The Boston-area Niketown store on Friday “yanked a storefront window display that irked” Boston Mayor Thomas Menino “because of its apparent drug references,” according to Brendan Lynch of the BOSTON HERALD. Dot Joyce, a spokesperson for Menino, said that although Nike “never notified the city of [its] change in plans, the store removed the offending T-shirts, which brazenly carried the words ‘Get High’ and ‘Dope.’” Local resident Dan Gates indicated that the Niketown storefront “now features large photos of surfer Julian Wilson and skateboarder Paul Rodriguez around eight T-shirts sporting the ‘Just do it’ slogan” (BOSTON HERALD, 6/25). A BOSTON GLOBE editorial stated the T-shirts that Menino opposed “don’t promote drug use,” but rather they “point out -- in an admittedly edgy, profane way -- that extreme sports and the adrenaline rush they provide should take the place of illegal substances in young people’s lives.” The editorial: “That’s a message the mayor should want more young people to understand” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/25).
SUITING UP: In Portland, Allan Brettman reported adidas has “accused Radii Footwear of infringing on its trademark in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Oregon.” adidas “wants to block" Radii from "selling two makes of its lifestyle shoes and is seeking damages.” Radii denies the allegation. Court records from ’08 revealed that adidas has pursued “at least 325 infringement matters” in the U.S., including “35 lawsuits and 45 settlement agreements” (Portland OREGONIAN, 6/25).
