Buell Trademark ownership

[thrstrmech]

maybe some of you can shed some light on the subject...has anyone found any current info on the subject?

according to this and this, Harley Davidson hasn't owned the Buell trademark since closing the doors on production od Buell motorcycles. In the second link, it names the very same H-D Michigan, LLC that filed the application for the trademark and they failed to follow up as of Feb. 2nd, 2010.

 

[thrstrmech]

more info right here

 

[mrlogix]

your joking right? Ford owned the GT40 trademark in the 60's. They let the trademark expire in the early 70's. A local guy (Cincinnati) owned a GT40 restoration company for GT40's and purchased the rights to the trademark/name. When Ford decided in the early 2000's that they were going to re-release a version of the GT40 they started to use the trademark again and quickly ran into trademark infringement for the GT40 trademark with the above mentioned restoration company. Ford offered to buy the trademark back. The negotiations stalled. Ford offered the guy $4-$5M plus the first new production GT40 off the assembly line. The guy refused, demanding $15M for the trademark. Ford finally withdrew from the negotiations and marketed the car as the Ford GT. Surely Erik knows this, Right? [confused][confused]

 

[jetlee]

http://www.trademarkia.com/erik-buell-racing-85508609.html

 

[heagachongoose]

^ EBR

Buell trademark status

 

[jetlee]

^ EBR

I'm aware, that's why I posted the link. Sure Buell is gone so it would be assumed that eventually trademarks would be abandoned. However since EBR is still up and running, and growing, you wouldn't expect to see an EBR trademark abandoned as such.

Buell trademark status

Already linked in second post.

 

[heagachongoose]

Whoops. Missed that.

 

[mrlogix]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=4801:z9ng9i.2.66

^ EBR trademark is LIVE per USPTO

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=4801:z9ng9i.2.67

^new Pegasus symbol is LIVE per USPTO

haven't found the HD/Buell trademark yet. The USPTO database isn't the easiest to search in. Working on it. A lot of trademark assistance companies will not have up to date info and are not liable for misreporting current status.
John

 

[mrlogix]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=4801:z9ng9i.3.23

^ EBR engine designation as ET-V2 is registered and live per USPTO

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=4801:z9ng9i.3.61

^ EBR "Fiercely Independent" slogan is live trademark for EBR

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=4801:z9ng9i.3.64

^ EBR is a live trademark via USPTO

still no HD/Buell findings. After the Buell/HD fiasco I would have been surprised that Erik would let this slip by. Even though I haven't found the HD/Buell records yet, I am confident that if it was available or expired Erik would have jumped all over getting his name/logo back.

 

[mrlogix]

just saying...nostalgic and all

 

[thrstrmech]

The EBR info is good and all, but the focus is of the trademark status of Buell Motorcycle Company and who owns it. If HD does, then surely there is documentation trail.

 

[mrlogix]

still searching. Did Erik have the same emblem logo when HD invested? Have to trace back to the original application date.

 

[Red93stang]

The logo changed in 1998. They got sued in 97 by Mobil due to the pegasus. This is why you see a old pegasus on the 97 gauges and the new pegasus with no legs on the 98 bikes.