Editing Don't Mess with Texas (section)

==Unauthorized use of the trademark==
Since 2000, TxDOT has contacted over 100 companies and organizations with [[cease and desist]] letters regarding the unauthorized use of the trademark phrase. State officials claim that protecting the trademark helps the state preserve the slogan's anti-littering message.<ref name=2013NYTimes/>
* A Texas-based company in Alabama used the slogan for a billboard campaign in February 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100209/news/100209506 |title=Texas-themed billboards get Crimson Tide update |work=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|date=2010-02-09 |access-date=2011-03-20}}</ref>
* The [[University of Texas at Austin]] agreed to stop selling T-shirts with the slogan after being contacted by the Texas Department of Transportation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5151681 |title='Don't mess' with this Texas slogan |work=NBC News |date=2004-06-06 |access-date=2011-03-20}}</ref>
* The department attempted to block the [[NARAL Pro-Choice America|Texas Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League]] from the sale of "Don't Mess With Texas Women" T-shirts.<ref name="chron1">{{cite news|last=Curry |first=Matt |url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/2613152.html |title=Texas says don't mess with anti-litter slogan |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040612093934/http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2613152|archive-date=2004-06-12}}</ref>
*The author Christie Craig published a romance novel originally titled ''Don't Mess with Texas''.  After legal actions, the title was changed to ''Only in Texas''.<ref name=2013NYTimes/>
* [[Malacca]] State Government in [[Malaysia]] used the slogan with the same design and same phrase but changed it to "Don't Mess With Melaka" in 2014, but its Chief Minister claimed the copycat claim was baseless.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1299420 |title='Don't mess with Melaka' campaign baseless |publisher=thesundaily |date=2015-01-18 |access-date=2015-01-18}}</ref>