Posted on 01/12/2008 6:01:31 PM PST by Spktyr
Own a Ford product? Ford doesn't agree.
Once we've paid for a car and driven it off the dealership lot, most people believe that you own that car. You have all rights and privileges of ownership, nobody but you (and the bank, perhaps) can determine what you do with it. Or, so we thought.
Ford Motor Company recently decided to go after two car clubs, the "Black Mustang Club" and the "Rice Haters' Club" for various trademark and copyright infringements. In both cases, the clubs had put out an annual calendar, featuring photos of members' cars, some of which were Fords. Ford proceeded to get the calendars' publication stopped on the grounds that they owned the images. Yes, even though the cars are privately owned and non-Ford photographers took the pictures, Ford claims that it owns all rights to any vehicle they have ever produced.
As you can read in the above threads, Ford has gone after these clubs and others for no apparent reason. In the past, Ford has prosecuted companies that produced parts for Ford products, or who had the name of a Ford product in their name. Going after clubs and forums and by extension, Ford owners is a new and frightening low in Ford's behavior.
When asked for comment, a Ford spokesperson refused, saying it involved pending litigation and referred us to the legal department.
The only conclusion that one can draw from this action is that Ford believes that *they* own your cars, not you, and that you have merely paid Ford for the privilege of driving it.
How's that for a "Bold Move"?
I think this belongs in news, but I may be wrong. Please move and/or edit accordingly.
Threatening to sue one’s most zealous customers over images of their cars is a pretty stupid way of doing business...
Stupid, stupid, stupid people.
The legal departments (or at LEAST the marketing departments) ought to realize that this kind of thing is the BEST KIND of FREE publicity they can possibly get.
I used to be a Ford man, having owned a 1986 Mustang GT, a 1991 Lincoln Mark VII and several others. No more!
Smart move, crack down on a bunch of Ford enthusiasts. Remind me not to hire the Ford PR guy.
What if your Ford gets photographed by a red light camera....will Ford Motors sue the cops?
Batavia thinks you’re maybe just a bit paranoid this evening....warm milk helps.
Trademarks like the Ford Pony emblem (stolen from Ferrari) have legal protection from copying.
Photographing products *without* their trademarks is out of Ford’s realm (so just pop off the emblems and click away with your cameras, clearly Ford doesn’t want you advertising their crappy cars in any manner in public).
No, I don’t think so. When Ford tells the people “we only let our sanctioned clubs make photos and publish them, and you’re not sanctioned and never will be” (read the second link above), there’s a HUGE problem.
I used to like Ford. The last car I bought was not a Ford because of the item we aren’t supposed to mention. This just seals the deal for me.
Ford Legal had a picture of a CHRYSLER pulled off, specifically.
They’re even claiming copyrights that aren’t theirs. And they also claimed copyright on cars that didn’t have any visible Ford logos.
Their logic is that “it is instantly recognizable as a Ford, so we have control over the image”.
Real simple solution. Just contact all the car journals and magazines and get them on your side. Have the editors send notification they will no longer accept articles dealing with Ford due to threats of litigation.
Ford hasn’t gotten in the boat they are in without making a lot of dumb decisions.
Thank you for not going there, I didn’t want the discussion sidetracked.
Yeah, this is rather more disturbing, IMHO. Now they’re actively going after people.
Microsoft thinks it owns your computer if you have a microsoft product on your hard drive. They have been pretty direct about that with XP and especially Vista. They reserve the right to do anything that strikes their fancy to the contents of your hard drive.
I’ll pass that along to those who are under the gun but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Ford’s *Marketing* division spends an awful lot of money.
Its working for the MPAA % RIAA /sarcasm
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