The big deal today with movies is getting products placed within scenes for maximum advertising value. But here's an old Warner Bros cartoon where they used knock-offs of then current products. How many can you identify?

And do you think this could pass muster if they made it today with the stereotypical treatment of black characters? Or that any corporation would allow even a hint of their name being used this way?

Wow! I had never seen that in color! I remember it from childhood, when it was on TV on occasion -before color TV.

This issue came up among model airplane builders who were building replicas of various manufacturer's products. The corporate lawyers for some of them forbade them from using their name without paying royalties. Congress stepped in and decided that if government money initiated a particular design, it was public domain; if not, the lawyers could have their way.

The government tries to have it both ways. The federal and state governments all make maps using public funds. However, they all copyright the maps so no one can duplicate them without permission and, of course, charge you to buy them even though your tax money paid for their propagation. You'd think every taxpayer would get at least one of each for free.

Those were wonderful, Proof!

I agree that many of them would be politically incorrect today. On the other hand, can you imagine some of the TV/movies/music of today being played back then? Just this week I was at a conference where Richard Carmona, the Surgeon General in the early 2000s (under Bush), was talking about his final call from the Chief of Staff of the White House, offering him the job. Dr. Carmona said that he replied, "Are you shittin' me?" I might have left that part out of my speech.