1. Squashing Flat Stanley: Online Community Threatened by Trademark Issues
GRIT687
Jeffrey Linton

2. Flat Stanley Project
The 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!

3. How Does it Work? Students create their own “Flat Character”
Write a story describing the character moving through their community
Mail or character and story
Recipient writes story with same character moving through THEIR community
Send or new character/story back

4. Technology Involved
videoconferencing, 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 or on the Web.” – Suzie Boss

5. 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

6. The Issue
After “Flat Stanley” author Jeff Brown died, his estate sued the inventor of the Flat Stanley Project – Dale Hubert
Trademark issues and rights to
Dale Hubert

7. 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.” -

8. 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 The following information should be helpful in navigating the site

9. Resources Article: http://www.edutopia.org/flat-stanley-pen-pals
gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geography
hiveID=996