Hasta La Ideas

In my opinion, part of the genius of 3M’s Post-Its are their limitations: With just 3″-square of real estate, you can only jot down so much on one sheet, forcing you to be concise.

However, Japanese stationery company Yamato sees a market for determine-your-own-length sticky notes. They produce this Memoc Sticky Notes Tape Roll, which allows you to tear off exactly the length you need; a 5mm grid or 7mm-spaced lines printed on the paper give you something to aim for, if you’re too anal to eyeball it.

The configuration means the entire roll is coated with adhesive, not just a little strip at the top; but the company says “It is just as easy to stick, remove, and reposition as an ordinary sticky note.”

I do wonder what 3M’s lawyers make of this.