Yesterday I read a short article about General Mills, the big corporation which "makes" my morning cereal, objecting to a small business owner in Salt Lake City calling herself "My Dough Girl" because the "needed to protect" their trademark.
The bakery makes cookies and cookie dough and is owned by a woman so I understand the name but General Mills must think they own the rights to the word "dough" and since they make processed cookie dough then they're the only ones who can use the word "dough" in anything. Then there's that Pillsbury mascot, the dough boy. Click here to see that mascot. I'm not running the risk of pissing General Mills off by posting a picture of their albino doughy mascot.
The result of this is that a big corporation wins again because they are a 16 billion dollar company and who has the money to fight them. However, they have lost a customer in me because I have lost my taste for my old favorite cereal, Cheerios. Reputations are hard to make and easy to lose. With this one action which GM must believe is an insignificant act of doing business I will always remember their arrogance in thinking they are the only ones to use "dough" or a dough imagery in their advertising just because they make refrigerated cookie dough.
Now I have to find another quick breakfast. Kellogg's? Post? I think there's a lady who sells natural organic granola mix at the farmer's market in town.
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