It’s Barcade®

In our recent story about where queer folks go to meet and to party in Eugene, we wrote about Blairally, a vintage arcade bar, and referred to it as a “barcade.”

The article had been posted only a few hours when an email with the subject line, “Use of Barcade TM by Eugene Weekly” hit the editor’s inbox.

“Barcade,” like Kleenex or Zipper or Styrofoam is a brand name. It is in fact Barcade® and the folks from Barcade® are aggressive and litigious in their defense of the term.

They helpfully ‘splained to us in the email how to insert information into direct quotes using brackets. Eugene Weekly uses a mix of AP and Chicago styles so we do use brackets to insert information. Most daily newspapers use parentheses, which hopefully “Shani Karantzalis Intellectual Property Support Manager Barcade®” knows when sending them cease and desist letters, since the link provided in the email calls that incorrect. AP actually recommends writing around awkward insertions of parentheses.

(It was not in a direct quote, and as to telling Barcade® if we received a press release using Barcade®’s “trademark or if the usage is a direct quote from a representative of another business” — that’s not how journalism works; Google® shield law).

The nearest Barcade® is Los Angeles, so folks of Lane County, you will simply have to make do with “bar arcades” or “arcade bars” locally like Blairally, Level Up and Big City.

We have updated the story. The full email is below.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!