Pigdump was designed and born in 1999. Since then, it has gone through 2 reconstructions (and you know how that can hurt.)

One month before the site was launched in its current look and feel, we posted a little note saying that the site was under construction. And goodness knows Pigdump's high-brow audience expects something other than an animated gif of a construction worker or a hard hat with a Men At Work sign. So I trolled the World Wide Web for something else -- and lordy knows, I have my own digital camera and usually construct digital masterpieces to accompany the Pigdump prose -- but in this case, I grabbed an image of a children's cartoon character, a little round-headed figure who is some kind of construction worker. He builds things anyway. Let's just call him Bob.

Fast forward 5 months when a letter from a big time Fifth Avenue New York law firm landed on my desk telling me I am using an image of their client's little cartoon character and I must take it down or they'll start bombing me like Iraq! Well, something like that anyway. I fretted, but mostly I chuckled. Imagine, grown men in expensive suits billing a client in the entertainment business big bucks for looking at Pigdump! For hunting me down like Osama bin Pigdump and telling me to remove that image OR ELSE!

Heh heh. Picture that, eh?

So I did the right thing and changed the image (see above), then I contacted the men on Fifth Avenue and hoped they would be okay with it. I tell you, my nails were bitten to the quick! Anyway, at the end of the day, I received this missive from the big shot attorneys:

Re: Unauthorized Use of Intellectual Property
Dear Ms. Thornton:

We are in receipt of your letter dated June 17, 2003. We have reviewed www.pigdump.com and are satisfied that the infringing (little builder guy's name here) image has been removed.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Big shot lawyer Matt

So we came THAT close to having our asses sued! And you know how that can hurt. Have I learned my lesson? You bet I have. Will I use something deemed Intellectual Property again? Well, jeez, of course not! Heh heh (think Christian Potenza when we say "heh heh"). Hey Perry Mason, bring it on!

Top Quality Content™ doesn't get much better than this, eh? Thanks and good luck.