Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
North Shore author’s racy Market Basket logo parody prompts cease-and-desist
“I love Market Basket. It was all in good fun. I would never, ever try to tarnish their brand.”
Cult-favorite grocer Market Basket has found itself at odds with a North Shore artist and writer whose racy play on the chain’s logo and “More For Your Dollar” slogan prompted a cease-and-desist letter last week.
Madison Murray’s “Wh*** For Your Dollar” merchandise advertises her North Shore-inspired erotic art and poetry book, the title of which is a little too risqué to publish here. Emblazoned on tote bags, stickers, and clothing, the design was available online for a few months before a lawyer for Market Basket got in touch with Murray on Nov. 7.
Market Basket:
“The copying, distribution and public display of these designs without permission or license from Market Basket constitutes a clear violation of Market Basket’s intellectual property rights,” the letter from attorney Robert F. Callahan Jr. read, according to a copy provided by Murray. In addition to alleged trademark and copyright infringements, Callahan claimed Murray’s designs “threaten the valuable goodwill associated with the Market Basket brand and its marks.”
Advertisement:
Callahan did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Market Basket.
“My immediate feeling was like, ‘Oh my god, fear,’” Murray recalled in an interview. She explained she’s cycled through a few different emotions since receiving the letter, from pride that her work made it onto Market Basket’s radar to disappointment at feeling “singled out” among other online creators who sell Market Basket-inspired merch.
A Salem native, OnlyFans manager and creator, and longtime advocate for sex workers’ rights, Murray described her book as “a collection of my silly, parody-esque thoughts, feelings about where I’m from.”
Advertisement:
Think: Erotic fiction about a fisherman’s wife, or pictures of three-way roast beef sandwiches tactically collaged over genitals. According to Murray, there are also “burlesque parody poems” inspired by North Shore historical figures, including a bawdy take on Salem witch trials victim Giles Corey’s famous last words, “more weight.”
“It’s definitely for adults,” Murray said of her book. “Like, you should be 18 or older to purchase it.”
But, she added, “I wanted to make a book about Massachusetts, particularly the North Shore, that’s not so yuppie, speaks more to the kind of person that was raised like me.”
Made to look like Market Basket’s iconic logo, the “Wh*** For Your Dollar” design was originally intended to just be a page in her book.
“And it’s pretty s***tily designed, also,” Murray acknowledged. “I made that decision to not use the exact font or the exact colors of Market Basket.”
Still, when Market Basket came knocking, she said she complied with the company’s request to remove her online merchandise. Murray said she’s still consulting with some lawyers to confirm what’s allowable under law, but she believes the art itself should be considered fair use.
Advertisement:
She also said she hasn’t heard anything from the chain since last week’s cease-and-desist letter.
“Market Basket is not a litigious company and has no desire to engage in protracted legal proceedings regarding this matter,” Callahan wrote. “However, Market Basket is committed to protecting its intellectual property rights.”
Asked if she had any words for the New England grocery chain, Murray offered only positives.
“I think I would just say, ‘I love you,’” Murray said. “Like, I love Market Basket. It was all in good fun. I would never, ever try to tarnish their brand. If anything, I created it to try to pay homage and show my love for Market Basket even more. But you know, I’ll still remain an avid Market Basket shopper.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com