Ubiquitous on pillows and mattresses and maligned for generations: "Under Penalty of Law, Do Not Remove." Davis recounted to me what the seamstress said when asked to do exactly that, and remove them.

But because some manufacturers or retailers joined the Dark Side, the law required the labels to read, “Do not remove under penalty of law.” Years later, “Except by the consumer” was ...

Here’s how it works. The "Do Not Remove Under Penalty of Law" tags found on most mattresses have baffled and amused consumers for decades, but there's a very good reason for why they're there.