LEROC Trademark

[JohnSweeney]

Billy has protected his logos/images.

The IPO has confirmed that the word “LEROC” can not be registered as it is in common and general use within the trade.

John

[Lou]

Billy has protected his logos/images.

The IPO has confirmed that the word “LEROC” can not be registered as it is in common and general use within the trade.

John

Thank you, John.

[ducasi]

The IPO has confirmed that the word “LEROC” can not be registered as it is in common and general use within the trade.

So the next question is... Do any of the current "LEROC" companies use a similar logo? In my brief googling, I couldn't find anyone else using an all-capitalised "LEROC".

I can only guess that Billy sees his logos and slogans as worth protecting for merchandising reasons.

Anyone fancy a LEROC® t-shirt?

[bigdjiver]

So the next question is... Do any of the current "LEROC" companies use a similar logo? In my brief googling, I couldn't find anyone else using an all-capitalised "LEROC"...

Kerascene Music

[Lou]

Kerascene Music

Are now known as INTERNATIONAL REMOVALS, apparently. How fickle the music business is...

[Isis]

Are now known as INTERNATIONAL REMOVALS, apparently. How fickle the music business is...

They must have got scared of being sued by Billy Cullen and changed their name sharpish.

[John Gimber]

Dumb question, but...

... is there any distinction made between how text on a website is perceived?

Text on a website is effectively displayed as a raster-drawn image. Therefore, would normal text (which is published as an image) used on a webpage be classed as a TM infringement if it used the same font?

[John S]

Call me cynical, but people go to the expense and hassle of getting trade mark registration and protection of their intellectual property rights (IPRs) only because they see a commercial advantage in doing so (or a disadvantage in not doing so).

Like any other form of property or business asset, IPRs can be licensed, bought, sold, or hired.

And often, IPRs are negative rights in that they allow their owners to stop others doing something.

So I can certainly envisage a situation where someone opens a dance venue teaching LeRoc, perhaps in the West of Scotland where Billy's venues are. Billy would be able to assert his rights to his intellectual property, and insist that the new venue does not infringe them in any way, or uses them only under a paid-for licence. (And of course there's nothing restricting those rights to the West of Scotland!)

[bigdjiver]

Radio 4 - "Mine all Mine"
On Monday 25 February Radio 4 will be broadcasting a series of five15 minute programmes focussing on Intellectual Property. The series is called Mine all Mine and will be broadcast daily at 15:45 from Monday 25 February to Friday 29 February. .
My Idea -Monday 25 February 15:45- patents ...
My Name- Tuesday 26 February 15:45-16:00
Trademarks ...
My Music- Wednesday 27 February 15:45-16:00
... why should anyone pay for it?
My Pictures-Thursday 28 February 15:45-16:00
My Words-Friday 29 February 15:45-16:00

[John S]

Billy has protected his logos/images.

The IPO has confirmed that the word “LEROC” can not be registered as it is in common and general use within the trade.

John

Extracts from the March 2008 Newsletter, sent out to Billy's mailing list, and advertising forthcoming dance events in West Central Scotland:

LEROC is a Trade Mark

8. "LEROC" Trade Mark
Over the past few year we have been working with the IPO (Intellectual Properties Office) and Kennedy's Trademarks Company in Glasgow to register "LEROC." We are pleased to announce that the registration was finally accepted on 8th February 2008, giving us rights under classes 09,16, and 41 of the Trade Mark Act. All the Trade Marks are held at the UK Intellectual Property Office website.

OK, nothing new, but clearly this has not been done just as an intellectual exercise, there has to be a commercial value in it, which in one way seems fair enough - if one sees a bit of valuable property lying around unclaimed then it is tempting to acquire it as one's own. However, if one also knows that the property is something developed and held in common ownership by a large group of other people one can hardly be surprised at their outrage!

[Dreadful Scathe]

Extracts from the March 2008 Newsletter, sent out to Billy's mailing list, and advertising forthcoming dance events in West Central Scotland:

LEROC is a Trade Mark

8. "LEROC" Trade Mark
Over the past few year we have been working with the IPO (Intellectual Properties Office) and Kennedy's Trademarks Company in Glasgow to register "LEROC." We are pleased to announce that the registration was finally accepted on 8th February 2008, giving us rights under classes 09,16, and 41 of the Trade Mark Act. All the Trade Marks are held at the UK Intellectual Property Office website.

OK, nothing new, but clearly this has not been done just as an intellectual exercise, there has to be a commercial value in it, which in one way seems fair enough - if one sees a bit of valuable property lying around unclaimed then it is tempting to acquire it as one's own. However, if one also knows that the property is something developed and held in common ownership by a large group of other people one can hardly be surprised at their outrage!

I'm assuming he had "{LEROC image} is a trademark", rather than the TEXT "LEROC is a trademark, because that would be almost exactly like lying through your teeth

[John S]

I'm assuming he had "{LEROC image} is a trademark", rather than the TEXT "LEROC is a trademark, because that would be almost exactly like lying through your teeth

I suspect you might already have guessed the answer to that, which is "No".

The word "LEROC" appears in caps throughout the newsletter (21 times, I counted them ) but it is in "normal" typeface, including those shown as quotes in my last message, except for the header and footer, which appear as jpeg banners and also have the ® sign - although I'm not convinced that the image used for "LEROC" is exactly the same as the one registered (referred to by David James's post on 15 February).

[philsmove]

deleted

[Andy McGregor]

deleted

I should think so too!

p.s. I've no idea what was in the deleted post.

[Lory]

deleted

I should think so too!

p.s. I've no idea what was in the deleted post.

Aww I want to know what it was now

[Andy McGregor]

Aww I want to know what it was now

Let's make something up

[philsmove]

It started as an ideal for April the 1st but I deleted it, as I supected someone might not see the Joke

[DavidB]

Let's make something up

Andy McGregor has obtained a patent on counting in dance moves by saying "Five Six Seven Eight". This patent applies in several countries, but fortunately only applies to modern languages. So teachers can still count "quinque sex septem octo" or "epsilon digamma zeta eta". The legality of "V VI VII VIII" has yet to be proven in court, although some WCS dancers are drooling at the prospect of the "eight" being naturally split into 4 separate parts. Lindy dancers however are countering that VIII doesn't swing, so should instead be ViIi.

Lory has an exclusive trademark on taking photos of dancers whilst being blonde. This trademark is expected to last a long time, as it is unlikely that you could find another blonde who knows which way round to hold a camera.

Philsmove has a copyright on time-wasting posts. (oops)