I would like some insite from you Railroaders on this problem. Do you feel that Railroads like the UP has the right to charge extra for “anything” that has their logo on any Model Trains? And “NO ONE” can tell me other wise that the CSX and the UP do have the right to do what their doing to Modelers. Protecting their logo is number one in my books. I am in the prosess of getting two HO Scale UP SD40-2 Locomotives this may,and yes the logo is payed in full. So I am not complaining at all. But it seems as though as some Modelers can’t accept the fact that the UP did what it did to protect it’s logo. So what,UP is going law suit happy,so what. I just don’t understand why NS and the BNSF and the other are falling in UP and CSXT’s foot steps. Oh sure I did some complaing in the past,but im much older now and I have learned to accept it. Some Modelers won’t and don’t want to accept the fact the UP is now and will forever charge for their logo. I know this has nothing to do with Railroads but in away it does. What’s you take on this? I just can’t understand why Modelers won’t accept it the UP is right. Allan.
The whole issue is as much a reflection of societal changes as anything else. Logos and trademarks, both registered and unregistered, were rarely misused in the past by third parties so the issue rarely came up or it was resolved quietly. You can believe that Coca-Cola protects its trademarks tenaciously so UP’s actions are not that unusual.
I do remember that in the late 1970’s or so, an individual tried to register the PRR keystone as a trademark, apparently to obtain licensing fees as a source of income. I am unfamiliar with the outcome of that matter, but it may have set a precedent for the actions of UP and other businesses to protect their trademarks.
I do believe you are correct. UP does have it’s right to protect it’s logo Trademark. But the complaints are never gona stop. Allan.
I don’t have a problem with UP protecting its trademark. But I think its lame the way they are trying to protect the fallen flags.
I think they have a right to protect their logo. Every RR does. But UP seems to go overboard. everything is a UP licensed product UP models are often higher priced than, say, the similar BNSF model. And doesn’t UP make a small amount of money off these higher priced models? UP has just gone too far protecting their logo. Maybe BNSF should sue Athearn because their AC4400’s have the new logo and none of the BNSF AC4400’s have the logo (as far as I can tell)
It is a business decision pure and simple. They are doing so in the name of protecting their logo as well as the logos of the fallen flags whom they acquired though mergers in order to prevent misuse or defamation of their logos. The bonus is that they make a little money of of it. Keep the shareholders happy. So far as I can tell they’ve done nothing unethical what they have done is just unpopular among the railfan community. I can’t really see them changing their stance now. It is just a matter of time until the others follow.
Mike
I call it the penguin philosopy of business… Wait to see if the one that’s jumped in the sea gets eaten. If it doesn’t then jump om in yourself.
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Very interesting.