opinions on this custom shirt?

[justin84]

I contacted a guy about this and here is the sample he sent me. what do you guys think? Here is the actual car then the shirt...I like it a lot!

 

[davidf]

Like it. Personally, I'd drop the "T Type" and replace it with "Buick".

 

[22lbChevelle]

Sweet shirt! Keep the T-type

 

[GNBRETT]

I like it. X2.... keep the T-Type.

 

[John Wilde]

I like and would sport one.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Not to dampen your spirits......

but if you plan to market the shirt keep it low keyed.....unless you plan to get it licensed by GM.....also if you try to get it licensed by GM they frown upon anything that knocks another GM model...and the Corvette is like the holy Grail in the GM world.

Trust me I know.......long time customers will remember the dozen or so different shirts we did.....until the trademark issues popped up.

Fact of life...one reason you see licensed shirts costing so much to buy.......

from a font stand point I think it would look better if both Ts were in caps......

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[davidf]

Maybe he should change it to "We brake for no one". Maybe that'll keep it legal.

 

[GNBRETT]

I agree with Dennis that the letters should be in caps. But I dont see anywhere he or his friend mentioning they were gonna market this shirt? Its a pretty unique color and choice of wheels.

I have plenty of custom shirts made up. Thats why they are custom. If it was mass produced it wouldnt be custom.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

I agree with Dennis that the letters should be in caps. But I dont see anywhere he or his friend mentioning they were gonna market this shirt? Its a pretty unique color and choice of wheels.

I have plenty of custom shirts made up. Thats why they are custom. If it was mass produced it wouldnt be custom.

Its like artwork you do an original for someone you got no trademark issues, you make copies and sell then you can possibly have issues with trademarks.

If it read we brake for no one that would be ok as you are not knocking a GM product......however, the likeness of the car (Regal) 99% sure would have to be licensed if he planned to mass market them.

Again these are all "ifs" and only because they have recently made the rounds again concerning the trademarks of GM....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[justin84]

It is a custom thing. Surely not something I am trying to sell...

 

[scot w.]

Its like artwork you do an original for someone you got no trademark issues, you make copies and sell then you can possibly have issues with trademarks.

If it read we brake for no one that would be ok as you are not knocking a GM product......however, the likeness of the car (Regal) 99% sure would have to be licensed if he planned to mass market them.

Again these are all "ifs" and only because they have recently made the rounds again concerning the trademarks of GM....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Dennis,

I just want to be correct on what I'm reading here, So what your saying here is if this guy took a picture of his Own car and made shirts of it and then went to sell these to the public, that GM would/could come after him for selling shirts with his Own car solely because "It's a Regal?" OR were you meaning the Word Regal? What kind of nonsense is that? :rolleyes

What about those T-shirt vendors at BG every year selling shirts with TONS of words like "Buick, T-Type, Grand national and pictures of Regals plastered on every one???" Hell for that matter what about the damn "Event Shirts"? They are sold to mass people...

I personally think that the big motor company's should have a damn trademark book/link available to ALL their trademarks so the public don't have to play this stupid mickey mouse game of "Guess the trade mark" until you happen to stumble on one and they threaten you!... Phuckin ridiculous!

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Before this gets into gets into a bunch of questions I am pretty familar with the issues concerning GM trademarks, as the group representing GM has come after us several times in the past.

They have also come by major events etc...In some cases it is s scare tactic because it takes money to go against a major car company even if you think you are right. Lawyers work on billable time.

Our company has been through this.

Books are pretty safe as must books (even mine) have some sort of statement in them about
recognizing mentioning herein the property of the trademark holder.

My Guide Book we had permission from James Ibusuki for the GNX artwork.....

Granted their are some shady issues that GM insists on that make little or no sense.

You draw a photo of one of their cars (We had at least a dozen different shirts years ago) and they want their slice of the pie....Don't matter if you leave the emblems off the car if it looks like a Regal its their work.....

Even Molly who designed the Buick clothing line quit selling Buick clothing when they wanted him to be licensed....

In the Ford world again another area I am familar with take the Mustang....they use a running pony granted a running pony is an animal but you copy that format they will possibly eventually come after you. You would have to draw that pony in a different stance.

I believe Ford went thru this when they brought back the GT40....reason it was simply called GT....because someone owned the trademark words GT40 and I guess wanted a lot of money for it....(This is what I have been told by some Ford buddies.)

I am not saying if you run off a dozen shirts and sell them or put them on ebay you will get caught...

The ones that work in the GM system with license you can see how they can get upset when they gotta pay the fees and others do not....

In some regards I see GMs point to protect their trademarks......other side of the coin is companies like the ones on this forum help promote Buick/Regal etc

Two other companies that really stay on top of this is BMW and Harley Davidson.....don' even think about doing something which shows any of their trademarks without getting licensed!

Back when we started 1978 with GTOs none of these issues came up....

I think it started with Corvette and making some of the various VIN related tags etc....which you can see would be questionable

One company that is fully licensed is Triple A Enterprises that does all the window stickers mostly for Corvettes and also Buick etc.....

I know you can't get anything approved that knocks another GM car line....no matter how slight....

Its unfortunate that this business being of limited volume makes it difficult to have the added expense of a GM license if you plan to market something that is a trademark item of GM.

Body parts are not an issue.....heck we had the GTO wheels made years ago....now if the center cap had the Pontiac crest on it....we could not have done it....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

hope my examples are helpful...

Items you see on our website where noted says GM licensed and those items have the GM license special tags on them.


Funny part is...years ago we sold Pontiac some parts for their GTO they restored.....

If you really think about it....as a tax payer didn't we lend GM money?

Better yet, if you think about it they no longer make Pontiac, they no longer make Oldsmobile so how can trademarks be in forced on models that they have dropped?

I point this out to get readers to think....

Also these same laws don't really fly overseas real well look at Hyundai look at their H logo...and how darn similar it is the Hondas H.......

You can almost bet money if both those models were produced in the USA one of them would be going to court against the other!

You can see how vague things can be concerning trademarks.

I buy a GM trademark item....company spent more time getting the box approved by GM than it took them to make the actual part......(tue story).

Turbo owners realize GM is never going to get rich on whatever fees they collect on licensing turbo related items.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[K Beauchamp]

I like the capital Ts, but I allways prefer the design on the back instead of the front.

 

[NEVER ENOUGH]

I like it, will he do some with a black car?
If so, send me his info via PM.

 

[GNBRETT]

Before this gets into gets into a bunch of questions I am pretty familar with the issues concerning GM trademarks, as the group representing GM has come after us several times in the past.

They have also come by major events etc...In some cases it is s scare tactic because it takes money to go against a major car company even if you think you are right. Lawyers work on billable time.

Our company has been through this.

Books are pretty safe as must books (even mine) have some sort of statement in them about
recognizing mentioning herein the property of the trademark holder.

My Guide Book we had permission from James Ibusuki for the GNX artwork.....

Granted their are some shady issues that GM insists on that make little or no sense.

You draw a photo of one of their cars (We had at least a dozen different shirts years ago) and they want their slice of the pie....Don't matter if you leave the emblems off the car if it looks like a Regal its their work.....

Even Molly who designed the Buick clothing line quit selling Buick clothing when they wanted him to be licensed....

In the Ford world again another area I am familar with take the Mustang....they use a running pony granted a running pony is an animal but you copy that format they will possibly eventually come after you. You would have to draw that pony in a different stance.

I believe Ford went thru this when they brought back the GT40....reason it was simply called GT....because someone owned the trademark words GT40 and I guess wanted a lot of money for it....(This is what I have been told by some Ford buddies.)

I am not saying if you run off a dozen shirts and sell them or put them on ebay you will get caught...

The ones that work in the GM system with license you can see how they can get upset when they gotta pay the fees and others do not....

In some regards I see GMs point to protect their trademarks......other side of the coin is companies like the ones on this forum help promote Buick/Regal etc

Two other companies that really stay on top of this is BMW and Harley Davidson.....don' even think about doing something which shows any of their trademarks without getting licensed!

Back when we started 1978 with GTOs none of these issues came up....

I think it started with Corvette and making some of the various VIN related tags etc....which you can see would be questionable

One company that is fully licensed is Triple A Enterprises that does all the window stickers mostly for Corvettes and also Buick etc.....

I know you can't get anything approved that knocks another GM car line....no matter how slight....

Its unfortunate that this business being of limited volume makes it difficult to have the added expense of a GM license if you plan to market something that is a trademark item of GM.

Body parts are not an issue.....heck we had the GTO wheels made years ago....now if the center cap had the Pontiac crest on it....we could not have done it....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

hope my examples are helpful...

Items you see on our website where noted says GM licensed and those items have the GM license special tags on them.


Funny part is...years ago we sold Pontiac some parts for their GTO they restored.....

If you really think about it....as a tax payer didn't we lend GM money?

Better yet, if you think about it they no longer make Pontiac, they no longer make Oldsmobile so how can trademarks be in forced on models that they have dropped?

I point this out to get readers to think....

Also these same laws don't really fly overseas real well look at Hyundai look at their H logo...and how darn similar it is the Hondas H.......

You can almost bet money if both those models were produced in the USA one of them would be going to court against the other!

You can see how vague things can be concerning trademarks.

I buy a GM trademark item....company spent more time getting the box approved by GM than it took them to make the actual part......(tue story).

Turbo owners realize GM is never going to get rich on whatever fees they collect on licensing turbo related items.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

I think ur reading into this a little too much. The guy is just haven a T-shirt made up with his car on it. It can read anything he wants. He has already stated that he's making it for himself and not others.

I go to a large fair every year called the BIG E in West Springfield MA and see shirts for sale all the time from the vendors with a picture of some kid pissen on a Ford or Chevy emblem. I have seen them for sale for 20 years now and im sure they are not paying fees to GM or Ford for using their logo.

Even if he was to sell them to a few members that wanted one I highly doubt GM is gonna give a rats ass and would spend thousands in attorney fees for any court to even entertain something so miniscule. They to have to pick their battles.

Your offering advice to a problem that doesn't and isn't going to exist.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

I think ur reading into this a little too much. The guy is just haven a T-shirt made up with his car on it. It can read anything he wants. He has already stated that he's making it for himself and not others.

I go to a large fair every year called the BIG E in West Springfield MA and see shirts for sale all the time from the vendors with a picture of some kid pissen on a Ford or Chevy emblem. I have seen them for sale for 20 years now and im sure they are not paying fees to GM or Ford for using their logo.

Even if he was to sell them to a few members that wanted one I highly doubt GM is gonna give a rats ass and would spend thousands in attorney fees for any court to even entertain something so miniscule. They to have to pick their battles.

Your offering advice to a problem that doesn't and isn't going to exist.

I personally deal with a lot of different companies both in our market and the Ford market and they do crack down on companies every so often and I am sure some companies that support this forum can attest to it.

Its certianily true they don;t go to every major event in the US looking for infringements....but they have hit major events such as Carilsle.

I think its a waste time also for major companies to go after issues like this...but facts remain they do.

Harley and BMW.....are even tougher....

Look at the dozen or so different shirts we made years ago....we certainily didn't sell thousands of them....yet we can't market them anymore.....

I was merely making the individual aware of circumstances that could arise nothing more.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

I have been down that road several times.......