Shame on the American Red Cross

Johnson & Johnson is suing the American Red Cross:

Mark Everson, American Red Cross president and chief executive, called the lawsuit "obscene" and said the first aid kits and other items promote its humanitarian aim of helping Americans prepare for a disaster. … "Our outside lawyers have looked at this and think we're on sound ground with what we're doing," Everson said. "We're helping Americans."

Johnson & Johnson, of course, is an evil corporation and charter member of Big Pharma — a profiteer on the sicknesses of children and the elderly. <hiss>

Oh, hang on, they're also enforcing their trademark:

In its lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the maker of Band-Aids said it has for more than 100 years "owned exclusive trademark rights in the Red Cross Design for first aid and wound care products sold to the consuming public, including first aid kits."

J&J said American Red Cross founder Clara Barton in 1895 signed a deal with J&J agreeing and acknowledging the company's "exclusive use of a red cross as a trademark and otherwise for chemical, surgical, pharmaceutical goods of every description."

If this is accurate, the American Red Cross is obviously and wholly in the wrong and they deserve to have their ass handed to them (with a Band-Aid® on it).

The only thing that's "obscene" here is the spectacle of Mark Everson trying to claim that trademark violation is okay when it's for a good cause. I wonder if he's ever told his children (assuming he has any) that "the ends don't justify the means".

On the other hand, he used to run the IRS, so I suppose it was his job to steal from people for a good cause.