It didn’t even last 24 hours online this parody logo on a t-shirt got the boot, courtesy of the Nike Police. TeePublic pulled it down, and sure, I get it, but I’m still gonna gripe about it.
Let’s be real: this wasn’t counterfeit merch.
It wasn’t trying to pass as performance gear or some edgy streetwear.
It was just a playful dig at pop culture and social media.
Obviously, without Nike, the joke doesn’t land. That’s the whole point—parody in a nutshell.
Here’s the irony: I don’t think a design like "LIKE" is causing Nike any real financial or brand damage.
If anything, showing a little sense of humor might’ve been a win for them, a 💵 💵 💵 💵 company acting a bit more human?
But nah, instead we get this: some software or bot combs the web for images vaguely resembling their logo (thanks to all of us training those AI systems for years, right?), flags it, and passes it on to the lowest-ranking lawyer in one of Nike’s endless law firms.
That lawyer shoots off a takedown notice to TeePublic, and boom—your shop page is gone.
That’s the end of "LIKE," the fun, and a bit of extra cash from a cheeky idea.
All perfectly legal, no question.
But yeah, I’m still annoyed.
My faith in the right to parody is seriously on the ropes, not that it matters much in this case, it’s a European concept anyway, and TeePublic’s an American company.
And the grind goes on.
