Big boys picking on the little fella

[Bats]

I'm confused, you're telling me Specialized make real, actual bikes?

I thought they made 1:1 scale bicycle themed roof ornaments for luxury cars.

 

[suburbanreuben]

So specialized has trademark on a name and are telling someone not to use it because they own it, whats wrong with that? Yes I get the big fish bully bit but at the end of the day they own the trademark. What about if orange brought out a bike called an allez? Diddnt specialized make gt stop using the horst link or something because of that? At the end of the day its not really relevant that they are the big boys, they are enforcing their right over a name they have rights to regarding bikes.
that said if your name was mr macdonald and you wanted to open a burger shop would there be a massive backlash against the corporate giant for them enforcing the same thing.
that said again specialized really dont need to go down that road but they are and they are entitled to do so or whats the point in owning a trademark?

Yes, they are legally fully entitled to enforce their trademark, as are we fully entitled to tell them we don't like it. You don't seem to mind, but that's your prerogative.

 

[Koupe]

I'm not a lawyer, but as far as I understand, the general principle behind this kind of action, is that if Spec let this one go, it would set a legal precedent for them. The size of the company is irrelevant. So if another, much larger, bike company 'stole' one of Spec's names/designs/whatever, and they took it to court, that would be inconsistent, and they could end up losing out. Similar things have happened in the past with car companies (BMW tried to stop aftermarket companies using 'Mini' in their business names, as one example).

The real-world problem is that, unlike the automotive industry, I don't for one moment imagine that Spec would go bust simply because another bike company infringed one of their copyrights. They may be one of the biggest bike companies around, but that's all they are: a bike company. So I'm struggling to see how suing a small independent business could possibly be in their interests.

Twats.

 

[dbmtb]

There's also the whole notion that it just shows that this company does not understand its buying public or the notion of common cycling property....

PERHAPS...
it is questionable to name your shop (or your bike) after a town far away from where your Head Office is located. (And with which your bike has no serious affiliation with in terms of the race associated with the town. A Gios Roubaix, or Colnago Roubaix... that would make sense ... But a Specialized?)
PERHAPS
it is questionable to choose a name for your shop (or your bike) that has been used by so many other manufacturers so many times.

What is wrong is the fact that Specialized were even given the brandname usage rights in the first place, which serves to show how well informed the administrative legal brain behind the decision was.

But what is just astounding is the stupidity that a brand as strong as Specialized has displayed in this instance.

 

[FMJ]

i had them pegged as amongst the top of the better companies out there. Followed their designs

Their designs? Don't be so sure about that. Seems their ok about pilfering other company's designs when it suits them and lying about their employees contributions to intellectual property vis-a-vis their own company.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/01/ ... d-1_203443

"the defense had called Sean Sullivan, former executive vice president and second in command to Sinyard at Specialized. According to Choi, he said that Sinyard had told him that that loyalty is a one-way street. Sullivan also testified that the Specialized Roubaix bike design came from a Seven Cycles custom bike that a Specialized employee had bought because the company’s product line did not include a relaxed-geometry comfort bike with a tall head tube."

 

[jonnyboy666]

i would also bear in mind that Giant and Merida make alot of their bikes, it wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't some design cross over.

stealing designs from other companies happens all the time, and i don't mean spying, how many times has a company not made a particular product, then one of the staff sees a use for it or maybe even bought it, then they copy it in some way, the idea, the geometry, the tubing, whatever it may be, it happens.

 

[raleighrider21]

spoke to the bloke who runs the LBS today, seems he wont be selling specialized gear or bikes anymore... wonder why...

 

[makster]

The owner of this shop must be thanking specialized right now!
Gone from lbs to wwwbs over night

 

[David B]

Just an other big company pushing the little guys about.

Reminds me of at least one episode where Stateside purveyors of bland fizz went around bullying much smaller (and better) European breweries, in particular the whole Budweiser name-claiming business.

Edit: speaking of beer, why not try this - http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/livery-par ... ale/49990/

....preferable to Specialized's own-brand wine, made from 100% sour grapes with a bitter, nasty after-taste.

David

 

[technodup]

I insist someone emails the Guardian.