Yikes! Ford is at it again......

If this is all true, then I can't understand why so many companies have got away with stomping on people using their name. (Harley and Ford are good examples) It seems like the big companies always win that battle. Shit, a great parts source, Obsolete Ford Parts, just had to change their name because of this.

(but I hope you win this one...)

Gary

 

There was a book written on this subject on how much money you have is how well you can protect, or enforce, copywrite protection in north america. The basis of the book was how a few manufacturers illegally enforced their trademark and copywrites to put non-competitors out of business.

I can't remember the name of the book but I willlook it up.

 

Funny you should mention that. I work for Jaguar (we are owned by ford) and we are for sale. Doesn't look like there are any potential buyers either. I think Aston Martin is right behind us too.

Mike

 

There are Federal "rules" about what percentage of parts can be "foreign" or "imported" before a car is or is not "American". I kid you not! The unions, the Feds concerned with overseas trade, lawyers, etc. all have a hand in the definitions of American-made, imported, etc. All of it intended to make lawyers richer. Why do you think all the foreign manufacturers are building auto plants here in the United States. Its to get around the rules and the import taxes and limits. AND, if they build them in southern or western states, where there are right-to-work laws, they can avoid the UAW trying to unionize the plants. Building cars is as much a bean-counter and lawyer game as it is an engineering and styling exercise.

And those are some of the reasons, I don't buy "new" cars and build my own.

 

Who wins most often depends on who can afford the best lawyers. It also depends on which Federal District Court and Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in which you file the lawsuit. Some District court judges are more "friendly" to the big companies. That also applies to the Federal Appeals Courts. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco comes to mind. They are by far the most liberal Circuit Court and the Circuit Court most often reversed by the Supreme Court.

That said, there are excellent patent and trademark lawyers out there who know HOW to take on the big boys.

 

Ha so 53sled is a badass computer programmer, named Micheal Bolton, who regularly beats up copy and fax machines. GRRRR!

Oh BTW, if any of you have a problem with Ford master cylinders made in Japan, think about this. The new AISIN 5-speed automatics in all front drive Chevy's are made in China. I would rether have Jap crap than support Red China.

 

Building cars is as much a bean-counter and lawyer game as it is an engineering and styling exercise.


HA HA HA! That could be the understatement of the century!!! Aside from maybe a minute handful of vehicles, when has Ford produced anything worth a shit or even a second look in the last 20 years? Everything that the Big 3 does anymore is strictly for profit...EVERYTHING. They could honestly give 2 shits about the American public, and their actions prove this every day.

I'm not loyal to any car maker, I'm only loyal to what I'm currently driving and if it works or not. But Ford has continually sucked, their car and truck designs are lackluster at best, their profits are always in the hole, their stocks have been listed at junk status, they outsource more and more each day meanwhile closing plants right and left. The best thing that could happen to them is for a major reality check........go belly up!

Any of the Big 3 are FAR from American made cars anymore. The majority of the engineering is done foreign, most of the parts are made overseas, and most of the assembly is done overseas or outside the U.S. What exactly makes them an "American Automaker" anymore? Just because Ford headquarters is in Dearborn, MI doesn't cut it anymore. We're going to reach a point here very soon with all of the outsourcing that there will be more Americans working at a Honda or a Hyundai plant than there will be at any of the Big 3.

I'd love to see Ford go belly up. It would be the perfect justice for all of the dedicated Ford employees who have lost their jobs so some jackoff executive could collect a 2 million dollar bonus for outsourcing jobs to chinese who will work for 25 cents an hour.

 

That goes both ways, the execs certainly need to be curtailed on there income but the overpaid Union workers are almost as bad. Shit i know a guy here in KC that works for ford putting three bolts on to an exhasut manifold all day long, he gets paid $25 and hour, has been there only 5 or so years and is often drunk on the line. They pay people to sit around so when one of these High quality union laborors is absent the line is fully staffed.

I am all for SKILLED union labor, but he and his ilk are far from skilled. That is usually why uneducated foreigners can usually do the same job for much less.

 

I agree with you 110%. I'm a Union Pipefitter/Steamfitter, so we do a TON of work in auto plants whether its re-tooling hydraulic, compressed air lines....product lines, paint booth systems, all the way to HVAC, refrigeration, etc.... About 6 years ago, I was working at a FORD powerhouse in Ypsilanti, Michigan. We were replacing some of the high pressure steam lines. Anyway, we had to do some work up in these cat walks they had all over the place. We were warned by a Ford boss to only work up in the cat walks after 1pm. So after 1pm the first day we were there, we saw why......there were military style bunk beds EVERYWHERE up there. These fucking assholes would come in to work in the morning, and sleep in till 12:30. They were working 7 days a week at $29 an hour at the time, so easily pulling down 120 grand a year....SLEEPING!!!! Their job was to replace STEAM LINES!!! The same job we were in there for.

I'm not complaining, I worked overtime fixing what these fucking bums were supposed to replace, but not all the workers are that bad. I'm Union, and I'll be the first to tell you that the Unions have gotten out of hand. I pay close to $14,000 a year in dues, and I've been laid off for 2 YEARS!!! AND I STILL HAVE TO PAY DUES!!!!!

I just don't think the solution to a problem is to close the entire plant. There is most certainly a way to either shape up the Union problem, or fire the ones who refuse to work and make way for someone who actually wants to do the job. When a plant closes here in Michigan, I suffer too, because a good percentage of my work goes with it. I can't move to China, nor would I ever want to, so when plants close, my job goes with it.

 

I can relate to both sides of the issue....
I sell instructions sets -"how to chop your own top"- from my website,and have for many years.

I have had all my previous and current work, as in drawings and written text/ instruction sets and even my work related moniker/name "the Chopper",
Copyrighted&trademarked as my property.

This was done to allow my wife the right to resell any she could after my time here is over...

It did not cost as much as I would have thought and it does afford me some protection from freebie seekers stealing and reselling my work.
Ford is the rightful owner of it's name and can only be expecing some compensation from any profit made in reguard to that names use.....

Seems harsh I know, but it is ,however a reasonable approach to controlling that type activity.

 

This started with Harley-Davidson. Even before Harley got cult status popularity, lots of people started making all kinds of items with Harley's name and logo. When someone had a problem, or a part failure with the bogus item, they blamed Harley. Even tho Harley had nothing to do with manufacturing the item. If you owned a company and you were being sued over something you didn't make, or sell, you'd want some protection too. Face it, manufacturing is a tough and expensive business and, it doesn't take too many nutz-o jury, multi-million dollar damage awards, to blow all your profits for the year and maybe several years. I see folks here complain about having their art work ripped off, and everyone gets pissed off, and rightly so. But company lableing certainly isn't any less important.

 

Here's a story I heard.

When Ford came out with the Ford GT, they realized that Safir Engineering held the trademark to "GT40". I believe that Ford asked Safir how much they (Safir) would want to license the name GT40 to Ford. "Same as Ford charges," safir said.

That licensing fee (I think it's 7%) would have been charged on 4,000 or so of the $150,000 new GTs, which therefore would total $42 million.

Some people made it out to sound as if Safir was holding out for a rediculous sum. It seemes, however, that Safir simply thought that what was good for the goose should be good for the gander. I believe Safir later offered to license the name for $8 million, but was refused by Ford.

And that's why it's not called the GT40.

--Matt

 

making people pissed that love their products seems like an bad business idea. to an extent i can understand that they want to controll their names use, but, it should fall under the public domain with the use to promote for replacement parts for stuff that they themself do not manufacture anything nor promote themself.. anymore...

 

Three years ago my Ford StreetKa was sold by Ford UK with lifetime free servicing (parts and labour). I was able to choose between that or a bigger discount off list price. Because I intended keeping this little roadster for a long time I choose the free servicing.

Now Ford have written to me to say that the "lifetime free servicing" (their italics) will have to stop because they can't afford it. They are not offering to give me the discount I forewent - just pleading poverty.

Could this arguement work for those small suppliers currently being held to ransom by Ford's lawyers??

Somehow, I don't think so...

 

So i guess I can expect a letter from VW about this if I put it on a shirt?

 

In other words. Look out when buying a new Ford. The end may come any day after Ford starts to paint all promotion vehicles white with pearl and the heap can be run on Banana/Peanut butter sandwiches.
The aftermarket value though, could be rocketing high...be patient.


(why am I writing this bull???)

 

I hear what you guys are saying. On the computer end of things, Apple has all but copywrited the lowercase "i". If you have the word "iPod" in your product or company's name and don't pay them the protection money, they'll break your legs (financially).

~Jason

 

Yes it is but if they had any fucking brains they would manage the money better and they wouldnt be screwed up like they are.
Dave

 

Fuck Ford. I was sent an e-mail from the legal department to remove all references to Ford and Mercury on my websites several years back.

I ignored the e-mail and susequent e-mails afterwards and nothing has ever come of it.