Anonymous10: So THIS is the infamous Strawberry Shortcake strip from Penny Arcade.
Maybe it's because I've become an uncle, or maybe I've become a complete and utter pussy without knowing it, but I can see why American Greetings would threaten to sue.
Anonymous11: They threatened to sue just to get it removed, they probrably wouldn't have won, but they got what they wanted so technically American Greetings won. The guys at PA figured it'd be easier in the long run to back down and remove the comic rather than pay legal fees and courtroom costs.
Anonymous12: But did American Greetings really WIN? Instead of this comic up on Penny Arcade, there is now a comic accusing American Greetings of being a bunch of Hitler-worshiping Nazis. There is a price to be paid for censoring artists, and I am glad. Also, I LOVE the "dismay of the strawberries".
iKami: Tycho Talked about it in their 11 1/2 Anniversary book. It turns out Penny Arcade didn't pursue the lawsuit because they were pretty sure they'd lose. 1.) Because American Greetings has a shitton of money. 2.) Because technically PA wasn't parodying Strawberry Shortcake, they had appropriated a copyrighted character (Strawberry Shortcake) in order to parody American McGee's Alice.
So yes, there are laws to protect parody, but American Greetings was going to sue them because they weren't parodying Strawberry Shortcake directly.
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Oh and ATTENTION, AMERICAN GREETINGS: PLEASE TO BE GOING AND FUCKING THYSELVES.
Maybe it's because I've become an uncle, or maybe I've become a complete and utter pussy without knowing it, but I can see why American Greetings would threaten to sue.
Still, saving this for the lulz.
Don't the have laws to protect parody and satire in America?
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So yes, there are laws to protect parody, but American Greetings was going to sue them because they weren't parodying Strawberry Shortcake directly.