UP logo license: letter response

Definitely.

Depends on how it was recycled..

Gaaaarn, try it. You can get in Cal somewhere, I'm sure. Ask the governor. He eats it. :)

Steve

Vegemite an icon?

Nah, it's just some black shit in a glass jar.

Mark.

What a load of bull! When was the last time you saw a 12" to the foot car lettered "OWR&N", "LASL", or any of the other UP predecessor lines? You might see "M&STL", "CNW", etc., but only because the Borg hasn't painted them yet, and now won't in order to protect their marks.

Brian

ROTFLMFAO!!!

Brian

How does a dozen HO SD40-2's running in a circle in someones basement help advertise their railroad? Now if their logo on ash trays, N scale boxcars, and tee shirts got them more business then that would get their attention.

The railroad could probably make the case that they don't want the kind of advertising that gets people interested in their railroad because it encourages them to hang around the side of the tracks and venture into their yards. If you got caught driving around in a rail yard and were pulled over by the railroad cop which excuse would he have more sympathy for? A) "We just wanted to see those locomotives over there because my buddy here wants to replicate them on his model railroad." B) "We took a wrong turn and are looking for the Wal-Mart, can you help us get out of this place?"

We have several trademarks and I wouldn't want them used without our permission. I doubt I'd charge a percentage of sales but I would want to know who is using them.

Sal

I didn't say dictating, I said negotiating. And the answer to the latter is yes.

What UP is saying is that they are flexible. They haven't appeared flexible before. I pointed out way back when this first started that the legalese of the original boilerplate may be deliberately hard core, and in many cases unenforceable. If the reality is that UP is perfectly willing to work out agreements on an individual basis which are not to the detriment of the small (or large) manufacturers, then what's the point of spooking everyone with a hard-line attiude up front?

Everything, and everybody, is negotiable. Even the IRS. I object most strongly to the "get tough" tone because a) it generates nothing but hostility in response and b) apparently it's not even accurate.

There are people who believe crap like this works. There are also marketers who believe that recognition is a stronger factor than like/dislike - you know, the radio polls that play a bite of a song, and your only option to answer is yes or no have I heard it before, not yes or no do I ever want to hear it again. This is why the FOX stations play Steve Miller to death, "he tests well" (actual quote from actual Fox station marketing rep). Same rep also said I was outside the normal demographic (oh, for shame) because when I hear Steve Miller, I change stations - 29 years continuous play of the Joker is enough, thank you.

Anyway there are probably statistics that say any campaign to introduce licensing must be introduced by a kick-ass, scare-tactic, BS laden campaign which can then be softened up later to make the perpetrator look reasonable and congenial. Ok, whatever. Bottom line is still what I predicted: a reasonable settlement will be reached, either on a collective or individual basis, and it will not be on terms as harsh as the original boilerplate. Maybe there are people who will listen to the same 200 songs on the radio for the rest of their life and never complain, but when it comes to sliding your nuts and livelihood into a vise grip contract, we're talking business and bottom line here... even the dumbest businessman in the world still hates to write a check. Especially for nothing, or for something another business gets for nothing.

Andy

All of this by Union Pacific is rather interesting when viewed against Union Pacific's attitude towards model trains advertising for them in the past. Back in the late 50s, after much cajoling, UP finally talked American Flyer into doing a Union Pacific train pulled by PAs. AF had not shown an interest because of cost of masking and multiple operations on each car. UP wanted it so badly that they painted and lettered a AF set as a pilot model. They provided this to AF and offered to pay masking and paint costs. AF then produced it.

Sorta like, "The conductor requests your cooperation, Not to flush the toilet in hte station."

Authentic though!

Not very likely to hurt UP financially. The profits they'd get from this is a drop in the bucket. Short term they might take a small public relations hit. The ones it would hurt the most are the manufacturers, distributors, and dealers who would lose sales. The UP and it's predecessors make a pretty good percentage of industry sales. Think about how many new engines come out that are decorated in UP colors.

Dave

All of this by Union Pacific is rather interesting when viewed against Union Pacific's attitude towards model trains advertising for them in the past. Back in the late 50s, after much cajoling, UP finally talked American Flyer into doing a Union Pacific train pulled by PAs. AF had not shown an interest because of cost of masking and multiple operations on each car. UP wanted it so badly that they painted and lettered a AF set as a pilot model. They provided this to AF and offered to pay masking and paint costs. AF then produced it. In the past, it seems, UP wanted model RR manufacturers to produce UP products and were willing to pay THEM.

Ray H. Durham, NC

Lawyers are just hired guns who do what their clients tell them to do. Don't blame them