Kaczkowski said.

Despite signing the agreement with the Collegiate Licensing Company, 
Kaczkowski said he believes NORML did not violate trademark law 
because a member of the group drew the image and the image was used 
as political satire.

He argued NORML was targeted because of the group's stance on marijuana.

"There are so many businesses in Athens that use the image of Hairy 
Dawg, and we are being singled out," Kaczkowski said.

NORML has faced two informal hearings, one on Monday and one on March 6.

Kaczkowski said the University decided to put NORML on probation. The 
University also requested a plan from officers detailing how they 
would manage NORML for the next year if they decided to forgo a formal hearing.

"Accepting the sanctions would mean that we admit that we had 
violated the code of conduct, and we don't believe we have done 
that," Kaczkowski said.

The University's allegations against NORML include a breach of the 
code of conduct.

Kaczkowski said there were two separate violations for which the 
University was holding NORML in contempt. The first charge involved 
the violation of the image of Hairy Dawg, and the second centered 
around the group's failure to remove the image from its Web site by a deadline.

Kaczkowski said the group couldn't meet the deadline due to Web site 
problems and the inability to get in touch with the site's administrator.

Tom Jackson, vice president for public affairs, told The Red & Black 
he was unaware legal actions with NORML would be going further, since 
the group signed the letter sent by the CLC.

"I understand that they signed a letter to cease and desist 
violations of trademarks and as far as the University was concerned 
that closed the legal matter," Jackson said.

Kaczkowski said NORML didn't know the date of the formal hearing but 
said a formal hearing was necessary to contest the allegations being 
levied against the group.

"We believe that we have not violated any part of the code of 
conduct," Kaczkowski said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom