I read in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this morning that Johnson and Johnson is suing the Red Cross for licensing the famous symbol (which J&J registered in 1906, six years after the Red Cross was formed) as a way to raise money. The license it to companies making wound care products who are thus in direct competition with Johnson and Johnson. This is a PR nightmare for J&J, and it should be. It smacks of corporate greed at its worst. I'll never buy another Band-Aid. Disney and the RIAA, move over. There's a new player in town.
It's ridiculous of J&J to accuse the Red Cross of greed in trying to make money off the trademark, when those funds go towards disaster relief. It is, after all a non-profit organization, unlike Johnson and Johnson, which "posted a net income of 3 billion," according to PowerOptions. This is just another example of corporate power in America. If they win, it's a travesty.
And now back to our regular programming....
I'm working on my first "series." Very exciting! I'm going to write about creating student documentaries in the classroom. I've done this with my students for a couple of years now and, quite frankly, I'm convinced it's the most powerful project we've ever done--and I've been teaching for 20+years. I'll post all my handouts, talk about the theory, standards and pedagogy, but also ask questions as I rethink the project. Part one begins tomorrow or Sunday (we'll see how the research goes!), so stay-tuned!
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