Don't follow the bear

[Blundstoned Love]

Odd story.

Can understand the logo side of things, but you can't attempt to get Intellectual Rights type leverage on the name of an animal surely?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-28713420

 

[Jared]

Rights over a name of a fruit took almost 30 years to solve... Apple.

 

[British Red]

and indeed Apple now believe they own a letter "i"xxxx

Indeed they tried to sue over someone else making a square phone

Its just big money throwing its weight around - Grylls is no different.

 

[demographic]

In other news George Forman is suing Bear over his surname/lean mean thing.

 

[boatman]

If the other firm were "passing off" their product then they might be in breach but they are right that it could be an effort to defend an action. There is a nice little operation in America whereby you claim some sort of intellectual property and sue the "offending" company in some court miles away from where they are based so it is cheaper to settle than to defend.

Among interesting patents submitted is one patenting the business practice of offering an enquiry service involving access to information and a desk. Fortunately the USA patent seems to be getting some sense and is disallowing more patenrs.

 

[santaman2000]

I wonder what he's going to do when Bear Archery sues him?

 

[GGTBod]

Worst part is the 'offending' company sold less than 100 blades in the last fiscal year, every person worth their salt should boycott BG products for bullying some mom and pop organisation as if they were grabbing a huge chunk of their profits

 

[GGTBod]

Comical how they do nothing about the thousand of actual BG fakes getting sold in China as it would be money thrown away and laughed at regarding copyright policy in china

http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=bg+knife&CatId=0&catId=

but hound some little company UK based like some type of fascist dictatorship regarding their intellectual property

 

[Shinken]

Firtsly i would give Grylls the benefit of the doubt. I doubt he has anything to do with the running of the company and he said he would look into it. Lets see what happens and how much clout he has with the company making his knives

 

[JonathanD]

There are loads of old and established knife makers out there with 'Bear' in their name. Bear & Sons have been around for decades and there are a few in Scandinavia too.

 

[Goatboy]

Not going to deride Mr BG before he issues a statement, but it reminds me of the incident when Gary Larson (brilliant cartoonist) was approached by the folks at the Jane Goodall Institute over what they deemed poor taste about one of his cartoons with her name in it. When she got back from Africa and saw the cartoon she thought it so funny that she met with Larson and T-shirts were made with the profits going to her organisation.

You can read more here.

Feel sorry for the wee company though and as theiir products aren't garishly coloured I don't see how one could confuse them.

 

[cranmere]

Nice. If the action is from him, I'm disgusted. If it has come from his lawyers without his knowledge that speaks poorly of him too, on the grounds that the business is nothing more than a money-making enterprise. I wonder what the Scouts think of the bad publicity?

 

[demographic]

So as a matter of interest, the knife manufacturer called Ice Bear who have been making kitchen knives since Bear was still pooping in his pants.

I wonder if they will be suing mister Grylls?

Also I wonder just how much damage it does to a persons reputation when a community realises that they are throwing their legal weight about in a matter that is so obviously a different manufacturer?

 

[fredster]

Apparently, there is a concerted effort by Mr Grylls' company to have bears in the wild rebranded as 'shaggybeasts'. Totally reasonable. Imagine people's disappointment out in the wilds when what they expected to be a flashily attired TV presenter turns out to be just some stupid animal.

 

[HillBill]

http://www.britishblades.com/forums...quite-how-I-wanted-to-announce-my-new-venture

 

[cranmere]

HillBill -

"The administrator may have required you to register before you can view this page."

 

[HillBill]

Fair enough... its in "the commons" section of the forum that everyone can view i think.

 

[Fraxinus]

every person worth their salt should boycott BG products for bullying some mom and pop organisation as if they were grabbing a huge chunk of their profits

Been doing that since BG got involved with them, don't own owt made by them.

Fair enough... its in "the commons" section of the forum that everyone can view i think.

Nope gotta sign in. Is that a new thing? Seem to remember following links over to them in the past.

Rob.

Just a thought, they could change the name to a foreign name for a Bear, the german Bar is close (umlaut over the a) or would that be taken as "Barenhetze"? (bear-baiting)

 

[demographic]

So how can he Trademark the word Bear for knives when Ice Bear has been a trademark for yonks?

 

[GGTBod]

Lawyers and money, thats how, just look at apple and samsung fighting over the minimalist oblong shape for a phone