Amazon Bookstore Cooperative
Encyclopedia
The Amazon Bookstore Cooperative, Inc. is a bookstore located in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. A worker cooperative
founded in 1970, it calls itself "the oldest independent feminist
bookstore in North America
." Amazon Bookstore Cooperative former employee, cartoonist and graphic novelist Alison Bechdel
was inspired to create the fictional Madwimmin Books in Dykes to Watch Out For
based on experiences at the store.
The business announced that they were closing down at the end of June 2008, and buyers came forth to carry on the store. Ruta Skujins, with the help of her partner, Joann Bell, decided to take over the store. Transfer of the ownership of the store happened at the end of June, according to an e-mail sent by the store to customers on June 17.
In 1999, the cooperative sued Amazon.com
for trademark infringement. After sometimes acrimonious legal proceedings, the case was settled in November of that year, with the cooperative signing over its rights of the name Amazon to Amazon.com then licensing the use of the name back to the cooperative. In November 2008 it was announced that the store changed ownership and as a result, the Amazon name could not be used by the new owner as it was owned by Amazon.com. The new owner of the bookstore, Ruta Skujins, has changed the name of the store to True Colors Bookstore, and both names are currently in use during the transition period.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. A worker cooperative
Worker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and democratically managed by its worker-owners. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which...
founded in 1970, it calls itself "the oldest independent feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
bookstore in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
." Amazon Bookstore Cooperative former employee, cartoonist and graphic novelist Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel is an American cartoonist. Originally best known for the long-running comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For, in 2006 she became a best-selling and critically acclaimed author with her graphic memoir Fun Home.-Early life:...
was inspired to create the fictional Madwimmin Books in Dykes to Watch Out For
Dykes to Watch out For
Dykes to Watch Out For was a comic strip by Alison Bechdel. The strip, which ran from 1983 to 2008, was one of the earliest ongoing representations of lesbians in popular culture and has been called "as important to new generations of lesbians as landmark novels like Rita Mae Brown’s Rubyfruit...
based on experiences at the store.
The business announced that they were closing down at the end of June 2008, and buyers came forth to carry on the store. Ruta Skujins, with the help of her partner, Joann Bell, decided to take over the store. Transfer of the ownership of the store happened at the end of June, according to an e-mail sent by the store to customers on June 17.
In 1999, the cooperative sued Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
for trademark infringement. After sometimes acrimonious legal proceedings, the case was settled in November of that year, with the cooperative signing over its rights of the name Amazon to Amazon.com then licensing the use of the name back to the cooperative. In November 2008 it was announced that the store changed ownership and as a result, the Amazon name could not be used by the new owner as it was owned by Amazon.com. The new owner of the bookstore, Ruta Skujins, has changed the name of the store to True Colors Bookstore, and both names are currently in use during the transition period.