Specialized OWNS Roubaix

The war veteran angle of thst article really irks me. What the fuck has that got to do with anything?

Not the legal system per se, rather the ridiculous nature of IP law, particularly in the USA (and Canada it would seem).

Specialized should never have been allowed to trademark 'Roubaix' in the first place, given that a) it's a physical town and b) there are dozens of examples of prior art in the cycling industry.

The fact that they've been able to and are now being weapons grade morons about it compounds the issue.

Does prior art apply in the case of trademarks?

That's a patent thing, is it not?

Rob Warner was UNT(c)

That was it.

Nice to see that Specialized use their free time between fork recalls constructively...

But you're happy to wear Rapha no doubt?

Corporate company in unethical business practice shocker... Surprise.

I'm not sure how the two are related....

Rapha lawyers issued a cease and desist letter to Torm apparel.

Rapha lawyers issued a cease and desist letter to Torm apparel.

Yes.

I know that but that's slightly different isn't it? As far as I can see, the only thing linking the two is a letter.

He may mean how Rapha stole their name from an earlier company
http://inrng.com/2012/05/original-rapha-history/

They didn't steal it, they bought the right to use it.

potato's potato's

Like so many other brands, Rapha wanted to buy into cycling's past to try and reflect some glory. But at least they did it the right way and paid the trademark holder for his long defunct trademark. If you can't see the difference between that and what the corporate wankers at Specialized are then there is little hope for you.

Lets not lose sight of the issue here, Specialized are using their power to damage a small business by using bullying tactics.

The war veteran angle of thst article really irks me. What the fuck has that got to do with anything?

Nothing except that it makes good copy. Classic tabloid journalism, they like to make it really clear to their readers where their sympathy should lie.

^ this +1

The funniest thing about reading this story on the various forums it's breaking on are the comments “Well, I was gonna buy a Specialized. Blah blah.” Like everyone didn’t know or didn’t care about what a company’s culture was and now it's like .. what?!

So which brand are they going to buy now? Trek.. http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14499829

If you dig deep enough, you will find this happens all the time, whether it’s a bicycle company or cat food company. The only reason this is getting copy is the war veteran angle ..

The only reason this is getting copy is the war veteran angle ..

No, it's getting good copy (and plenty of support for the little guy) because most people who aren't complete fucking retards realise that Specialized took the Roubaix name from a bicycle race that is 78 years older than itself, and is now attempting to assert that the name is its own property.

Purist bottles aside, the only Specialized item I own is an S1 helmet. Tragically, it must be thrown away due to a recent accident. Ah. Might buy a Giro instead.

Oh really .. so were was the support for the 'little guy' when Specialized threatened to withhold inventory from shops carrying Giro cycling shoes?

These shops were told they would not receive their year-end purchase volume incentives if they continued to sell Giro cycling shoes. As a result, Specialized dealers who carry Giro shoes had to cancel orders or ask Giro to take back inventory on their shelves .. Easton-Bell Sports dropped the suit it filed against Specialized for that alleged action.

perhaps it's to do with the recent addition of bike parts with roubaix on them that the guy sells , maybe specialized has to do this to protect it's bikes , has anyone seen the actual trademark yet?

my roubaix tights have just been supoena'd while I was in Picadilly Circus. Very embarassing - and cold

This is all just an elaborate plan to get Lance Armstrong to ride for them. 'Look, we are bullys as well, ride Speshys not Treks'. Or something.

(rides off on his S-Works).

maybe specialized has to do this to protect it's bikes , has anyone seen the actual trademark yet?

What do you mean, 'protect'? Specialized have an equal right to sell goods marked with the word 'Roubaix'. It's a place name, for fuck's sake. Half the cunts buying those bikes are just directed towards them by a shop assistant after relaying their story of piles/sciatica/whatever. They know fuck-all about Paris-Roubaix.
The point here is not to stop Specialized selling 'Roubaix' bikes, merely to point out that they shouldn't try to monopolise that name.

As for the Giro thing... I'm sure it made the rounds in the industry. If anyone there had cared to make it the general public's business, I'd have likely heard about it. But I didn't.

What do you mean, 'protect'? Specialized have an equal right to sell goods marked with the word 'Roubaix'. It's a place name, for fuck's sake. Half the cunts buying those bikes are just directed towards them by a shop assistant after relaying their story of piles/sciatica/whatever. They know fuck-all about Paris-Roubaix.
The point here is not to stop Specialized selling 'Roubaix' bikes, merely to point out that they shouldn't try to monopolise that name.

As for the Giro thing... I'm sure it made the rounds in the industry. If anyone there had cared to make it the general public's business, I'd have likely heard about it. But I didn't.

I'm in anyway knowlegeable about trademarking but afaik you have to defend it otherwise risk losing it

I repeat, the point is that they should never have tried to get, or been granted, the bloody trademark.

That they choose to defend it compounds their utter cuntfuckery.

Once they've got it they have to defend it- it's part of the obligations of being a trademark holder.

Of course, I think you could argue that they're plowing a very wide furough in order to conflate "Cafe Roubaix" with a "Roubaix bicycle".

I shouted 'Allez' at Howard in a cross race recently. Should I expect a law suit any day now?

Are you a war vet?