Ford goes legal on the aftermarket.

[badjuju342]

Ford is starting to issue cease and desist orders on aftermarket companies that have "Mustang" in their company name. They have hired a specific legal team just for this purpose One of the businesses , Mustangs Plus, has been doing business under that for over 25 years. They recieved a letter from Ford ordering them to change their name or face legal issues for trademark infringement. Businesses will also have to remove any image of the Mustang from their logo.The company above contacted Ford to find out if this was a hoax and found out it is not. This is a bad move on Ford's part IMO as it will cause bad will between the businesses , enthusiasts and themselves. A lot of folks are pretty angry and rightfully so! Companies with Cougar , Thunderbird, or any Ford trademark in their name might well be wary at this point

[badjuju342]

More info here:
http://www.mustangevolution.com/forum/ford-motor-company

A publication called Mustang Monthly says Ford Motor Co. is out to sue the pants off anyone using the Mustang name.

Partially true.

"We police and protect the trademark all the time, but every once in a while it pops up," Ford spokesman Dan Bedore said.

Bedore said a flurry of Internet chat room exchanges created the impression that Ford has filed a rash of suits.

The magazine said an Internet parts supplier using the Mustang name got a letter from Ford demanding payment. The inference was that Mustang clubs or even those wearing Mustang T-shirts risk standing before judge and jury -- if not CEO Bill Ford.

"We've invested a lot of money in the trademark and try to protect it," Bedore said. "Car parts Web sites using it are in business to make money, and they should pay us to use our trademark."

So did Ford ever demand a check from the now defunct Mustang Ranch, a bordello outside Las Vegas?

"It's when our name and logo are used to sell auto parts that it becomes a legal issue," Bedore said, and, of course, auto parts aren't what the ranch sold.

[01 Thunder]

seems to me as long as you arnt selling autoparts you should be ok as stated by Bedore above in the last paragraph

[badjuju342]

That's what I've gathered from it ,too. Seems like they would have said something about all of this a long time ago ,though.

[Josh]

Why are they just now starting this?

[NoChrome]

Because ford is running out of money, and they need a new source of income. I see it as nothing more than a way to make ends meet. Especially with the decline in truck sales.

[Tailwind]

Ford is starting to issue cease and desist orders on aftermarket companies that have "Mustang" in their company name. They have hired a specific legal team just for this purpose One of the businesses , Mustangs Plus, has been doing business under that for over 25 years. They recieved a letter from Ford ordering them to change their name or face legal issues for trademark infringement. Businesses will also have to remove any image of the Mustang from their logo.The company above contacted Ford to find out if this was a hoax and found out it is not. This is a bad move on Ford's part IMO as it will cause bad will between the businesses , enthusiasts and themselves. A lot of folks are pretty angry and rightfully so! Companies with Cougar , Thunderbird, or any Ford trademark in their name might well be wary at this point

Does that mean even places like the Mustang ranch in Wyo. That is a privatly owned horse farm is at risk. they have been around longer than the Mustang?

[Tailwind]

Some lawyer looking to move up in the ranks mentioned it to an exec and started it I bet.