Specialized...you may want to rethink this one

[400bhp]

Ok then, fund the fightback.

You mean join the likes of the poor saps that dared to take Mc (spit) Donald's.

 

[PeteXXX]

Harrods are also notoriously litigious when it comes to protecting their brand. Apple sued a chap that had an Apple Store in the UK. (he sold apples)
It's big business for lawyers out there!

 

[Dangermouse]

Specialized are being slaughtered on their facebook page, and rightly so

 

[snailracer]

So Specialized start using bullying tactics...........shame on them, after all Café Roubaix isn't much of a threat to their empire is it.

Start? In the US, Specialized have a notorious and long-established reputation for bullying distributors, bike shops, rivals, even ex-employees. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

 

[Dangermouse]

Start? In the US, Specialized have a notorious and long-established reputation for bullying distributors, bike shops, rivals, even ex-employees. I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

I never thought they were the sort of company to use this sort of tactics against competition no matter how big the competition was, so shameful

 

[snailracer]

I never thought they were the sort of company to use this sort of tactics against competition no matter how big the competition was, so shameful

They bully small rivals, not those big enough to see off their lawyers.

 

[Dangermouse]

If he had called his shop something like Specialized café, or Specialized Roubaix café then I think Specialized have something to moan about, but this is really showing Specialized as bullies and trying to bring the minnow in the pond down, unfortunately its backfired and the worlds fraternity of spesh users are turning against them and slagging them off............rightly so too.

 

[vernon]

If he had called his shop something like Specialized café, or Specialized Roubaix café then I think Specialized have something to moan about, but this is really showing Specialized as bullies and trying to bring the minnow in the pond down, unfortunately its backfired and the worlds fraternity of spesh users are turning against them and slagging them off............rightly so too.

I'm not convinced that their sales will suffer too much though.

I'd never by a Specialized anyway. They can't spell their name correctly..

 

[Dangermouse]

I'm not convinced that their sales will suffer too much though.

I'd never by a Specialized anyway. They can't spell their name correctly..

I am watching the site and the likes have dropped by 13k so far..........but America is asleep, once they are awake in a couple of hours they will either become the new Solidarity party and love Specialized or go with the online majority so far and trash the name...........time will tell in 2-3 hours

 

[Risex4]

While it is a bit a sh*t by Spesh to bully-boy the small, local businessman unfortunately thems the breaks.

While 'Roubaix' is bigger than Spesh themselves, they've taken time and expense to create and cultivate a sub-brand, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that they'd move to protect it. As someone else has alluded to, I suspect they've fallen foul because they manufacture wheels, if they had been simply a cafe or LBS I suspect they'd have stayed under the radar as they would have remained a service business, rather than a manufacturing one. As is stands, a potential Twitter post of "I had an off after my Roubaixs failed" or "these Roubaixs aren't worth the money", is what has tweaked the interest of IP protection..

Although 'Roubaix' is a iconic cycling name independent of Spesh, I see nothing on CS's website that gives them an irrefutable link to the name or region. Therefore, seeing as Spesh have got there first with more muscle power in naming one of their products thus, I'm afraid naming your own product the same was inviting trouble.

In short, if you want to build and market something you can sell beyond your own neighbourhood, build your own brand FFS.

The whole "war vet/PTS" thing will prove to be a PR own goal though and should have been better researched by Spesh.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

10 December has been chosen for the ''Goodbye Roubaix Tuesday'' protests but as I'm busy and don't own any misspelt Specialised products, I won't be there. But may I just make this comment? Corporate cobblers.

 

[swee'pea99]

It's their trademark: they have to defend it. He must have known it was their trademark when he started his shop: he must have known they would have to defend it. As for the fact that he's a war vet, sorry, but so what? No, the whole thing has a very whiffy smell about it. To me at least.

 

[colly]

Tell them to 'fark Off'. Another company that won't even get onto the list.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

It's their trademark: they have to defend it. He must have known it was their trademark when he started his shop: he must have known they would have to defend it. As for the fact that he's a war vet, sorry, but so what? No, the whole thing has a very whiffy smell about it. To me at least.

Roubaix is also a place with general cycling connotations. That is not a corporate concern.

 

[swee'pea99]

Roubaix is also a place with general cycling connotations. That is not a corporate concern.

Yes, but it was Specialized who turned it into a valuable piece of intellectual property. And that's what it is. And any company that's invested a lot of time, effort and money in creating a valuable piece of IP is going to safeguard it, just as they would safeguard any other property they own. To do anything else would be negligent. It's all too easy to play cheap PR cards like 'I was a war vet', but if you're going to be in business - and that's what the guy is - a businessman - you have to play by the rules. Would it be ok for him to steal a bit of a big company's property if he wasn't a vet?