Just a little note on my thoughts about the factory pursuing the pratice of making sure their logo or name is not used for club or any other purposes without their approval.
I can understand their concern over copyrite miss use, but I have seen the way another manufacturer has over zelously pursued legal action over what would be considered a very minor infringment. IE displaying an unauthorised manufacturer's logo, on a seat cover, this logo (patch) was sewn on by the vehicals owner.
It has long been my opinion that if you purchase a vehical for a certain manufacturer that you actually own the vehical. If this is so who has (owns) the rights, regarding the display of manufacturer's badges/logo's. remember the Vehical belong's to you, not the manufacturer. Do they have the right to advertise their logo on YOUR car?
Should they have to pay you a (annual) royalty to display their logo on something you have paid for. In effect they are getting FREE advertising by doing this.
I do concede that their has to be some form of control over individuals and aftermarket manufacturers from exploiting a manufaturer's copyrite logo, but in some cases I think they go too far, and I am sure that if these aftermaket sorces were approched there could be a royalty agreement reached.
I am involved in a M/C club that has suffered from this problem at a far more advanced stage, this manufacturer has endevoured to take passive control of ALL the national clubs dedicated to this marque, this has resulted in rediculous rules and requirements and they have become quite dictatorial in what you CAN and CANT do with your club and your motorcycle.
I hope this is not the intention of VW.
If they do, I will remove all VW or Volkswagen logo's from my cars.
Rob..

[Edited on 18-2-2004 by Robo]

[Edited on 18-2-2004 by Robo]

If they do, I will remove all VW or Volkswagen logo's from my cars.
Rob..


Hmmmm.... wonder how i will get the tat off??? :P

how does all this effect someone wanting to produce an item for themselves which has the VW logo on it??? ie keyrings, badges etc.....

Unless it is authorised by the factory, you will be open to litigation for abuse of a copyrite logo.
What I am worried about is this
Say for instance you have a Beetle, and you want to make some mudflaps and make a VW logo to go on those flaps, in my view I think this should be OK as long as the logo has not been altered or defaced and is a true depiction of the factory original, and as long as you dont make 10 or more sets and offer them for sale at a profit, this should be ok. but it is not. you have broken copyrite law, and this is where they will get you. I always thought that wanting to make your car look better and to show loyalty to the brand should be encouraged. I can only blame the aftermaket manufactures for not seeking approval from the factory and it has led to this problem. rest assured VW is not alone in this persuit of copyrite protection, and usually this is the first step in control of how their product is potrayed, IE clubs.
All I can say is it also has a negative effect on brand loyalty and some PPL decide to give this loyalty to another brand, IE Holden ect, when PPL and clubs start to get told told what events can be santioned and what they can and cant do, it becomes too political and a lot of PPL dont want the hassel or the grief
Rob..

[Edited on 18-2-2004 by Robo]

Yes

VWof America has been going stupid for years now

This is the reason Shoptalk Forums isnt called anything VW's based

so as an example i make a vw keyring with the VW symbol as the main ring. is it the way the letters are used or the fact i use the letters VW at all that makes it a breach of copywrite???? or can i make the letters in a pattern that VW doesn't use?? or do i just not show anyone the finished product??

It is hard to say but going by the chat on STF anything VWofA "decides" is copyright infringemnet IS copyright infringement.

My guess is they WOULD be upset.

That said you see all the time those $10 watches on ebay, and i cant for a million years believe they have been sanctioned by VW

As Nike says - just do it!

hmmmm....... wonder if that was copyright infringement :P

This topic entered my mind when the "Mr Bubbleheads" went on sale on this forum recently. I've thought of scanning and making VW t-shirts previously and thought better of it.

It has also crossed my mind to remove vehicle insignia for the same reason Robo gave, ie why shouldn't the manufacturer pay a fee to me for advertising their product. For this same reason I don't purchase clothing that displays the manufacturers name. Personally I don't see the attraction of wearing advertising on myself and displaying that I am the same as someone else.

It seems the spirit of the Volkswagen name as a "people's car" has been lost. This greed for the product goes further than at the corporate level. I tsoon becomes apparent on the buying/selling forum for example that many are buying and selling for a profit, rather than a desire to genuinely help out a fellow veedubber. They are running in effect blackmarket businesses, often with prices inflated beyond the commercial sell prices and avoiding the expenses of running a legitimate business including GST. (If you do not have an ABN, you might find that other bussinesses might withold tax from payments to you at the highest marginal rate - currently 48.5%.)

The issue of corporate logo ownership etc is well covered in the book "No Logo" by Naomi Klein. It is an eye opening and entertaining read.

By the way what is IE?

[Edited on 19-2-2004 by kombi69]

The reason USA comapanies are so protective (Anal) is that they have rule that if their logo or name falls into common use ( The only example I can think of off the top of my head is from the UK where all vacuum cleaners are referred to as "Hoovers" whether they are made by Hoover or not ) then it is considered in the public domain and they lose their copyright. Therefore they have to purshue even the most trivial cases of use so they can been shown to be activley protecting their intellectual property.

The thing that is both scary and sad is that when the FTA gets passed we will be forced to take on US copyright laws meaning that its going to get even worse here.

The Latin abbreviation i.e., which stands for id est, means "that is".
The letters e.g. stand for the Latin phrase exempli gratia, which means "for example."

[Edited on 19-2-2004 by fatboy]

It hasn't been tried tried but with the way corps are goin I can see this happening.

When you buy a car with a logo on you are being charged for the right to display that logo of course the fee is just absorbed into the cost and you never see it therefore as YOU are displyinbg OUR logo with permission why would we pay you to display it and advertise our product?

Following on from this I can also see the day that ppl who debadge their car are sued for breaching the terms of their purchasing agreemant and defacing the image BIGCARS PTY LTD - it would only take them to register the car with the logos attached as a trademark.

Is it me or is the world f*cked up ?

Are BIGCARS from Bigland?

If I say YES are you gonna sue me for breach of copyright ?:P

Nah, that term was COPYWRONGed and COPYRIOTed only.

duh for me!!! didn't click about IE, thought it was an abbreviation for something, reread the posts , makes sense as ie.
Thanks.

I agree with Robo and kombi69, especially as far as "free" advertising. When i bought my new Jackaroo the dealer was very quick to put on the dealership sticker on the rear!! No discount on the pricing though!! As far as using names are we all going to become the proud drivers/owners of "those funny cars that used to be made in Germany"? God forbid I say VW or Volkswagen...VW VW VW VW VW.......

what's wrong with you people, I've been charging VW for advertising for years. they haven't yet deigned to settle any of my invoices, but I live in hope.
Barry, I'm gonna have to cut your arm off, and run some copyright tests, I'll drop round this arvo to pick it up and you can have it back in a few weeks.
how do VW businesses cope when they have the VW logo included on the sign? EG (for example ) VVDS? it's all a tad wierd.

right, so do i get in trouble when the VW symbol is tatoo'd on my back??

So far i havent

But i wear my "heart" on my arm - not my back

Hmmm.... saving pictures from previous posts doesnt do anything for image quality, does it

[Edited on 19-2-2004 by blue74l]

purplevw i'm gonna have to remove your back skin as well. run a few tests, roald dahl style.

Barry, stop showing off. I'm sorry, but the arm has to go.

What about "Vee Dub", "V Dub", etc?

well here is one for ya's. and they can chase me down all they want. i have a sticker designed off one of their emblams as well as that i have it stitched into my front door trims and rear high cargo trims.


and let 'em chase they 'newlogo' thta i thought i mgiht put on a tshirt.

Have You noticed the VW pedal rubbers with just a V on them...
I believe everyone in the US who tried to use the VW logo on anything... has now been stopped or they have to Pay to use it... Yes, VW of America seems to have gone overboard with this "no one can use the VW logo" even VW clubs etc....
Stupidity at the highest level....
Don't "normal" people think that a club of car owners would help publicise that brand of car???
I did read a few years ago where VW of America wanted nothing to do with the Beetle.... This attitude may have changed when the new beetle came on the scene..
though I'm not sure....
Lee

I just hope VW Australia dosent go overboard with the regulations.
Rob..

One of the locals has a VW bonnet emblem set into his concrete path at His house... I'd hate to see the concrete path smashed up....
But Worse would be to have a VW tatoo..
I don't even like to think about that one..

Lee

Its all about money, so doubt the concrete path or tattoo will be targetted. A marketable product like Mr Bubblehead though ... don't think VWA doesn't trawl this forum...