Intellectual Property Law

Citing Racism, Walgreens Pulls 'Chia Obama'

By Ryan Singel, Kevin Poulsen, Sarah Lai Stirland, Kim Zetter, and David Kravets

Walgreens is ordering the removal of the "Chia Obama" from its stores in Tampa and Chicago, saying the ceramic-plant figure of the chief executive is inappropriate for sale.

Spokesman Robert Elfinger said store managers have the ability to market products of their choice. But the top brass of the Deerfield, Illinois-based drug chain was not amused by some of its Tampa and Chicago managers' choices to market the President Obama likeness.

"We got some complaints from people that they thought it was racist," Elfinger said in a telephone interview.

We can't wait to see the chain's Halloween mask lineup.

The "Chia Obama" can be found at chiaobama.com.

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Full post as published by Threat Level on April 06, 2009 (boomark / email).