[dsn_klr650] lawyer dogs nklr

[k650dsn@aol.com]

In a message dated Wed, 12 Apr 2000 8:33:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, "R. Kaub" writes:

> Go to Motorcycle Online magazine and click on "what's new" and read about > how Arai (the helmet people) have sicced the lawyer dogs on a BMW > (non-factory) site for providing a link to the Arai site. > If you own an Arai helmet or are considering owning one, you might want to > reconsider. > The lawyer dog who wrote the letter, which threatened punishments most > brutal, then had the balls to sign himself "very truly yours". > Ya gotta love it. > Thanks. > > Bob Kaub >

BMW diserves this as they did something very similar to this about three years ago to one of their own sanctioned owner groups. The National Vintage BMW Association had a logo which was a winged BMW roundel with a big red "V" (for vintage) overlayed on it. They had used this logo for many years and it was even used in numerous BMW newsletters. Well, this was all okay when BMW was hardly selling bikes, but when they got successful, and actually sold some motorcycles and accessories, they decided to not only issue an order to stop the Vintage club from using the logo, but decided to sue the not-for-profit club which I think, in the end, resulted in the demise of the group, although it may have reformed by now. Harley does this same thing all the time also, going after anyone that uses the Hog or Hawg name regardless if it is associated with motorcycles or not. The case that comes to mind is the a ma and pa BBQ place in Texas that has the word Hog in the title. The place became quite a gathering spot for H-D biker types and eventually was sued by H-D and driven out of business because they could not afford the legal bills to defend themselves. Gino