The Postal Service Settles with . . . the Postal Service?

Interesting article from Pitchforkmedia.com:

It was just about this time last year that we heard that The Postal Service (aka the collaborative musical efforts of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello) had received a cease-and-desist letter regarding their bandname from the United States Postal Service (aka the giant government-controlled entity that delivers your mail). Now, with a year of negotiations-- and no doubt, a little grumbling-- behind them, the war is over. According to advertising industry observer AdAge.com, Sub Pop executives, conjuring the amazing powers of persuasion they invoked during Nirvana's signing to DGC in the early 90s, have managed to turn the potential lawsuit into a mutually beneficial cross-promotion campaign. Like magic!
Says Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman: "We found a place in the middle where all our interests can be served... There's a real spirit of cooperation." With the Postmaster General? Of course! The USPS is no stranger to cross-promotion, with animated characters like Shrek, Daffy Duck, and the Cat in the Hat making regular appearances on stamps and USPS advertising materials. Those brands, however, are owned by super-studios that virtually hemmorhage cash and lawyers, not an (admittedly sizable) independent record label whose band was biting the USPS's precious trademarked brand. But that may be precisely the point: "It's a great way for us to extend our brand into new areas," remarks USPS's manager of communication services Gary Thuro. "They reach a young audience that's very important to our future, and music is such a powerful medium."
To that end, part of the deal involves the possibility of Postal Service tunes being used in USPS ad campaigns and promotions. In turn, Sub Pop is considering, under the auspices of their newly minted licensing deal, using local postal outlets as distribution points for Give Up. Additionally, Tamborello and Gibbard will be tapped to play a gig at an annual USPS conference. No, we are totally not kidding. Stop laughing. If you're somehow fortunate enough to legitimately attend this conference, or crafty enough to impersonate one of the 800 senior executives who will be present, please do us a favor and bootleg that sucker. Surreal events like this one don't happen every day, and they must be documented for posterity.