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Best Buy slaps 'God Squad' priest with cease-and-desist order

...father, son, and holy ghost Geek

Best Buy is pursuing an American god botherer who ripped off the company’s Geek Squad logo.

Father Luke Strand at the Holy Family Parish in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, had his collar felt after he slapped a sticker carrying the name “God Squad” on his black Volkswagen Beetle.

Best Buy sent a cease-and-desist letter to Strand earlier this month demanding that he remove the sticker as the logo on it bears a strong resemblance to the company’s Geek Squad badge.

According to the Fond du Lac Repoter Strand told churchgoers about the Best Buy missive during Mass on 8 August at the town’s St Mary’s Church.

His car’s side doors are plastered with the sticker, while the priest’s licence plate reads “GODLVYA”.

Meanwhile, the church also has its very own flack in the shape of one Matthew Rodenkirch, who issued a statement on behalf of the celebrant.

"Father Luke Strand has been contacted by Best Buy as it would relate to his 'God Squad' car. He is working with Best Buy to resolve the issue. More information will follow as it becomes available."

Minnesota-based Best Buy’s PR boss Paula Baldwin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Saturday that the electronics retail giant aggressively defends its trademarks.

It had sent the cease-and-desist letter to Strand “because of the unfortunate similarities between their logo and ours,” explained Baldwin.

"This was a really difficult thing for us to do because we appreciate what Father Strand is trying to accomplish with his mission. But at the end of the day, it's bad precedent to let some groups violate our trademark while pursuing others."

However, Best Buy clearly didn't want to be ticked off by "him upstairs", so the company has been working with Strand to make a logo that doesn't infringe on the Geek Squad trademark.

"We're confident that together we'll come up with a good solution for everyone," she said.

Bless. Praise be. Holy Cow. Etc. ®

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