ford sueing websites supporting there brand

[That_Guy]

thats some petty shit right there
http://www.michiganmustang.com/fordattacks.html

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32801

[Karps TA]

Hey nobody want's to buy our cars, so we might as well piss on the couple that still do. Great concept to use when asking those same people to give you money.

[That_Guy]

Hey nobody want's to buy our cars, so we might as well piss on the couple that still do. Great concept to use when asking those same people to give you money.
i believe they did this on black mustang forum or black cobra i cant remember the forum name but they sued them for putting out a calender of members cars.. apparently ford thinks that your not allowed to take pictures of your own car.

[Karps TA]

I have heard it's more the lawyers doing this then Ford actually demanding it. So it may disappear in a couple days.

[That_Guy]

http://www.bmcforums.com/showthread.php?t=42402

[Sprayaway Fox]

Think if Ford went after the Corral. They would barely sell a new mustang again.
Doesnt matter thats still fugged up.

[VroomPshhTsi]

wow...

I did some research and we covered a topic like this when I was in college. It was about fandom and how when companies go after web sites and groups dedicated to their product based on copyright infringement are actually hurting themselves. Why would you ever go after your most dedicated fans? It's sites like these that actually INCREASE awareness of the company's product, plus it costs them nothing.

so retarded...

[Troutman]

i actually think its quite admirable. rather than sitting back, and letting the governemt just hand them money to bail them out, they decided to take it upon themselves and try to go out and make a few extra bucks.:rolleyes:

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Didn't read the link, dont reallyu care what the link says as the topic has been beat to death. Its Ford's brand and nameplate and they should keep their money the only complaiers will be those who "lost money" over hawking others wares.

Wont keep me from buying or loving Mustangs, hell those who dont want a stang can go get a Camaro. Errr maybe not. 350Z anyone. :rolf

[Voodoo Chick]

What a bunch of ungrateful, petty *****. OK, I have seen a few people at car shows with the Mustang "galloping pony" emblem tattooed on their arms.....Do they have to turn their arms over to Ford, or face a lawsuit??? F****** RIDICULOUS.

[shoooo32]

A few years back shelby's lawyers sued his fan club for using his snake logo. What a bunch of shitbags.

[Yooformula]

wait a minute they arent sitting back they are the ones ASKING for the bailout! The big 3 are practically begging for the handout AGAIN. Sorry but imo thats nothing admirable considering they put themselves in that situation in the first place.

[Adam Brooks]

Another illustration of their total lack of business sense and reason #98786776757 on why I don't support any form of bailout of incompetent individuals and businesses.

[kornholio788]

Another illustration of their total lack of business sense and reason #98786776757 on why I don't support any form of bailout of incompetent individuals and businesses.
Quoted for truth. Business = survival of the fittest.

[Reverend Cooper]

this isnt new news its been going on for years,shelby and roush have done it too

[Prince Valiant]

On one hand, I can see Ford's point...you need to have the appropriate license when you use their image/brands (IE the name Ford or Mustang in relations to the vehicles). Those are THEIR brands, THEIR images, and as such, they have the right to control how it's used, and are entitled to royalty fees when someone makes money off those images/brands....such as the owner of these popular, national forums certainly do.

However, it's also true that there is a better track to take approaching this situation...going over the top and threatening to in effect, shut them down is NOT the way to walk on egg-shells here. The forum owners have the ability to control the message to the members...THEY can portray themselves as hapless victims (they aren't) who are just trying to do a public good (but they also make money).

If I was ford, I'd come in and gingerly say "hey...listen, we appreciate what you've guys have done and all...but we'd appreciate if you could register/license with us and all and make this a legit operation, blah, blah, blah..." and not give a crap about the past...

Personally, I think these guys (the forums/part's depot's/etc) DO get a little shrill in portraying themselves as poor put upon individuals just trying to do altruistic good...these guys make money, sometimes quite a bit of it, and they do so off, in part, due to products that aren't theirs. Their fan base accepts what they say at face value and goes with it. Listen, if there was no money involved, lawyers really wouldn't give a rat's behind about them.

[STANMAN]

And lets remember here, Ford is the only one who ISN'T asking for a LOAN from the government. And everyone please stop calling it a bailout, it's pissing me off to no end. Wall Street got a 700 billion dollar bailout for INTENTIONALLY, KNOWINGLY ******* shit up. A bailout, not a load mind you, for doing criminal acts. Don't compare a bailout for the criminals on wall street to the loan the automakers want to keep millions of people employed.

[GTSLOW]

That shits wack. :punch:

[michelle]

http://pics.livejournal.com/ninjaguydan/pic/00a9dr8w

http://pics.livejournal.com/reality_hammer/pic/0003qwk3

[HITMAN]

Alienating the fan base. What a great idea....
I think Foard should include that in the business proposal that they put before congress. With an intelligent business model such as that, Phord can't miss and should get the lion's share of the BAILFUCKOUT!

Eh, that's fine. If I ever buy another Mushtang, I'll just peel off the stupid blue oval and Rustang emblems and slap a Plymouth badge on it. Maybe put some crappy ground effects and a push cart wing on it. Of course if I did that, Fored would just say I was trying to emulate the 2000 K-obra R and want to charge me royalties. That's where the Plymouth badges come in...;)

[HITMAN]

http://pics.livejournal.com/ninjaguydan/pic/00a9dr8w



Best. Photochop. Ever. EPIC!!!... :rolf

[88Nightmare]

funny how you dont ever hear about GM going after such sites like ls1tech.com or similar sites :D

[subliminal1284]

Thats because unlike Ford, GM knows attacking its fans is actually attacking themselves. Piss off your fans and they will go buy something else.

[CobraSnake]

Alienating the fan base. What a great idea....
I think Foard should include that in the business proposal that they put before congress. With an intelligent business model such as that, Phord can't miss and should get the lion's share of the BAILFUCKOUT!

Eh, that's fine. If I ever buy another Mushtang, I'll just peel off the stupid blue oval and Rustang emblems and slap a Plymouth badge on it. Maybe put some crappy ground effects and a push cart wing on it. Of course if I did that, Fored would just say I was trying to emulate the 2000 K-obra R and want to charge me royalties. That's where the Plymouth badges come in...;)
you must have been drunk when you posted this:haveabeer

[WhatsADSM]

Ford handled the thing really poorly. They shouldn't have put the site owners under the gun like they did, and they should have left the whole domain name thing out of it. IMO it was a BAD PR blunder.

However, there was also more to the story than therangerstation was letting on. Basic premise was that the owner was selling non-licensed ford merchandise for a profit... and that's what Ford was really mad about:

http://jalopnik.com/5107035/ford-not-a-bunch-of-baddies-fan+boy-forum-does-naughty-things-with-big-blue-oval

[Prince Valiant]

From the link that WhatsADSM provided:


In its communications, TheRangerStation.com stated that Ford was making them change the name of their site and pay $5,000. What was not mentioned was that TheRangerStation.com was selling counterfeit Ford-brand merchandise on the site. As a company, Ford has a responsibility to protect our brand and a responsibility to our licensees. We cannot let something like that pass. (The counterfeit goods have been removed from the website since TheRangerStation.com got the letter from Ford's attorney.) No surprise there...the *hapless victim* wasn't as innocent as they portrayed themselves to be. Lying by ommission...my favorite kind of lie.

And that paragraph makes a great point...hundreds, if not thousands of vendors pay licensee fees to ford for the right to use their brand and sell a product to make money from that brand...it's not fair that Ford would let it slide for an enthusiast site, but not everyone else. Ford is living up to the responsibility and agreements that they made with others who DO pay and play by the rules.

[Karps TA]

A licensing agreement sometimes doesn't even cost much. I was making some shifter plates for 3rd gens a couple years ago and asked GM for permission to use the F-body trademarks for it. I think it cost me like a $80 in a application, and about 20 minutes on the phone with a lawyer and they gave it to me. I got to use any F-body related graphics and names for a year.

[Irish]

This actually makes me glad that I don't own a FORD! Poor Henry would be rolling over in his grave if he knew about this one...