More stuff on the creeps at Union Pacific.

Crimeny, they sure are a sensitive bunch. Already threw me out (apparently) from the yahoo! Union_Pacific group.

I sent an email to Union Pacific Investor Relations, whining about the $5 per set licensing fee on Kato F3 sets. They replied that making a profit was secondary to protecting the logo. Right.

I want to add I have worked for a sporting goods firm for over 20 years. Our logo is a very "high image", attractive design featuring an eagle. I spent a lot of time working with the Trademark and Patent attorneys protecting the mark and also was involved in licensing it to coffee cup, t-shirt, baseball cap, sweatshirt etc etc etc makers. I know what is possible and what isn't, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that license agreements to protect a mark do NOT have to cost ANYTHING. If the agreement is to protect the mark, it protects the mark. If it is to make money, it makes money. If it is to do both, it does both. Union Pacific is doing both.

Reply to
Tony Pierson
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Update. They did not throw me out, it is just taking several hours to get posts through.

(apparently)

Reply to
Tony Pierson

Talk about sensitive....

Reply to
Mark Mathu

I'm very curious. Why are they only charging the "fee" on Kato F3 sets ? I have yet to see anything else that costs more because it's UP. Actually , I havn't seen that charge on the F3's.

I would imagine they are going to make a bundle on this deal !! Let's see now , $5 for each Kato F3 sold...gotta be millions. Maybe I'm being a little sarcastic here , but lots of us work for UP and I think was a little insensitive:

Reply to
Ken Day

Reply to
Mark Mathu

Athearn is charging about 5 bucks more for their new release stuff in UP and predecessor paint schemes.

Reply to
me

Those bastards! They're not on the list of officially licensed suppliers!

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Reply to
Mark Mathu

I think the reaction to this within the MRR community is fear more railroads will do the same thing and that it is also going to raise prices of product. Understandable, in a market where the prices are already high relative to what manufacturers make product for and the mark ups through the channel. My understanding was UP is charging the manufacturer a percentage of the list price which means they will have to dramatically increase the price to cover that increase. So if a $10.00 UP car get's charged a 5% fee to the manufacturer that's 50 cents right? No big deal. Bu tthat gets applied to the initial cost of the kit so the manufacturer needs to raise the price of the kit by about dollar to cover the cost of the fee.

CBix

Reply to
Charles Bix

Here's a thought. Some of the bigger manufactures are charging higher prices for UP equipment. They don't appear to be on the UP list of those that have signed up. Is it possible the funds from the higher prices are establishing a war chest for court action should UP attempt to sue them. It is a SWAG but then stranger things have happened. Remember life is much stranger than anyone could dream up a story about!

Reply to
Jon Miller

So, you work for UP? So what? If some under-utilized lawyers start this chicken-shit boiler plate battle, why does that demean what YOU do? Do you think we hold you responsible for UP's management and legal department? Unless you work in those areas, it seems you're being a little hyper- sensitive. Or maybe it's just that I've rarely identified with an employer to that extent and can't comprehend it. My admiration for Big Boys doesn't make me admire UP, it's just another big corporation.

Reply to
E Litella

The solution to this is so simple it is ridiculous to keep discussing it. If you don't want to pay the extortion, buy a road name that doesn't charge you for it. There are plenty of road names available whether you model the 1850s or today, or anything inbetween.

Of course there will be a few people who pay it just for the snob appeal of having more money than brains, but they probably also drive a Ferrari or a Hummer to the corner store for a quart of milk, too.

Walt

Reply to
OLDFARHT

More likely is they are either charging more to save for when the UP comes knocking looking for their cut, assuming these manufacturers will sign the agreement, or they are already a part of the program and the list has not been updated yet.

The UP trademark issue is all about revenue.

CBix

Reply to
Charles Bix

If we let this one go by, one by one the number of road names that "don't charge you for it" will diminish until they are gone. If UP gets away with this, they will all fall into line. And even those

1850's road names will be claimed as part of the assets of one of the mega-railroads today.

Andy

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- Pre-Interstate Urban Archaeology

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Reply to
Andy Harman

Hell, I work for NS, and I'm sure those greedy bastards will be next in line for this sort of thing. Do you think it'd make me upset to see someone on here say something negative if NS does? Nope, not one bit. I'd be the first one to agree with you...and I'm sure it'll come to pass.

Reply to
Slingblade

Get a clue! Look at the revenue that would be generated compared to their real operations. It's chicken feed.

Dave.

Reply to
Dave Mitton

I suppose I should have explained myself a little better. I DON"T work for UP , but many of US in the model railroading community do. I tend to get ahead of myself sometime and expect others to read between the lines. This is what I meant.

Maybe you were a little Insensitive when you called some of them Creeps.

I would imagine they are going to make a bundle on this deal !! Let's see now , $5 for each Kato F3 sold...gotta be millions LOL. I really don't see how their motive could be to make money.

I wonder just how many units are sold each year and how much revenue it generates......and of course UP is certainly not making $5.00 on each sale. I do wonder exactly how much they do get ?

Maybe I'm wrong about this. But , my 2 cents worth.

Ken Day

Reply to
Ken Day

Alright Mr Smarty Pants how about filling us in on your explanation on why they are doing this. I didn't say it was a lot of revenue but after running some numbers and doing some research (which I noticed you have not offered here) I came to that conclusion.

CBix

Reply to
Charles Bix

It's petty.

If it were like sports souvenir ephemera I might understand it. But there is a world of difference between somebody buying "anything with their team's logo on it", and railway modelling as an attempt to recreate a three-dimensional picture.

Reply to
Christopher A. Lee

It's about protection and control of their trademarks.

Reply to
Mark Mathu

Ahhh, they're a bunch of nervous nelly wusses.

Reply to
E Litella

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