Here's a business idea: use the picture of Sheldon wearing the shirt on the 8BP store page.

Good idea right yeah guys? Feel free to email me about further business consultations

You're a genius.

Aside from news coverage when 9/11 happened, I haven't watched television for 14 years.

Teach me how to live like you mister Shifter.

How is the TV network that publishes Big Bang Theory any different from the record label that publishes a music video?

Fuck man I don't know — that's why I keep saying it's confusing! We have, in front of our very eyes, an example in which a television program is using another company's logo (ours) without permission, clearance, or apparent concern — and at face value, this would seem to imply a different policy than, for example, what I'm used to seeing in the context of music videos.

But fuck if I know. Aside from news coverage when 9/11 happened, I haven't watched television for 14 years.

Here's a business idea: use the picture of Sheldon wearing the shirt on the 8BP store page.

Good idea right yeah guys? Feel free to email me about further business consultations

I'm hiring you. You're now the new SKGB business manager and Head of the Department of Treasury.

It's an easy job. I have no fucking money.

Good idea right yeah guys? Feel free to email me about further business consultations

Decktonic wrote:

Just keep in mind that in this example, 8bp is the company and Big Bang Theory is the music video.

No, Big Bang Theory is a TV show. I was using the music video example (where record companies seem to be apparently obligated to blur logos out) as a contrast / counterexample to a TV show, where (seemingly) there's no similar obligation. The rules seem to possibly differ between the two usage contexts. I was highlighting the apparent different simply to illustrate: whatever the rules are, they confuse me.

ANYWAY, option C, which I think is the likeliest scenario here, is that they thought the 8BP computer logo was just a cool nerdy design, didn't realize it was a logo, and saw no issue in using it in the show.

edit: clarifying confusing phrasing, originally typed semi-drunkely

How is the TV network that publishes Big Bang Theory any different from the record label that publishes a music video? I really do think that Big Bang Theory is the music video in this example. TV shows do hide brand names all the time. Remember Ashton Kutcher trying to promote all the startups he invests in on 2 and a half men? He got away with it for the first episode, but then the producers told him not to do it again. It's identical. I promise.

Actually this short article explains it perfectly: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technol … t-ups.html

"CBS balked at giving exposure to firms that hadn't paid for the privilege."

Blip Fest themed episode of The Big Bang Theory. Let's make it happen! *clap clap*

I second this motion! Let's all send 50 emails to them and...
Wait, what?

Decktonic wrote:

Just keep in mind that in this example, 8bp is the company and Big Bang Theory is the music video.

No, Big Bang Theory is a TV show. I was using the music video example (where record companies seem to be apparently obligated to blur logos out) as a contrast / counterexample to a TV show, where (seemingly) there's no similar obligation. The rules seem to possibly differ between the two usage contexts. I was highlighting the apparent different simply to illustrate: whatever the rules are, they confuse me.

ANYWAY, option C, which I think is the likeliest scenario here, is that they thought the 8BP computer logo was just a cool nerdy design, didn't realize it was a logo, and saw no issue in using it in the show.

edit: clarifying confusing phrasing, originally typed semi-drunkely

Thing is...option C is a little bit hard because the t-shirts are available at chip shows and 8BP.....right ?!

Just keep in mind that in this example, 8bp is the company and Big Bang Theory is the music video.

No, Big Bang Theory is a TV show. I was using the music video example (where record companies seem to be apparently obligated to blur logos out) as a contrast / counterexample to a TV show, where (seemingly) there's no similar obligation. The rules seem to possibly differ between the two usage contexts. I was highlighting the apparent different simply to illustrate: whatever the rules are, they confuse me.

ANYWAY, option C, which I think is the likeliest scenario here, is that they thought the 8BP computer logo was just a cool nerdy design, didn't realize it was a logo, and saw no issue in using it in the show.

edit: clarifying confusing phrasing, originally typed semi-drunkely

Companies don't charge for endorsements, they pay for them. If a company endorses a musician (for example), with the interest of associating the musician with their brand, the company pays the musician (or gives him/her free product). Not the other way around.

So in the music video example, if a company (Coca-Cola, Ford, Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems) wants to associate their brand with the music video's artist -- or even just wants to sneak in some product placement -- the company would ordinarily pay a lot of money to make that happen.

So one would think that when logos appear incidentally / accidentally in music videos, in backgrounds, publicly visible signage, the companies in question would get big old boners because they're getting product placement essentially for free.

But obviously there's more to the story that I don't know, because I think that's generally not how it works (in the music video context, anyway).

Just keep in mind that in this example, 8bp is the company and Big Bang Theory is the music video.