Kmetzger
Well-known member
Interesting news today: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/23/court-battle-ukulele-orchestras
And I say imitation is the highest form of flattery!
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is a brand, well past their stage show or the instruments they play, or the merchandise they sell. They're protecting that brand, pure and simple.
I have to agree with you 100%. What I get out of this isn't the fact that this other group is using the words "Ukulele Orchestra" in their name, it's more to do with the locale portion of it that makes it a bit ambiguous. If they would have called themselves "Ukulele Orchestra of Germany" I don't think it would have raised red flags anywhere.This is a matter of brand and trademark. The judge in that case raises a good point in that if they really wanted to preserve their intellectual property behind the name Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, they should've done so right at the beginning. But their rationale is solid, and is something that every company does to preserve their brand, their intellectual property, etc..
Look up Ernie Ball Music Man guitars and basses, or Rickenbacker basses. Look and see how easily you can find copies of them on the market. Any time someone comes up with something remotely close, lawyers are on it ensuring their brand remains intact and it not diluted because of knock offs or imitators.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is a brand, well past their stage show or the instruments they play, or the merchandise they sell. They're protecting that brand, pure and simple.
Well said. I'm actually very neutral on this issue but legally, they are protecting their brand, if in fact what they do, can be qualified as a brand.
I have to agree with you 100%. What I get out of this isn't the fact that this other group is using the words "Ukulele Orchestra" in their name, it's more to do with the locale portion of it that makes it a bit ambiguous. If they would have called themselves "Ukulele Orchestra of Germany" I don't think it would have raised red flags anywhere.
It is most definitely a brand, and a company behind it.
Randy Wolfe's heirs didn't get around to suing Led Zap for swiping Stairway for 43 years ..
The German word for a copycat is: Trittbrettfahrer
Cool name for a group: "The Copycats"