As far as cease and desist letters go, you’ll be hard pressed to find one more charming than the one Netflix recently sent to the purveyors of a pop-up Stranger Things themed bar located in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.
The bar originally sprang up in late August and, rather appropriately, was called “The Upside Down.” As you would imagine, the Stranger Things influence in the bar is ubiquitous and impossible to miss. The location even features a well-crafted replica of the iconic lit-up alphabet wall we saw during the show’s first season.
As a pop-up bar, “The Upside Down” was slated to run through September 23. With that date fast approaching, Netflix’s legal team sent the bar owners a letter with a message that they shouldn’t be angling for a second or extended run. But what makes Netflix’s letter stand out is that the streaming giant is okay with the bar owners keeping things operational until next week. What’s more, the letter Netflix’s legal team sent is humorous and amiable, which, all things being equal, is refreshing to see every once in a while.
The letter, via DNA Info, reads as follows:
My walkie talkie is busted so I had to write this note instead. I heard you launched a Stranger Things pop-up bar at your Logan Square location. Look, I don’t want you to think I’m a total wastoid, and I love how much you guys love the show. (just wait until you see Season 2!) But unless I’m living in the Upside Down, I don’t think we did a deal with you for this pop-up. You’re obviously creative types, so I’m sure you can appreciate that it’s important to us to have a say in how our fanc encounter the worlds we build.
We’re not going to go full Dr. Brenner on you, but we ask that you please (1) not extend the pop-up beyond its 6 week run ending in September and (2) reach out to us for permission if you plan to do something like this again. Let me know as soon as possible that you agree to these requests.
We love our fans more than anything, but you should know that the demogorgon is not always as forgiving. So please don’t make us call your mom.
For as tone-deaf as many large corporations tend to be — with the Pepsi commercial featuring Kendall Jenner being a prime example — it’s nice to see that the folks who work at Netflix’s legal department are anything but humorless automatons and actually seem like reasonable human beings.
