Squashing Flat Stanley: Online Community Threatened by Trademark IssuesGRIT687Jeffrey Linton

Flat Stanley ProjectThe project, based on the book series, connects classrooms to other classrooms, and topical experts, around the world.

*Important to note: The book, written in 1964, was obscure and nearly out of print until this Project was invented and popularized in 1995!

How Does it Work?• Students create their own “Flat

Character”• Write a story describing the

character moving through their community

• Mail or email character and story• Recipient writes story with same

character moving through THEIR community

• Send or email new character/story back

Technology Involvedvideoconferencing, webcams, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Apps, Google Earth, and other Web 2.0 tools to facilitate global conversations“Using digital photography, for example, numerous students have added images of their own face to their flat people to make the exchanges feel more personal. Students now send photos to the exchange classrooms via email or on the Web.” – Suzie Bosshttp://www.flatstanley.com/resources?subpage=bb

Kids Can See the World!“In this rural county, where school buses still sometimes travel on dirt roads, the Flat Stanley Project allowed students to see things they would never see. We don't have art museums or movie theaters here. But through the travels of their flat people, Chesterfield students have a chance to visit and speak with people from around the world.”

- Pat Hendrickson, district technology coach, Chesterfield School District, South Carolina

The IssueAfter “Flat Stanley” author Jeff Brown died, his estate sued the inventor of the Flat Stanley Project – Dale Hubert

Trademark issues and rights to www.flatstanley.com

Dale Hubert

Quote from Hubert“A legal situation has developed where I am being forced to give flatstanley.com to the Trust without compensation so it can use this site to sell Flat Stanley books and merchandise, so it can promote the lucrative musical, and so it can advertise new Flat Stanley related items. The Trust plans to take the domain I registered and the traffic I have created and use it to make more money while giving me nothing in return.”

- http://faqgo.com/2009/01/08/flat-stanley-flat-stanley-project

Results: Compromise• Couldn’t find exact court results• Detective work:

• FlatStanley.com still existst as the homepage for the Flat Stanely Project

• The books are advertised there, with links to buying them on Amazon or B &N

• Bottom says “FLAT STANLEY® is a trademark of the Trust u/w/o Richard C. Brown f/b/o Duncan Brown. Used with permission. All rights reserved”

• Header of FAQs:“The Flat Stanley Project underwent a major makeover in July of 2010. The following information should be helpful in navigating the site

Resources

https://ssl.schoolaids.com/p/flat-stanleyhttp://akajesais.com/the-testing-ground/flat-stanley/http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world.htmlhttp://www.flatstanley.com/about?subpage=projecthttp://www.examiner.com/article/the-flat-stanley-project-gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geographyhttp://www.larchmontchronicle.com/ArchiveDetail.asp?ArchiveID=996

Article: http://www.edutopia.org/flat-stanley-pen-pals