I recently received a cease and desist from a lawyer representing Gillette and Proctor and Gamble. It seems that they believe that by me selling their Gillette Guard razors on ebay, I am infringing on their intellectual property rights. I originally thought that my sales would be protected from the first sale doctrine and copyright law as found with Kirstaeng v. Wiley Supreme Court case, but a lawyer acquaintance mentioned that copyright law and intellectual property law are not the same. While I believe that I didn't do anything wrong and had no reason to believe that Gillette would care what I sold, I've decided to comply with the cease and desist from Gillette. I don't have the resources to fight it (not that I made a lot from the sale of the Guards anyway). To read more about the first sale doctrine and Kirstaeng v. Wiley Supreme Court case go to the
Owner's Rights Initiative website. I was selling the razors as a courtesy to my clients. Lots of wet shaving enthusiasts like the Guard razor for it's simple, effective clog-free design. Many people use it with a thick beard or a travel razor or to shave their heads. You can read more about the design of the razor
here, and
here. For reviews of the razor go
here and
here. Again, I don't have the resources to fight Gillette on this, so I am complying with the order. My last stock has been sent to Gillette. Feel free to read the full
Gillette Guard Cease and Desist.
