StangNut

So after all the secrecy, who wound up being the guest speaker at the banquet Saturday night?

Also, late Staurday we started hearing rumors Ford was planning on speaking about all the copyright infringement they had started cracking down on from a few months ago. Was the rumor true and if so, what'd they say.

Perry H

It was the marketing manager for Mustang.

He didn't say anything about their legal positions regarding the trademark crackdown. His speech focused on Ford's gratitude for the enthusiasts as loyal to a product line as the MCA. It touched on how the Mustang has bouyed Ford through the current tough spot. He mentioned how it was all analogous to a big family - a family of car people who have created a lifestyle around a product. Then he showed several of the recent Mustang commercials.

On the subject of Ford's trademarks...
I did spend some time talking to the "Mustangs Plus" guys who are the ones who went public with Ford's threats. They were a couple of nice guys and I think Ford is barking up the wrong tree in a big way here. Much in the same vein as Carroll Shelby's licensing plans. With regard to the loyalty and family aspects of the speaker's talk - I think companies like theirs are as just as much a part of the family and success of the Mustang as the people who drive them. Without those parts - you couldn't keep them on the road - and it wouldn't be nearly as easy or as much fun to modify your car.

If you have a company that sells parts for Mustangs having Mustang in the name is a description of what you sell. They've been using that name for quite some time - and sending checks to Ford for parts with that name on the checks - checks that Ford cashed.

The essence of trademark is the identification of a source of goods. Trademark holders are protected from others using names that are likely to be confused with their mark. I don't think that any of us here would ever think that something purchased from "Mustangs Plus" came from the same source as the actual car - nor would I think that they would try to give that impression.

I understand that Ford is protecting their mark (albeit suddenly after years of apparent approval of such uses), and that they might be able to do so legally. However, what is legal and what makes good business sense, and what is the right thing to do are often very different things. The old lady down the street that used to yell at you to get out of her yard was legally correct - all the kids in the neighborhood still vehemently disliked her.

I hope they can all find a reasonable solution (before bankrupting the small businesses with legal fees).

Scothew

Jim Owens.