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Shameless ****ers.
I'm tempted to start a facebook group and see if a similar outcome to that for The South Buff person can be achieved. See if things can 'go viral'.
[url= https://m.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-specialized-Bikes/126441004187925?id=126441004187925&_rdr ]Looks like someone started one[/url]
Well I've rewritten my christmas to score off a few specialized accessories.
Intend to spend my $$$ elsewhere in future.
#Corporate****ers
I know it's been mentioned but this company used to be Epic Designs.
This [url= http://www.evertibikes.com/ ]bike company[/url] used to be Epic cycles too...
Amazing think I've heard it all now L:OL
So Specalize are the only ones that can make Enduro bikes then ?
They've patented the 'word' AWOL too. It's for their line of touring bikes, cuz no one ever thought of doing long trips on a bike before.
#****s
Next time you see a Specialized rep/stall shout Roubaix!
just had email from cyclesurgery announcing specialized sale, coincidence?
I think their PR Dept are heading for their worst Monday morning ever.
Sounds s bit like Paris Hilton trade marking Thats Hot
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Do we reckon there'll be a cringey snivelling "we got it wrong and are just trying to protect our brand" type statement?
I find it amusing that the Specialized Roubaix is useless at riding along bumpy roads:
http://www.cyclingwest.com/specialized-roubaix/
Just been on there FB site to register my disgust. Ironically I own. Roubaix bike and absolutely love it.
Im about to name my small cafe "Special-Eyes Cafe" ..am i gonna get sued for this? 😐
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But hey, I am Danger 😈
Thumbs down for Specialized (not that they were ever up)
Disgraceful. The whole trademark / patent / copyright thing has become silly. Hope specialized do get hit where it hurts for this. The bike world can lose its ford mondeos and fiestas.
Just another reason not to touch anything made by Spesh. Right up there with Ellsworth and Speedplay.
Specialized off the new bike list then. No Storm Control tyres either now for winter.
God bless America.... (...n lawyers). 🙄
[url= http://barry-roubaix.com/about/ ] Spesh actually sponsor this event! ....
I'm going to buy a cafe roubaix jersey or t shirt.
Double post.
Just take a look at the comments people have left on Specialized's Facebook page. Corporate bullying not cool apparently!
[url=
Yet another reason why some people really shouldn't be allowed in front of a computer.
I think the people putting up pictures of their bikes with the logos blanked out are amazing. Just waiting for the first Ebay auction to pop up, complete with illiterate rant in an attempt to 'stick to to the big S, man'.
Love this tweet from the Bristol. Trails Group:
@BristolTrails: Roubaix Roubaix Roubaix Roubaix. Go on, @iamspecialized, sue The Kaiser Chiefs while you're at it.
It's all a storm in a teacup propagated solely by social media. Next month we will all have forgotten about it.
Forgotten about what?
"All your Roubaix are belong to us"
thats proper ranting is that!
from fb
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[url= http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/specialized-facing-social-media-storm-after-roubaix-lawsuit-threat/015773 ]Good article on bikebiz[/url]
With a comment from IP lawyers regarding the 'we have to defend it' line.
I remember Orange running a series of ads - black and white photos with just the orange coloured. The phone company orange than ran some ads with the same concept, looked very similar. Lester from Orange even mentioned it in MBR saying how he wasn't fussed and would never be able to take on a phone company.
In protest, i refused to look at my Stumpy Evo today.
From the article that aracer linked:
The beauty is that a small business, while unable to mount a full-on legal fight, can take the issue to the court of public opinion. On that front, Specialized doesn’t stand a chance.
That's the key point IMO, While specialized might "Win" and force a small business to change their name that Relatively small action will actually backfire.
It won't do specialized crippling damage, but it does affect the perception of Specialized as a brand by an awful lot of cyclists, it makes them look like bullies, using a rather weak pretext to flex their legal team and inconvenience someone who, presumably, bore the company no ill will, and did not actually impinge on their business activities in Canada...
Fuji on the other hand have a much stronger case against Specialized's use of the name "Roubaix" for their bike in the US, I assume they came to an arrangement some time ago...
I am tempted to have a T-shirt printed with "Special Eyes, Roobay TM" and see how far I get...
[quote=cookeaa said]Fuji on the other hand have a much stronger case against Specialized's use of the name "Roubaix" for their bike in the US, I assume they came to an arrangement some time ago...
According to something I read (sorry no linky, can't remember where) Fuji originally owned the "trademark" and sold it to Specialized (presumably with some continuing licensing deal for them included). Such things do make a mockery of the assertion that they had to issue legal action to defend the trademark though.
If anyones considering taking a stand against this and selling off any nice specialized kit I'll be happy to take it off your hands.
Just considering the legal position for a sec and not the moral/emotional aspect.
If they don't contest it their trademark registration doesn't stand therefore anyone can use it. To some extent they are FORCED to contest it otherwise their trademark is worthless.
Having said that, I cant imagine his shop would ever harm their revenue from using the name by even $1.
Seems their fb person/people have started work. Trying to clean up their page.
Mine was removed immediately:
"Taking down all the posts about Dan Richter and Café Roubaix? Gonna be an unending job. We're going to harness the determination and grit required by the Roubaix (the RACE that pre-dates your bike by a century) and make you guys do the right thing."
Don't own any, and never will.
I read about their shenadigans some time ago. They threaten to punish LBS' (with-holding incentives etc) for stocking Giant bikes and Giro shoes. Then there was the stuff with epic designs, mountain cycle, Volagi etc. This isn't isolated behaviour, it's standard Specialized fayre; faceless mega corps bullies.
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That isn't correct poisonspider. They only need to defend their trademark against genuine confusion. The trademark authorities have already made this very clear (I read yesterday).
Added to which I think it highly dubious that they should be allowed to trademark a common usage term in the first place. I think the race and the city should issue a Cease and Desist notice to Special Lies to stop freeloading on their name.
From the BikeBiz article:
[i]Café Roubaix is also selling far more products from its online store than usual[/i]
Funny that.....
To be fair, he's done exactly what I would do. It's wonderful advertising of his small business.
Not quite that simple, as in the bikebiz article above. A TM owner needs to pay attention to its use and negotiate or defend in areas where names used by others are in clear breach of their TM + IP regs, not just send cease and desists to everyone. Cafe Roubaix and the spesh bike aren't really that close so it's not necessarily a clear case. His own-brand wheels are probably a bit closer to risky ground.If they don't contest it their trademark registration doesn't stand therefore anyone can use it. To some extent they are FORCED to contest it otherwise their trademark is worthless.
A sensible outcome would probably be for the wheels to be rebranded (since, while I don't really think there's much chance of confusion, I can see that it's a grey area) but the shop retain it's name.
Of course Specialized could have achieved that in a very different way with no bad PR. Going in all legal guns blazing may work sometimes but in a market where brand can have a big part to play in consumer choice, it's a risky move.