Specialized Sue War Vet For use of Roubaix??
 

Hey fellow cyclists. I don't post much and prefer to sit back and read, but this is really close to home and, being a bike shop employee myself, made me feel quite angry. I have never owned a Specialized and was planning on buying one of their saddles shortly, but no longer. I encourage other riders to get on Facebook and Twitter and say something. This is ludicrous.


http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/...t-specialized/

Yeah, it's not new for them. It's how they operate. Sound like they're a bunch of corporate ******bags.

Starting a business is complicated, it's a shame he didn't research registered business names first. Doesn't seem to be a fatal blow, just some added work communicating to customers and the marketplace. The war vet angle is irrelevant.

Well, I think...... Oh, wait. ... Canada.



Never mind

Hey, here in Canada we are not used to imbecile and useless lawsuits over everything. This man deserves to be left alone. Trademark on the word Roubaix? Come on.

I am sorry but your criticism is totally unwarranted. Companies but take immediate action when they see a possible trademark infringement or they can lose the right to it. That's one of the basic principles of intellectual property.

I don't know where you are coming from with your derogatory statements but it's not justified in this instance.

It's a STORE not a bike.
Should Fuji sue Specialized for using Roubaix? Should Specialized sue Roubaix, France?
Come on.

And just who does this French village think they are using the trademarked name on the web, maps, signage and all sorts of media? They're flaunting their use of the Specialized IP in public and despoiling the brand.
http://www.ville-roubaix.fr

the notion that they HAD to act here is highly suspect in my mind. what's clear is that they have created a ton of negative press within a very small community that seems quite responsive to such matters. pure idiocy on the part of specialized.

Why hit the small business owner when there's competition selling bikes with the same name?

Specialized needs to sue Fuji for their Roubaix road bikes.

Oh wait, Fuji came up with the Roubaix line of bikes first?
Huh. Imagine that.

Which fuji used as leverage against specialized when they went after fuji for using the fsr design on their full suspension bikes.

There is a thread in General Cycling talking about this. Supposedly, Fuji's corporate parent owns the rights to "Roubaix in the States, and Specialized brokered a deal to use/own it in Canada.

But, yeah, I think if anyone is going to profit from using the name, it should be the town that had that name before Specialized came into existence.

The parent company of Fuji owns the US rights while Specialized has rights in Canada where this store is located. Specialized has an agreement to use the name in the US.

Surely, this is covered by the European Union "Geographical Indications and Designations of Origin" statutes. ;)

If businesses fail to sue for trademark infringement they can lose their trademarks. That's just the law. That said, Fuji has used the same name for a bike model for at least as long as Specialized. And Specialized is notorious for its litigiousness.

This is how trademark laws work. You have to vigorously enforce them or lose them. Period. You can't pick and choose. If they want to keep the trademark they have no choice.

Because screw small business, right?

Yay capitalism.

See post #9 : http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...by-Specialized

He did and named his bike after the French town where the race finishes, not after a Specialized product. If you read the article his lawyers believes he has a strong case but he can't afford the fight.

City/town names should not be trademarked when used as a product name.

#9 and #12 make excellent points. #10 hit the nail on the head.

Specialized can go chew a bag of Richards.

The law may work like that. But, this man is not using the word by itself, nor is he selling bikes with roubaix branding. Really, the issue here is that the the word Roubaix should NOT be trademarkeable. Specialized needs to give up its right to that term. Think of all the other cycling products coined 'roubaix' including tires, shorts, fabrics etc. that make much more impact on the cycling world than this mans store.

Has Specialized sued these guys yet? http://www.tarmac.co.uk/about_us/abo...r_history.aspx

So, it would be OK to sue him if he wasn't a war vet? :rolleyes:

It wouldn't be okay either way, it just so happens he is.