UKC

No doubt some are aware of the furore surrounding the bike firm Specialized and a small bike shop in Calgary named Café Roubaix. Spesh have issued the owner of the shop with a cease and desist order regarding the use of their trademark -"Roubaix".

As an example of how not to pursue a corporate policy it takes some beating. Technically and legally Specialized are correct but as a PR event it's a disaster, viewing everything in terms of black and white. As you might expect social media feeds are indignant, though it has to be said that some tweets are very funny and inventive.

Anyway, anyone want to buy a secondhand Specialized Roubaix, 56cm frame?

In reply to Bob:

Does it come with a cafe?

In reply to Bob:

Presumably they are also asking the inhabitants of Roubaix to cease and desist as well?

In reply to Bob:

I hope they really damage themselves over this. BMW did exactly the same to the owners of dozens of small Mini parts suppliers when they 'bought' the name and launched the behemoth that is the BMW Mini.

And no, I don't want your Spesh, not if it will have 'that' association from now on!

In reply to Bob:

Buy a Volagi instead.

(You may have to search google to understand why )

In reply to Bob:

Not exactly a new trick from Specialized...

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/motivation-and-litigation-america...

In reply to Bob:

I wonder, if I were to move to Roubaix, and find an old bloke there who used to make bikes, and financed him to make bike under the brand name Roubaix Cycles what a judge would say about the use ofthat name?

What about if I opened a specialist bike shop called Specialist Cyles Roubaix?

In reply to Pagan:

In one previous case the judge awarded damages to Specialized of just $1 so obviously thought that while the law was on their side, morality and common sense weren't.

Bob

In reply to Bob:

Whilst at Uni I worked as a bike mechanic, at a Specialized dealer Hot Pursuit in Totnes 1998-2002, back then they just always seemed like a really good bike company, and great support. when Ned Overend had raced down at Newnham Park in Plymouth at the worlds in Plymouth they had visited the shop and he left his back up frame which was the old carbon epic ultimate at the shop, this frame got sold and owned by good few owners, proper mint bike.

Sounds like they've lost the plot!

In reply to Bob:

More info on several cycle sites but it does seem that if they (Spec) do not protest then they lose their rights to the name in Canada and then the Roubaix name could be used in a more direct way of capitalising on their name.
Hope they get told to sod off though.

In reply to Bob:

Not quite as good as when Posh Spice took Peterborough FC to court for using the name Posh *facepalm*

In reply to mattsccm:

There's pressing your rights and then there's being heavy handed. The guy does sell wheels under the Roubaix name but wheels aren't covered by the trademark apparently. I came across this blog - http://ridingagainstthegrain.com/2013/12/08/an-open-letter-to-mike-sinyard/ - scroll down to the letter from the Jack Daniel's distillery for how to manage minor infringements like this.

I also read last night that Specialized don't actually own the Roubaix trademark in the US, they license it from a company called ASI who have said that Specialized don't have the authority to challenge the shop owner - http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2013/12/09/asi-says-calgary-bi... .

I'm surprised that Specialized have let this rumble on: supposedly there's no such thing as bad publicity but this is certainly not good for them.

Bob

In reply to Bob:

He could rename his cafe "Café Not the Specialized Roubaix". For those with an IT background there are precedents for doing this sort of thing e.g. GNU (Gnus Not Unix). If he could come up with a naming scheme of this sort that poked fun at Specialized, but didn't infringe their trademark, it would make them look even sillier than they do at the moment.

In reply to Bob:

It's outrageous isn't it?

In reply to Bob:
....
I had a great conversation with Mike Sinyard today, and I am happy to let everyone know that things will be working out fine.

We thank you for your continued support. You have all been so very awesome to us!

Thank you,
Dan
....

From the Cafe Roubaix facebook page. Pester power prevails () Woohoo.

In reply to Bob:
"how to shoot yourself in both feet?"


was expecting a thread on lax laws with gun licence holders .was expecting you to say that someone being careless with a double barrelled shotgun had managed to shoot both their feet off . .
disappointing.

In reply to colina:

Just doing this and then repeating, I suppose?

youtube.com/watch?v=BnByvEACfss&

jcm

In reply to Bob:

Looks like Spesh are on th losing side on this one.... it's not their trade mark - it's licensed to them by ASI, who have taken a much more reasonable stance:

http://bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2013/12/09/asi-says-calgary-bike-s...

In reply to Bob:

All ended well:

http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/12/10/cochrane-war-vet-to-keep-bike-sho...

In reply to ChrisJD:

The Café Roubaix facebook site has Mike Sinyard going to the shop to apologise in person and shake Dan's hand at the end of a couple of minutes of saying how sorry he is.

Fancy that.