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  View original topic: VW logo man
drlopez73 Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:03 pm

does the vw man logo have a name and are there any legal issues using it on a t shirt with a club name? any info will be appreciated

Glenn Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:10 pm

Mr. Bubblehead and VWoA owns the copyright. Use it and you'll receive a letter from their legal department.

JasonBaker Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:13 pm

yep but they're not as bad as Disney

drlopez73 Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:21 pm

ok thanks the bobble head is probably not the way to go

drlopez73 Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:25 pm

to jason try and get a hold of this guy
bbspdstr he sold me one and porsche hubcaps too

Helfen Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:03 pm

The president of Vintage Volkswagen of America Central Coast chapter uses it at all the time at club meets:

http://www.centralcoastvwclub.com/galleries/pb/pismosurfcontest10012.jpg

JasonBaker Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:04 am

If you can keep it low key and fly under radar, you might not run into problems. I just wouldn't put it on a Club website. Big companies dont really go after one person, but if you had thousand's printed up. The would want to re-capture the lost revenue. IF your broke as a joke then would go after the company that printed the copyrighted material.

Gary Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:39 am

JasonBaker wrote: If you can keep it low key and fly under radar, you might not run into problems. I just wouldn't put it on a Club website. Big companies dont really go after one person, but if you had thousand's printed up. The would want to re-capture the lost revenue. IF your broke as a joke then would go after the company that printed the copyrighted material.

Companies take the protection of intellectual property very seriously no matter how much money the offender has or does not have.

What you are advising (people) in general to do is illegal and can result in nasty litigation and sky high fines.

JasonBaker Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:07 am

Gary wrote:
Companies take the protection of intellectual property very seriously no matter how much money the offender has or does not have.

What you are advising (people) in general to do is illegal and can result in nasty litigation and sky high fines.

Point understood, Your attitude in general slightly reminds of those petty arguments with my wife. Sometimes she is right.

But I meant if you had a group of 5-10 friends that formed a small club and didn't promote it with a website the copyright holder might not come after you. I can make a sign and hang it in my basement invite friends over for beers and VWOA will never know.

Disclaimer- To all dont take my samba post's as legal advice.

Helfen Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:15 am

Gary wrote: JasonBaker wrote: If you can keep it low key and fly under radar, you might not run into problems. I just wouldn't put it on a Club website. Big companies dont really go after one person, but if you had thousand's printed up. The would want to re-capture the lost revenue. IF your broke as a joke then would go after the company that printed the copyrighted material.

Companies take the protection of intellectual property very seriously no matter how much money the offender has or does not have.

What you are advising (people) in general to do is illegal and can result in nasty litigation and sky high fines.

I guess you could modify a original logo so that it's not the same, but close. That's how those VW hubcaps are made, the VW is stamped different, or the little VW guy could be made without the VW printed inside like Airhead parts uses. Too bad though, a lot of free advertising out there keeping the VW name alive.

EverettB Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:32 pm

JasonBaker wrote: Big companies dont really go after one person

Not always true... I know of 2 guys in the VW world that were harassed at different times for some stuff they made because someone saw it at a swap meet.
They both did not make very many of the particular item.

**Note that I'm being a little obscure because they still make illegal stuff all the time to sell at swap meets and I don't want to rat them out.

vwracerdave Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:40 pm

I've heard that Harley Davidson is just as hardassed as VW is about their logo's

Campmobile Chris74 Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:40 pm

JasonBaker wrote: Big companies dont really go after one person

That's what these people thought
http://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?news_year_filter=...D8337A9B90

19super73 Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:15 pm

Depending on the club, some are licensed to use the VW logos etc., as long as they are non-profit and are not using the logo to make money. They can use it on the club website etc. The process can be done, but if you are trying to use this as an avenue to make money off their logo, prepare to be raped while they toss sand in.

Cusser Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:43 am

If you have that as a tattoo will VW make you cut it out of your skin ?

Gary Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:10 am

Cusser wrote: If you have that as a tattoo will VW make you cut it out of your skin ?

They can make your life miserable and could have the court order you to modify it or even have it covered.
Can I legally get myself tattooed with a pro sports team's logo?

Ever watch a TV broadcast that includes the blurb explaining that the show is the property of Such & Such Corporation and cannot be rebroadcast without the expressed written permission...? How about the warnings on DVDs?

There have been cases where people in a neighborhood would have movie night in someone's garage with a giant TV and either money was collected to pay for food for everyone or everyone brought pot-luck. The entertainment companies caught wind of it and would slam the hosts with Cease and Desist orders.

A company or individual who has an image trademarked or secured with a copyright has every legal right to protect the use and reproduction of that image. Call it stupid if you want, but the law is the law.

Be prepared to get burned when you play with fire.

Minnesota woman fined $222,000 for 24 illegal song downloads

dantrefethen Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:19 am

This is what VW has to say about it:

http://www.vwtrademarks.com/vw.aspx?file=vwguide.htm

19super73 Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:42 pm

Cusser wrote: If you have that as a tattoo will VW make you cut it out of your skin ?

Many of the better tattoo shops that know what's best for themselves will refuse a customer's request to tattoo anything that is a licensed logo etc.



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