For those of you who may remember a few months ago, Ford came out and announced they were going to go after all shops and parts suppliers who used the phrases "mustang", "5.0", "modular", etc. I wrote in as Mustangs and Fast Fords requested in their magazine to do. I recieved after several months a response and am posting it as just a gee whiz type of thing for anyone to read. Let's all hope Ford pulls it's head out and decides to not do what they are planning.

Hello,

Thank you for being a loyal and valued customer of Ford Motor Company.

Ford is currently reviewing its enforcement practice regarding companies which
have 'Mustang' in their names, to determine what accommodation can be made which
still allows Ford to protect its trademarks, which are among its most valuable
assets.

We hope you will appreciate that Ford can never compromise when it comes to
keeping counterfeit parts and counterfeit part dealers out of the marketplace.
It is vital to the value of our brand and the loyalty of our customers that all
parts which bear Ford branding be legitimately authorized.

Thank you for taking the time to express your views.


Sincerely,

Colleen Rose Coventry
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center

 

wtf kind of answer is that?

 

How very PR of her

 

I actually sent Ford an e-mail a couple months ago and got the same exact answer back. I was going to post on here but didn't think it would matter because I'm sure the ****-smooches won't do a damn thing about it.

 

[QUOTE=stngmn96;224117We hope you will appreciate that Ford can never compromise when it comes tokeeping counterfeit parts and counterfeit part dealers out of the marketplace.It is vital to the value of our brand and the loyalty of our customers that allparts which bear Ford branding be legitimately authorized. [/QUOTE]

You know, I could understand ford being like this and going after companies that make a product and then say it's made by ford racing to make it seem more legit....Ford should not be happy about that, but going after the aftermarket community like Mustang Tuning or others that use the word Mustang it their name is just flat out stupid.

Aslo, I'm sure there are about 10,000 colleges, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools that use Mustang as their mascot....so are they going after schools to? I know that's a bit of a stretch because they are using the actual animal and not the car, but that's a pretty thin line if you ask me.

 

I thoughtmyself her answer was a tad to PC and vague. I was actually shocked there was a response of any type from them. Then to send such a bs type answer it ticks me off. I hope the shops and everyone can stand up to Ford on it. I had to get new center caps for my Saleen replica rims because they came with "cobra" caps and Ford went after the company due to the emblem. The caps I got were furnished by the rim maker, but it still was crap.

 

Ford can go to hell!!

 

Hey guys,

Time for me to throw in my $.02 about this matter. At least as far as MustangTuning/AmericanMuscle goes.

Our decision to change our name did have something to do with Ford going after companies like ours. However, they did not force us to do it. We changed our name as a preemptive strike, so we wouldn't have to go through what a lot of companies are going through now.

That was not the only reason, though. We also changed our name because we were beginning to realize that the name "MustangTuning" didn't fully encompass our line of products. Having the word "tuning" in our name made it seem like that was the focus of what we sold -- tuning products. The truth of the matter is that we sell much more than that, and we will be expanding our product line in the months and years to come.

I hope that quashes some of the rumors going around about why we changed our name...

Let me know if there are any questions!

~Emilie

 

This is a very complicated issue and for the most part, I see Ford's side of things. As a Marketing Manager for a Fortune 500 Company, I go to great length to ensure that our brand is protected and that we do not infringe on other brands at the same time.

Sometimes doing something like this envokes a difficult legal, emotional, and morale dilemma for an organization. BUT, you must protect your brand.

Ford looses more money in a day then some companies make in a year. They are scared shitless. For years they made money hand over fist, and never gave a crap about some small business. Now a days, we have a global, internet marketplace and companies are faced will all sorts of new issues.

I guarantee that Fords Risk Management people considered the impact that a decision like this has with their reputations in boards, clubs etc.... In the end, I am sure Ford thought they made the best possible business decision for them.

But, I am sure, that at the top of their list, Ford is trying to protect their own line of after-market offerrings. Have you noticed that in the last few years Ford has been pushing more then ever FRPP? They need to make money wherever they can.

Also, sites like this and clubs and other oganizations that might be inclined to use the Mustang name, also can promote a product at the same time. But, the worst thing that can happen to a brand is total dillution. Take a look at names such as Jello, Kleenex and in some cases Coke.

In the south, people say "get me a Coke", but they really mean a Rootbeer. Across the entire country, people call whatever they use to blow their nose a "Kleenex" even if it is not. If Ford did not put the brakes on this, the Mustang brand would become the same way.

 

My company (which will remain nameless) (Oops LOL). makes parts for all the american auto companies, and most other foreign automakers too. Believe me Ford is the most stringent in quality as far as OEM and aftermarket parts are concerned. When Ford has a problem of any kind with your part, (this could be a simple cosmetic defect) then you can bet the big wigs will be on your *** to find out why, and who, and what, cause Ford aint happy bout it.

Personally, I think it's a good thing. Mass producing anything can result in bad stuff getting to the customer. Ford is above most in eliminating that problem, although it hurts some parts suppliers, it is better for the actual consumers..

 

The problem is that this will cause them to lose sales. The aftermarket community is huge. People want to customize their cars no matter what because it is their effort at individuality and creativity. It only popularizes the car and the car maker. If any of us bought a GT500 the first thing we'd do is stick a new set of rims on it, drop it, tune it, tint it, gear it, etc. It is to make it ours. I don't need companies like Roush and Saleen dominating the market as the only means of aftermarket. Ford doing this lawsuit stuff is just bad PR on their part and jades me to their products.

As far as using the term "Mustang" to sell products, what originally turned me onto Mustang Tuning was that it was called Mustang Tuning. It was quick to find as a new mustang owner (at least new in terms of the late models) and it had a wide array of parts to choose from. I understood if I put something on my car that I bought after market, that the part may not always be healthy for my car (i.e. Nitrous). I wouldn't blame Ford for making an engine that couldn't take the HP or the freeze.

Ford has enough problems taking short cuts and creating crappy cars. Remember the Pinto! It was cheaper to pay the lawsuits off rather than to fix the gas tank problem. So that is exactly what they did. Ford's problem is that they aren't coming out with anything innovative to combat the import markets that are turning out high horsepower and high mileage cars. Plus the styling just isn't there right now. They keep complaining that they are suffering, but with gas prices the way they are, they are not offering viable alternatives. Personally I'd get a kick out of seeing a hybrid Mustang. If they really want to turn sales around, they'll start offering people attractive cars at low prices with good mileage. Look what Toyota did with Scion (I don't care whether people find their cars attractive or not, the point is that they are profitting tremendously from it).

I also agree that Ford is SOL when it comes to "Mustang" as a trademarked image. My high school mascot was a Mustang, same running stance and everything. The only thing Ford can protect is the FoMoCo and the blue oval. Beyond that everything else is pulic domain.

Ford can also cry me a river for charging like $800 bucks for a 30,000 mile change up (not that I would even pay that for an oil change and tranny flush which is essentially all it is) plus premium prices on their parts. It is like the music industry, you rip people off enough they will find an outlet.

 

Something trade-marked is not public domain. Fact is, Ford might have the legal right to sue your school. Not that they should or even that they would even if they had legal grounds.

Ford also has another issue with after-market parts. Fact is, modified cars detroy the re-sale value of vehicles. When car values drop, people are less inclined to buy new ones.

You can be pissed at Ford all the want, but what they are doing is legal....maybe not right, but legal.

 

Legal is a relative term. It all depends on how good your lawyers are.

Well Ford may have a legal right but it is up to the courts to decide. If they have left their image unrestricted in the public domain for too long and are only now starting to enforce it, then their trademark might fall into a generic image category and be unenforcable. Might is the key word. Courts can do what they will. I am also not convinced that the Mustang logo (just the running horse at least) is an original concept from Ford or Iaccoca (I'd be curious if anyone knows the background of it...appearently the Chevy Bow-Tie came from a wallpaper design)!

I also think modified cars are what helps set their cars appart from the everyday car. Simply for the fact that they can be modified. Look at events like SEMA where the cars are loaded with aftermarket parts, only helping the image of companies like Ford. Ford simply wants a cut of the check for things they aren't developing. Taking the word "Mustang" off of parts does nothing to the manufacturers other than giving them something to have to work around. They are still going to pitch the parts for the targeted vehicle and call the "Mustang" something different. They'll just have to dumb it down like "4.10 gears for that vehicle with a running horse on it."

It is just sad Ford is bullying these companies when they should be more concerned about their own production.

Ford is no saint when it comes to "quality" parts. Any of us who have worked on our cars have had a plastic bolt snap here and there, not to mention the melt-on method Ford used to secure the speaker covers, to name a few things. And the Mustang doesn't have a bad rep to begin with. I find people blame parts more than the manufacturer of the vehicle. If a Kenne Bell goes bad on me, I'm going to blame it and not the Ford 4.6L I stuck it on. It wouldn't stop me from owning another Ford.

In the end all the parts (Ford and aftermarket) find there way over from China! Ford is trying to nickel and dime these companies when they don't even offer the same products.

Good article stating basically what we all stated here: http://www.mustangmonthly.com/thehis...ang_trademark/

Good example of a disclaimer if anyone is interested:
http://www.fastmustangparts.com/page..._and_copyright

 

Bull sh** makes me cranky! I think I'll get a Mustang tatoo and send it into Ford and tell them what I think of their trademark enforcement!

 

I went to Kingwood High School, and our mascot was a Mustang. Kingwood Mustang's.

Class of 06

 

So just so I understand....Ford has trade-marked the name "Mustang"? I would assume that trademark ONLY applies to the term "Mustang" when used in reference to cars?

Anyway, I hear what you guys are saying, and regardless of what my opinion is I understand Ford is trying to protect their company, which isn't doing so well right now....but they need to realize that one of the reasons mustangs are so popular is because of the rich aftermarket community. It's kinda like peanut butter suing jelly! ha ha ha....j/k