Nima Fatemi:
I did see a number of unauthorized t-shirts and hoodies online yesterday as well. I’ll add them to my list.
We send the letters to these apps so the snake-oil ones are pulled and the ones that are legit, are more clear that they're not affiliated or endorsed by the tor project, as there's a good chance of harming the users who seek privacy and anonymity.
But why are we sending letters who print Tor tshirts and hoodies? Are we gonna do the same with stickers too? I wonder what's the logic behind that...
I agree with Nima here. I would not enforce trademark protections on hoodies or t-shirts, only on fishy software, or something that may contain malicious software...
Stickers... well, I rather have our fans doing them, as they are more an expense than an income stream.
Bootlegged Tor t-shirts are also spreading our message, and could eventually become a donation. They are also made by local shops usually, so the model is more decentralized.
In Tails we encourage people to make Tails t-shirts, sell them, recover the costs and give us a little.