I got this disturbing alert from the Electronic Frontier Foundation today. It would effectively make all direct satire of corporations illegal:

* Alert: Stop the Trademark Act from Diluting Free Speech!

The Trademark Dilution Revision Act (TDRA, HR 683) is a big company’s dream. If it passes, the lawyers policing a trademark could sue businesses and individuals for using words, images, or even colors that look vaguely like a famous brand – without even having to prove that the company is being harmed. In other words, TDRA would make it possible for UPS to sue Brown’s Record Store, even though nobody in their right mind would get the two confused. This bill would chill speech and hand ownership of common words to big companies. Fight the TDRA today!

Make your voice heard with EFF’s action center:
http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=113

Text of TDRA:
http://trademark.blog.us/blog/2005/03/14.html#a1628

Join EFF as a member today:
http://secure.eff.org/support