Matthew Inman, the Seattle-based webcomic artist better known as The Oatmeal, responded to a threat of litigation earlier this year by launching a campaign to raise $20,000 for charity and drawing a picture of the threatening lawyer’s mother getting friendly with a bear. Ultimately he raised more than 10 times that amount for the National Wildlife Foundation and the American Cancer Society and sent the lawyer a picture of the money in the shape of a giant “FU.”
What will he do this time?
Inman has been sued for trademark infringement by a Massachusetts-based company, Excelsior Printing, that uses the name Oatmeal Studios to sell greeting cards and related products. The suit was filed this week against Inman and Recycled Greetings, which partners with him to offer greeting cards as one of the products available on his site.
Maybe they haven’t read the press about his previous legal dispute?
Ars Technica first spotted and reported on the suit. No comment from Inman yet, but we’ll let you know if he has anything to say on the subject.
[Editor’s Note: We’ve selected Inman as one of our GeekWire Newsmakers of 2012, also recognizing his “Let’s Build a Goddamn Tesla Museum” campaign to honor Nikola Tesla, as the “greatest geek who ever lived.” Stay tuned for more details on this recognition in the coming days.]
