• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

To those of you who own a Ford.

Abrasive

I say it with pictures
Good thing I like GM products, but I guess no more pics of my Escort. :cool:

"In a move that can only be described as 'Copyright Insanity', Ford Motor Company now claims that they hold the rights to any image of a Ford vehicle, even if it's a picture you took of your own car. The Black Mustang Club wanted to put together a calendar featuring member's cars and print it through CafePress, but an attorney from Ford nixed the project, stating that the calendar pics and 'anything with one of (member's) cars in it infringes on Ford's trademarks which include the use of images of their vehicles.'"Although you and your members may own the Ford automobile, you do not own the rights to the trade dress. Taking pictures of any Ford automobiles, placing them on products (i.e. calendar, mugs, t-shirts, etc.) and making them available to the public for sale is an infringement of Ford's intellectual property rights."

"Because of the cachet of the world-famous Ford name, thousands of independent businesses and people make a living from or pursue a hobby related to Ford products and services. Unfortunately, many of these businesses improperly attempt to affiliate themselves with Ford by using Ford trademarks and trade dress (for instance, the depictions or photographs of Ford's distinctively shaped vehicles) in advertising their products and services."

"If a business not affiliated with Ford uses any Ford trademark, whether through the use of photographs, depictions or silhouettes, or any confusingly similar variation thereof, without Ford's express, written consent, then that business is violating Federal and state trademarks laws."

"It is also not sufficient for a business to state that it is not affiliated with Ford but continue to use Ford trademarks without permission. The business is still misappropriating the goodwill and reputation developed by Ford, and attempting to capitalize on or profit from Ford's goodwill and reputation. Even with the best of intentions, unauthorized use of another company's trademark is against the law."

"At times Ford enthusiasts question why Ford is so adamant about policing it's trademarks and preventing unauthorized uses or infringements of them. It is quite common for someone who is using a trademark without permission to say, "I'm giving Ford free advertising, so why does Ford care?" Ford cares because it is important that Ford be able to exercise control over the quality of the product or service bearing Ford's trademarks."

"To protect the value of its trademarks, Ford is obligated to object to and pursue unauthorized uses of its trademarks and trade dress, even if the use of the trademark or trade dress does not appear offensive or objectionable."
 


this isnt news. GM won't let you legally print a calendar or anything else with their trademark on it... but it's not just limited to cars. it's just about anything out there that is trademarked... that's why it's a trademark.

this isnt saying you cant take pictures of your ride, but you cant print it on merchandise and sell it (usually also you cannot give it away)
 
well how can we make the calenders every year w/ our rides legally then? I am just curious of this, not that I really care at the same time, as long as I can take pics of my ride and not worry about a lawsuit.
 
As far as I'm concerned, I bought and paid for it. I'll do WhateverTF I want with it, sue me. I just thought it was funny so I copied it from another board I frequent. Who knows if it even holds any truth.
 


As far as I'm concerned, I bought and paid for it. I'll do WhateverTF I want with it, sue me.

Agreed, As soon as the dealer has sold the car when it was brand new what does gm or ford or whoever care what the owner does with the car. Besides GM doesn't have a trademark on the cars they just have a trademark on the logos right? So if you can't see a Pontiac logo anywhere in the pic what do they have on you. The do this all the time in commercials or movies, the cars won't have any logo on it. Like on mythbusters the cans off beer just say "Beer" on them.
 




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