Of fandom and intellectual property (but not like you think)

I know you don't see me around SPN fandom much anymore. Okay, okay, at all really. (I'm not dead, I'm resting!) But something's come up that I think as many people as possible should be aware of.

So, you know Zazzle, right? (Like CafePress only better, but less successful). Well, eons ago (I'm fairly sure it was mid 2007) I created some products on there. Most of them I made just for myself, ordered them, and called it a day. But while I was making stuff, I did make one keychain that I decided to put up for public sale in their "marketplace." I didn't put it up to make money (I've made less than a dollar from it in three years), I just thought people might like it, so why not?

The key chain in question was simple black with white text. The text read "Metallicar!" And as we all know, the word metallicar is a fan-coined term. Therefore, I felt I had every right to use it with no fear of legal repercussions. And the fact that it remained public for three years seems to support that.

However, yesterday I got an email from Zazzle informing me that someone had made an intellectual property claim, and that the product was being taken down since it was in violation of their policies.

( In which corporate America is skeevy )