About therangerstation.com December 09, 2008, 08:28:48 PM HelloI am not sure where to post this on this site. Mod move it to where it should be. I just received this from Jim Oaks founder and owner of TRS.Dear Member,I appologize for this email. I don't normally email the members but this is an emergency.Today, (December 9, 2008) I received a letter from the law offices of Howard, Phillips & Andersen that represent the Ford Motor Company. Ford is forcing us to surrender the name 'therangerstation.com' to them and stop using it. Ford states that using the name 'Ranger' when used in reference to the Ford Ranger is a trademark violation. In addition they are wanting me to pay them $5,000.As you may know, The Ranger Station has been around for the past 10 years and has been a valuable resource to Ranger enthusiasts.If Ford does this to us, where will they stop?I have 10-days to surrender the name and pay them $5,000. I'm asking that you contact Ford online and ask them to reconsider making us change our name and prohibiting us from using the word 'Ranger'.You can contact them at:https://secure.ford.com/footer/conta...=PublicAffairsa sample of what one of the members wrote is:"To whom it may concern:I am writing concerning your recent legal attacks on various "fan" websites for vehicles such as the Mustang and Ranger. I am insulted by this careless misuse of our legal system and am reconsidering any further vehicle purchases from your company until you cease and desist from any further legal action concerning this subject. I have been a Ford owner for many years and I had hoped to stay that way. These attacks are morally wrong since they are geared towards your customers, and do not instill the least bit of confidence in your brand. For the sake of your business, I ask you to please reconsider immediately.Thank you."Thank you for your support and I applogize for this email.Jim OaksTheRangerStation.comPlease express your opion to Ford. Who knows which site is next.igiveup Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #1 – December 09, 2008, 09:03:24 PM Guess Ford really needs the money.If I were the site owner I'd change the site to a Yogi Bear fan site... Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #2 – December 09, 2008, 09:10:23 PM So should we convert this board to the canine family, ornithology and older women looking for younger men? :hick: Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #3 – December 09, 2008, 09:20:53 PM Quote from: EricCoolCats;246984So should we convert this board to the canine family, ornithology and older women looking for younger men? :hick: actually.. all we'd need to do is change one letter.. Foxy-bird/Cougar Forums Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #4 – December 09, 2008, 09:39:29 PM Or small wild dogs, Native American Bird Spirit (or an alternative email client, or a 60's marionette show), and big, nasty cats... Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #5 – December 09, 2008, 09:41:43 PM Quote from: baxo;246987actually.. all we'd need to do is change one letter.. Foxy-bird/Cougar ForumsFreakin' brilliant!!! Is it wrong that the "new" name arouses me?¿? Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #6 – December 09, 2008, 10:11:34 PM Quote from: CougrrrFiveO;246990Freakin' brilliant!!! Is it wrong that the "new" name arouses me?¿?+1 !!!!!! Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #7 – December 09, 2008, 10:35:35 PM Quote from: Thunder Chicken;246981Guess Ford really needs the money.x2and a good way to ailianate the few people left with some interest in american cars .............keep digging the hole deeper domestic car companies Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #8 – December 10, 2008, 05:53:39 AM tell them to shove it so far up their arse they will old rangers for years-544 Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #9 – December 10, 2008, 05:55:52 AM I hope nobody ever takes a picture of a ford ranger without giving ford proper notification first. There's a lawsuit waiting to happen. Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #10 – December 10, 2008, 07:22:26 AM Looks like some members of this site will need to change their names along with the name of the site. Did you all forget about that?So, Nick can no longer be Blown Couger... he'll just have to be blown. Anyone with Fox, Bird, T-bird, Thunderbird, or Cougar in there screen names should change them now or risk lawsuit from the almighty Ford gawd.Oh and you might have to remove the Cougar and T-bird smilies too...... theres gotta be some infringement in those. shakes head... can't believe Ford is doing this....oh wait, yes I can.... Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #11 – December 10, 2008, 07:43:21 AM Does that mean I'll get in trouble for building a Cougar?and should I ask them if I can post pics of their car first? (or is it really my car?) Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #12 – December 10, 2008, 08:58:41 AM I've been a F@$d * HAD TO PROTECT MYSELF* guy for ever, this is nuts. Oughta change the name to thunderchicken/furry lil s that ruin my paint forums. Worse comes to worse my next truck will be mopar...even if i have to rebuild one...toyota "trucks" don't cut it for me. Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #13 – December 10, 2008, 10:56:00 AM Seems it's spreading again just like the calendar issues.....http://jalopnik.com/5106183/bold-moves-ford-threatens-enthusiast-sites-with-lawsuits-over-copyright-infringementQuote Bold Moves: Ford Threatens Enthusiast Sites With Lawsuits Over Copyright Infringement In a recent letter to enthusiast web sites, Ford's reportedly requiring the relinquishment of all Ford trademarks including domain names, banners, signs and merchandise as well as a restitution payment of $5,000 by December 19th.The days of the Carpocalypse are upon us and Ford is now taking it to the internet, web 2.0-style. In a recent letter received by enthusiast sites including, TheRangerStation.com, Ford is requiring the relinquishment of all Ford trademarks including domain names, banners, signs and merchandise as well as a restitution payment of $5000 by December 19th, 2008.Enthusiast sites that have received a letter from the Howard, Phillips and Andersen legal firm will be required to promptly remove all FoMoCo-trademarked material and are threatening a $100,000 lawsuit on top of the aforementioned restitution payment. Ford claims the unofficial use of their trademarked names are damaging, which we don't buy. The one thing we would buy is the desire to keep others from profiting from the Ford brand in the form of merchandise. But we're wondering whether Ford's lawyers should really be going after enthusiast web sites right now when they need friends anywhere they can get them.Of course, maybe we're on the wrong track of thought here — maybe we should be thinking they’re looking to make a buck any way they can? Or could Ford be concerned the leveraged-to-the-hilt logos won't be worth as much to the automaker's growing corps of creditors? More than likely it's just another case of the lawyers not understanding what the value of positive PR is.ALSO: http://www.michiganmustang.com/fordattacks.htmlAnd last, but certainly not least:http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32801 Quote Selected
About therangerstation.com Reply #14 – December 10, 2008, 11:17:25 AM WOW! So what can we use now? I guess we'll have to blur the the whole car in our pics not just the plate. Watch out for the NFL, MLB and NHL. We cant talk about the games "legally" Quote Selected