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On 11/06/2016 02:05 PM, Rich Freeman wrote: |
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> However, naming your organization after somebody else's and then |
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> engaging in highly objectionable conduct is probably not the sort of |
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> thing most lawyers would advice. If you created a neo-nazi group on |
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> Reddit called /r/ford with the Ford Motor Corp logo on your page, and |
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> no disclaimers, you're probably not going to have a good time |
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> convincing Reddit not to take you down on request, let alone |
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> prevailing in court. If your last name was Ford and there was no logo |
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> and no reference to the car company, then you'd probably have a good |
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> shot. |
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Based on my understanding of trademark law, the above is only a legal |
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problem with respect to trademarks if the group starts producing |
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automobiles. There's a reason why Apple computers and Apple Records |
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both exist, both have an Apple as the logo, are not the same company, |
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but do not violate each other's trademarks. Trademarks (again per my |
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understanding) are the most difficult things to use and provide far less |
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protection than what you typically see people get with other instruments |
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such as copyrights and patents. |
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|
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-Nicholas Vinson. |
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P.S. For the record, I do not condone Neo-nazi groups or their |
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automobile making enterprises. |
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