Cease and Desist

When I was embarking on making Are You From Bingo? back in 2005, I established my production company. I chose the name "Polychrome Pictures" because I thought it recalled MGM and Sub Pop at the same time. I even had it registered officially as a business with the Tompkins County registrar (I was residing in Ithaca at the time). Last fall, when I decided to see if I could look for work as a designer, I decided to call my business Polychrome Design.

Yesterday, I recieved a "cease and desist" letter from a company called Polychrome Design in San Francisco. It seems that they have trade marked the name, and potential clients are getting confused. I spoke with the owner of the company over the phone yesterday afternoon. He was a kind gentleman who explained that he had legal troubles himself when taking the company name. He said that it wouldn't effect my production company name, Polychrome Pictures, except for one thing...

There's a Polychrome Pictures, a full fledged production company, based out of Los Angeles. Although my "Polychrome Pictures" name is registered with the Tompkins County registrar, it's a possibility that it could face serious legal boondoggle. I am faced with a serious decision. For now, I plan on calling my design company "Erin Scherer Design" until I can come up with something better, but I'm not actively pursuing design right now. (Though I will take a job if I'm approached.)

I am continuing to look for work. Yesterday, I made phone calls to Geneva General and Cayuga Medical Center. I think I'm ready to go back to work, though mainly a temp position. The trip allowed me to see a number of urban areas, and I wonder if I wouldn't be better off somewhere else. I continue to send resumes for permanent positions locally, but it's more half hearted than ever. I don't feel so grounded anymore. What I'd really like to do is travel around the country more for awhile. But we'll see. Given the economic climate, I'm very lucky that these are the worst of my worries.