Porsche gets tough about their name

I just received the latest copy of our newsletter (titled OVERSTEER) for the local 356 Registry Club. Porsche has just sent an official letter asking (demanding) the we remove the word "Porsche" from our club name. We are part of the official 356 Registry! They are doing the Ferrari/ Harley Davidson thing about overprotecting their name. this is sad to see as they are stepping on the toes of those of us who have original cars and support the image. I post this to WARN SOC member s about Porsche bad guys (lawyers) who are after all of us.

I have my VS Speedster as a true tribute to the original and find this action a real division in what "we" do with our great cars. Do not let this bother your enjoyment of your Speedster and continue to enjoy them, but stay alert to the wolves known as "copyright lawyers" who are just out to make $$$ by creating problems where they do hot exist.

This has been especially disturbing to our local club (all members of the 356 Registry) we feel Porsche is trying to distance itself from all of we old time supporters. Sad times, eh???

Dusty and LMS

Dusty,
I think it's just a German thing. Many years ago there was an aftermarket parts store in Orange CA that was known as "Bugs for You". After the name police got busy, it's now known as BFY Obsolete Parts. If you notice most of the aftermarket distributors are very careful about the VW name or logo in their business name. BMW has done the same with their name. I belong to two BMW motorcycle clubs and there has been much ado about club logos. Ve may nut schpeek Anglisch vell, Boot ve vill keep hour namez frum dis teevin Amerikun mahkit.

The "Porsche 356 Club" (that's the name) in Southern California has also been "asked" by Porsche to remove the Porsche name from its title.

At the recent All Porsche Swap Meet in Anaheim the club was selling all its logo merchandise (shirts, hats, sweats, fleeces) for $10-a-piece. They will be changing the logo to remove the word Porsche.

Porsche has always been VERY protective of its name and logo. However, coming after the 356 Registry sub-units seems like a strange idea in light of what the clubs do to keep the 356 legend alive and well.

I don't think the German's are leading the charge - it goes back many years. Remember the mid-80's Miami Vice TV show - Crockett and Tubs drove a Thunder Ranch (Corvette based) replica Ferrari Daytona Spyder. Ferrari got after them and on one of the last shows one (of like 3 used in show) went up in flames in a spectacular drug deal gone wrong and a stinger missle hit -- part of the litigation settlement I'm sure. If you recall the last few shows used a Ferrari Testerossa.

The Cobra name is another that Caroll Shelby and Ford are hard on recently. Factory Five Racing kit car builder recently came under scrutiny. For our replicas perhaps we can coin POORSCHE and be legal?

I've been waffling back and forth about putting the PORSCHE labels on the front and rear of my car. This sort of stuff makes it less likely that I will do so. Too late for the dash and steering wheel, but I'll probably leave the outside virgin.

I wonder what it would take to get someone to make some "POORSCHE", "PORTIA", or "PORTCH" scripts ;-)

Lane,
You can put the logos and the name all over your car and not break the law a bit. It only is a violation if you use it to market the car in any way or to sell it. Use of any copyrighted name on personal items (not for sale or for marketing purposes) is personal and not subject to copyright supervision.

Happy Trails,
Dusty

True. But their attitude, particularly against clubs that they should be supporting, makes me kinda pissy.

That's right, Lane....Get Pissy!

The best way to be pissy to them is continue to buy replicas or older cars and don't buy the real thing new from them! Hit 'em in the wallet! Maybe then they'll get the idea.

Yea...you won't see me spending close to 100 large for one of their new cars...I'll show them...

Hey, Will! Replicate THIS!!!!!!

Hmm. They're going to have a great time with the tattoo on my husband's back...

angela

You guys all drive Intermeccanica "Replicas" anyway! Most of the fiberglass cars are either from the original IM molds or are "replicas" of the "Original Speedster Replica" made by Frank Reisener in the 70's. LOL All kidding aside, I find it odd that VW and Porsche spend a fortune to advertise their cars, try to establish an "IMAGE" for the brand, and when a small operator or a nonprofit group gives free advertising in the form of shirts, hats, etc. the corporate leadership can't see the enormous benefit to the company. I am getting rid of all Porsche badging. Why advertise a company that wants nothing to do with a lowlife derelict such as myself. I'll make double sure that when the numerous people ask about my car, that they know it is an Intermeccanica, and had NOTHING to do with PORSCHE.

He's a rebel

Dang - in trouble again --

http://www.checkoutmyink.com/tag/porsche

Isn't it the clubs that they are going after and not the cars? Do they have an "official" Porsche sanctioned club and could that be why they are doing this? Or maybe its cause if Porsche name and trademarks are on club letterheads and such it may look like the club is sanctioned by the company.I think I red that was the same deal with Shelbys only they even tried to actually hi-jack the club.

I don't think I heard that they were going after our cars and I even think I heard they used a replica in one of the early ads for the Boxter.

Porsche is now "going after" hundreds if not thousands of those infringing on their copyrights, trade marks, and possibly eventually their designs/trade dress. As a holder of hundreds of copyrights and trademarks myself, this is understandable. If something is used generically or without permission too often, if EVERY club or dealer or web page having to do with Porsches uses the name and the logo/type design as though it were their own, without payment, expressed permission, or acknologement, that the name belongs to Porsche, that name or trademark becomes a generic name for a specific thing, it becomes genericized, and the owner loses hold of it from then on.

Calling it a Speedster, when it looks exactly like a Porsche Speedster, just might become a thing of the past as well. Even though Speedster has been used to name other cars and body styles, the combination of trade dress AND name might probably be considered a violation.

Of course, the clubs and manufacturers, and web sites are just paying homage of a sort to the Porsche 356, 914, 911, etc. BUT the law doesn't allow for that, it's specific and Porsche will lose everything if they appear to be in agreement with those appropriating their name without permission.

It has happened time and again.

Heroin was once a trademark, trampoline, dry ice, kerosene, zipper. All once trademarked names, now generic. Of course, Kleenex and Q-Tip are fighting to keep their names right now, but it looks like a lost cause.

Every time anyone uses "Porsche" to describe a replica it dilutes Porsche's hold a little more. Every time it's included in a logo or header or badge or t-shirt or registry or ? It lessens Porsche's grip and control over their intellectual property, trademark, copyright and trade dress. One man's tribute or good will is another's slight or slap.

It's just the way that the law was written, it's Porsche's only option under that law.


FOruM PRiCk

"Just doin' what comes naturally . . . "

I don't get it ! Is Porsche building a New revised 356..?? (NO)..

Do our cars take anything away from the Porsche legend and or legacy?(( HECK NO!. They are better cars that don't rust away!)).

Are we building Boxers of SUV'S ??? ( NO Again!!)

Are they going to make Ellen Degenerace'S mate Chance her First Name??
((Good luck with that one!)))

I saved the best for last!!!

Are they going to pay to repaint our cars If the Scripts are ordered OFF.. I'll let you guys mull over that one.. But Mine have been on for years and They are grandfathered in... I'll sue for a 4 K paint job if they sent me a summons..

I don't think, they Can or should want to do that.. There are to many problems with it... And piles and pile of bad publicity...for there company.. It's a bad business move. and a costly one..

But they have no choice!

It's either force everyone to stop using the name or LOSE the name ! ! ! That's how the law is written. If they DON'T sue to stop the use of their name
and copyright/trademark it will be lost to them.

No choice. Bad press. Whatever. No choice at all. It's the current law and the way that it's written.

..."Factory Five Racing kit car builder recently came under scrutiny"

FYI, this is the second time a-h*le Shelby is pouncing on the largest manufacture ...Factory Five Racing. The previous time a suit was introduced against FFR not one of the dozens of fellow Cobra manufactures offered to assist FFR with their huge legal costs. However, that suit was settled i.e. agreed that, all "Cobra" manufactures would donate to Shelby's beloved Heart Foundation.

I'll guess the Foundation donations have tanked the same way as the economy has so, Shelby is doing his latest version of his personal stimulus package. IMHO he is just total pond scum.

A few yeaars ago, there was a state (perhaps more than one) that was proposing a law to make it illegal to replace any part on any car with a part that was not originally availaable from the manufacturer for that year of car. I think SEMA jumped on them and the law never passed. But the fact that such thinking even exists in a "free" country is really scary. Who are these assholes? Beware of the dark forces!

Dusty, I sure hope you're correct about not breaking the law! I happen to love the Porsche logo and badge... and really don't want to take the "Speedster" or "Porsche" emblems off of my car!
But I may have to be careful with who is allowed into our barn. Not all of the stuff in there was bought thru an 'official' Porsche sanctioned venue. OOPS!
I'll make it up to the Porsche family when I visit the museum in Germany! I won't get out of that gift shop with any money left, I'm sure!

"IMHO he is just total pond scum."

I have to agree with you! I belong to a Mustang Club and Forum, and between FORD and Shelby we can hardly refer to the make and maker of our own cars when talking about them. It's really bad.

What Porsche objects to is using the word "Porsche" in conjunction with the word "club." That's it.
They won't stop you, personally, from putting Porsche badges on your replica, although they would happily sue any of the replica builders if they caught them doing it.
Porsche Club of America - the officially Porsche-sanctioned owner's organization, apparently will now be the only "Porsche Club" allowed to use the Porsche name.
Will Porsche start coming after all the guys selling replicas on Ebay, calling them "Porsche Speedster Replicas?" Maybe, but it's far more likely they'll go after Ebay, itself. I'd bet eventually the replicas and the real 356s won't mingle in the same "356 Porsche" category on Ebay anymore. They'll get separate listings.

The "Porsche Club of America, Northeast Division" gave their 356 owners such a hard time that they left to form the TYP356 Northeast club. I believe that the Northeast 356 club was the first with the tee-shirts that said:

"Sure, Porsche sold "sports cars" after 1960,

But who cares?"

Suzie: Don't sweat the Porsche Police. They'll never find you up in "Cow-Hampshire"!!

gn

I'm not worried about being pursued for having Porsche on my car. I'm just trying to decide if I WANT to.

Shame the mounting pin holes aren't asymtrical - we could mount them upside down in silent protest.

This too will blow over....

"What Porsche objects to is using the word "Porsche" in conjunction with the word "club." That's it."



So if I opened a small Bistro across from, say, Lime Rock, probably named called it "Cafe Racer" and offered a Porsche Club on Artisan bread, with onion strings and a half sour . . .




I'd be screwed, wouldn't I ? ?

Probably not. But a "PrickBurger" will raise some hackles. Let's end this ridiculous thread on a humorous note.

In the process of completing "Porscheizing" my Beck. Porsche is not a great company as it once was...dropping the inverted soup spoons was a great mistake. Pisses me off because they are no longer racing "real" factory cars with factory drivers.

Read about the real Porsche machines in the Hagerty's magazine.

Actually, they are still racing real factory Porsches with Factory Drivers.

Patrick Long has been a Porsche factory driver since 2003. He drives for others, too, and was in line as an alternate on the Porsche Daytona Prototype at the Rolex race, but wasn't needed there, and that's how he ended up on the TRG/Valentine Porsche GT at the Rolex. Incredible driver, too.

Joerg Bergmeister ("the machine") was also in the TRG Porsche, and he's been a Porsche Factory driver since 2001. He won in 2007 at Laguna Seca in a Porsche Factory car, and won in 2005 at Phoenix with Christian Fittipaldi.

We had to walk through the Porsche Factory Pit area during this year's Rolex practice period. All the drivers and crew had uniforms by Hugo Boss (Very black, very cool) their cars were black and gold (mostly black) and everybody looked sooooooo serious.

We beat them anyway.

With as many lawyers as are out there and their propensity for litigation, I can foresee the day when car shows like Carlisle will NOT allow OEM badged replicas to go on display. Ha, new use for the blue painter's tape (to cover the car id/script).

I came up with a idea for that one.. A personalize replacement script kit that fits in the factory holes, Mine could be taken off and substituted for such a event then put back one when its over .

Since I built it. and I have well known name in the auto industry..

Hudson scripts..

Now that would really upset of the Porsche folks. And as some of you know I have made stuff like that on a rainy afternoon ..

Don't forget the automatic script that replaced the 1600/super..on Oldyeler..

Ah, an original ZIGGY? Good thing you and TC/TeamEvil/FORumPRick don't live closer to each other. We'd see some MadMax look VW/Porsche's for sure. Scares me to think what might make it on the road! You both have too creative an imagination --- and regretfully (with waining job market) too much spare time. Honestly, its great to see someone pursuing their dream/hobbies and having talent to do so.

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