PatS.... Posted January 15, 2008 Report Posted January 15, 2008 Ford has shot down a Mustang club calendar claiming that Ford owns the rights to all Ford pics, even the ones you take of your own Ford. (not that anyone here owns a Ford ) R.I.P. Common sense Ford Slaps Brand Enthusiasts, Returns Love With Legal Punch While brands certainly don't want people using their products, logos and other related imagery to create products of their, own, the hammer that Ford legal dropped on the Black Mustang Club seems a bit heavy handed. Recently the club created a calendar which contained images of club members' cars photographed by the members themselves. Ford didn't take kindly to this and asked CafePress, the service the group had chosen to print the calendars, to kill the project claiming all the images in the calendar are the property of Ford...including the Black Mustang Club logo. It's understandable that a brand would and should do everything it can to protect itself from any kind of potential negative effect but to attack a group of people who, clearly, love the product in question simply for showing their love of that product is, well, idiotic and more harmful to the brand had they done nothing at all. BMC Owner Lisa commented to group members, "I'm sorry, but at this point we will not be producing the 2008 BMC Calendar, featuring our 2007 Members of the Month, solely due to Ford Motor Company's claim that they own all rights to the photos you take of your car. I hope to resolve this soon, and be able to provide the calendar and other BMC merchandise that you guys want and deserve!" We hope this can be resolved as well. It's one thing to protect your brand from being harmfully tarnished. It's another to shoot down the very people who love your product the most.Wake up and smell the CGM, Ford. http://www.adrants.com/2008/01/ford-slaps-brand-enthusiasts-returns.php Quote
Normspeed Posted January 16, 2008 Report Posted January 16, 2008 Sounds kinda like ford is grabbing at straws here, exactly what a drowning person is known to do. Pathetic. Quote
Dennis Hemingway Posted January 16, 2008 Report Posted January 16, 2008 I will still take photos of Fords and submit them to Hotrodhotline until I'm told not to. I will also keep posting photos of Fords on the internet. Pat I do own a Ford F100. Dennis:cool: Quote
PatS.... Posted January 16, 2008 Author Report Posted January 16, 2008 I will still take photos of Fords and submit them to Hotrodhotline until I'm told not to. I will also keep posting photos of Fords on the internet.Pat I do own a Ford F100. Dennis:cool: I was only kidding, Dennis:D Quote
Brendan D25 Posted January 16, 2008 Report Posted January 16, 2008 I guess this could be a warning for Alan. Be careful, Chrysler might be after you for royalities. I hear they need money. :D Brendan. Quote
Norm's Coupe Posted January 16, 2008 Report Posted January 16, 2008 Evidently the issue is resolved. The only problem with the calendars was the use of the Ford Logo. That's a trademark. No one can stop you from taking a picture of your own car and then publishing it. However, you can't use a copy written company logo. That's where the problem was. According to the update on the site Pat posted the calendars are now going to be published minus the Ford Logo. Here's a copy and past of the paragraph on the site Pat posted. UPDATE: The issue has been resolved. Ford Car Communication's Whitney Drake tells us "Mustang (and other car owners) can take pictures of their cars and make calendars and sell them to whomever they like. They can't however use Ford logos in the calendar." She further clarifies, "The club (Black Mustang Club) and cafe press (or another printer) now has permission to print the calendar. Apparently, CafePress misunderstood the intent of an earlier communication from Ford regarding the use of trademarks on other products they sold when it told Black Mustang Club it would not print its calendars. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted January 16, 2008 Report Posted January 16, 2008 Frankly..if they own sole rights to everything Mustang..then let them suckers pay the car payment, insurance and the registration plus property tax..until then..they can kiss my royal..(crown cola..being nice here) Quote
Normspeed Posted January 16, 2008 Report Posted January 16, 2008 Well, I feel better now. Glad they settled it. Talk about bad press! I own 2 Fords myself, they're not bad vehicles at all, but the company's customer relations have been a train wreck for quite some time. Quote
Allan Faust Posted January 17, 2008 Report Posted January 17, 2008 I guess this could be a warning for Alan. Be careful, Chrysler might be after you for royalities. I hear they need money. :D Brendan. I was thinking the exact same thing you were Brendan.... ssshhhhh!!! don't speak too loudly..... (ok then, next year there won't be one!!!!) Allan Quote
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