[forrestvt]

Just stumbled across this in another mtbr forum and thought the rest of the AK folks should be aware if they are already not and support the local vendor.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=581818

 

[CasteelG]

Specialized is legally obligated to protect their patents, trademarks, copyrights, and products.

This is what all businesses do. You, and everyone else who is overreacting to this, are villianizing Specialized over something that any other bike company would do in the same situation.

 

[forrestvt]

You are correct, all businesses protect their "patents, trademarks, copyrights, and products" but, look up Rock Art Brewery vs Monster and check out the link below on Specialized vs Mtn Cycle and see what happened to Mtn Cycle. Justifiable? Is this "overreacting"?

http://bikeportland.org/2006/01/31/specialized-mountain-cycle-disagree-on-stumptown/

Personally I am of the opinion it is one thing to protect ones product from being pirated by another but it is quite another to infringe upon the creative nature of another and try to limit their business. Was RockArt taking away business from Monster by using the word Vermonster? Was Mtn Cycle taking business away from Specialized by naming a bike Stumptown? Is Epic Designs taking away bike sales from Specialized by having the word Epic in the company name?

To me these are classic examples of how the original intent of a law has been lost and butchered by overzealous lawyers of big business who think not with business morals and ethics but they can make some $$ at the unfortunate happenings to others. Is Specialized the only company out there taking these business actions out there? Certinly not but, it doesnt make it right either and frankly it amkes me sad the biking community is not above this sort of crap. I am not sure how commonly used works are allowed to be trademarked but for another example read the article linked below by Sarah Bird. She makes some excellent points on this issue in her articel reguarding U-Haul and their trademark of "Moving help".

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/another-trademark-and-seo-related-lawsuit-uhaul-vs-hire-a-helper

In short, if I have a choice over supporting the small local guy vs some giant company you know where my support and $ are going, espically when it comes to biking.

 

[sean salach]

Mtn Cycle should not have tried to name a bike "Stumptown". That's just too close.

Epic designs making bikepacking bags has nothing to do with Specialized making complicated full suspension mtn bikes. There is no room for confusion there, and I had not even made any connection between the Epic Designs bags and the Specialized Epic line of bikes before this nonsense was brought to light.

Specialized makes seat bags, none of which have 'Epic" in the product name.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqSection.jsp?sid=EquipBags&eid=5133&menuItemId=9311

No room for confusion.

They could, however, sue Dirt Rag for having a name reasonably close to their Dirt Bag seat bags. They could also sue most cities and towns in the US for calling their employees EMT's, an abbreviation which they clearly own all legal rights to because they use it themselves for something...

In this particular instance, Specialized are being nothing but enormous dousches.

 

[CasteelG]

They could, however, sue Dirt Rag for having a name reasonably close to their Dirt Bag seat bags. They could also sue most cities and towns in the US for calling their employees EMT's, an abbreviation which they clearly own all legal rights to because they use it themselves for something...

In this particular instance, Specialized are being nothing but enormous dousches.

You don't fully understand the legality of the situation.

 

[sean salach]

How about instead of being smug, you explain what I apparently don't understand?

 

[AZ]

The Irony of a company that stole the design for thier first bike sueing a one man shop over the word epic.

 

[akdeluxe]

Yesss!!

How about instead of being smug, you explain what I apparently don't understand?

HA! I love it!
Can I use that Sean?

akdeluxe

 

[sean salach]

It's all yours. Enjoy!

 

[klondikebike]

Specialized is legally obligated to protect their patents, trademarks, copyrights, and products.

This is what all businesses do. You, and everyone else who is overreacting to this, are villianizing Specialized over something that any other bike company would do in the same situation.

Not.
So, can I still have an "Epic" ride?
When I first heard of this, I got pretty p!ssed off, and i still am. Hope riders remember this when they come to purchase a new rig.
I can't imagine Eric saw the Specialized bike, and thought "hey, what a great name for my company"! Besides, Epic Designs is waaaaaay more Epic than Specialized.
I for one am never going to buy another Specialized product as a result.

 

[Alhansen]

Since he probably won't win the legal battle, 'EPIC Designs' should be renamed 'ERIC Designs', using the same font. Isn't that his first name?

 

[I Drink Blatz]

I`m the one who started this http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=585762 after reading about it on bikepacking.net I was pissed also. I don`t know why the big S decided to this. Kind of lame. I have read that Eric from Epic Designs would like to put it behind him. Specialized just came out looking like the big ASS in this case

 

[Valhalla]

Since he probably won't win the legal battle, 'EPIC Designs' should be renamed 'ERIC Designs', using the same font. Isn't that his first name?

I like that idea.

 

[patirwin]

Any Name

I don't care what name Eric uses, I'll still buy his awesome products.

"Stampeding Wildabeast" sounds good to me. "Beast" for short.

As for SpecialEdze, they lost my business.

P

 

[sean salach]

Stampeding Wildabeast is definitely the best suggestion I've seen yet.

 

[rio]

How about Bear Bait's Bad Ass Bags-

 

[sean salach]

Bear Bait's Wrinkle Free Sac(s)