Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants

[Dave W]

Apparently Spongebob plays a ukulele shaped like a Flying V, and a licensee of Viacom sells such a uke, so naturally Gibson sued Viacom and the licensee for trademark infringement.

Ordinarily I'd say that's unbelievable but considering Gibson, I shouldn't be surprised.

Anyway, looks like Gibson lost. Good!

Gibson Guitar Corp. v. Viacom International, Inc.

[uwe]

The mind, it doth boggle. 





You know, if Henry J was cool, he would have brought out a mini-series of SpongeBob fin custom shop Flying Vs ("Flying Sponge") which would have sold like hotcakes, with Rick Nielsen taking at least one.

And I would have bought the bass version. Sometimes, only sometimes I would collect for fins. 

[uwe]

"You can close up shop, Uwe.  The USA has everything covered, we'll tell you which laws apply where."


Ah yes, "US long arm statutes", say no more! Always a prickly subject indeed - in the legal/commercial community too. Tell me about it!



Sigh, that's what you get though when from Old Europe you sent for ages all these religious minorities per boat to a a far-away land,



hoping they will do farming there, inbreed and no longer bug you with their zealous sectarian ideas. But they retain that messianic spirit and - voilà! - only a couple of hundred years later the chickens ..., no, the turkeys come home to roost ... and spread their outsize feathers ... 

[4stringer77]

Uwe, there is an exploding wild turkey population in the northeastern states currently. Ben Franklin's choice for the national symbol have become a nuisance after reintroduction efforts turned out too well. After a mild winter, I'm expecting to see even more of them around. There's plenty for us to share if you want to come here and take some off our hands. It's even legal for you to get a hunting license here if you don't mind paying some extra fees. Gotta try one deep fried!
http://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/34/What+are+the+hunting+license+requirements+for+non-U.S.+citizens%3F

[uwe]

It's an impressive bird alright - and for some reason even has your national colors red, white and blue, wouldn't have been a bad choice. Everybody and his brother always has eagles as national symbols, but I guess the turkey has kept more Americans from starving to death in bad times than the bald eagle!

[Highlander]

Saw an eagle today...

[Denis]

...I guess the turkey has kept more Americans from starving to death in bad times than the bald eagle!

Only because it's illegal to shoot bald eagles.

[Dave W]

Looking at the last paragraph again, I spoke too soon when I said Gibson lost. Their claims against Viacom have been dismissed on appeal, but the appeals court did remand part of the case against JHS, who actually marketed the V-ukes. So that part could still end up in Gibson's favor.

You know if those ukes were real Gibsons, Henry would be charging 50x-100x what the one on eBay is listed for.

[westen44]

If this were a few weeks closer to April, I might think this was an April Fool's joke.  But it's still almost a month away; so I guess not. 

[uwe]

Only because it's illegal to shoot bald eagles.

Raptors don't taste well, they're tough and not enough meat to them. Of course, bald eagles are beautiful too, just not as idiosyncratic to the US as turkeys and not as much intertwined with the folklore.

[dadagoboi]

Real turkeys eating deer corn outside a studio on an early November morning.


Thanksgiving Wednesday, ready for the smoker...


Same place but Not the same turkeys!  Owner puts out corn to camera harvest deer.  Turkeys are an added attraction, plentiful before and after hunting season.  Steve (ThunderBucker) also has them in his residential Oregon neighborhood.  Me, I only have the neighbors' noisy chickens and Siamese cats.

[Lightyear]

Carlo, do your get along well enough with your neighbors to get some fresh yard eggs?  I would think that the cats would be none to tasty and it's too damn much work to clean a fresh chicken

[dadagoboi]

Carlo, do your get along well enough with your neighbors to get some fresh yard eggs?  I would think that the cats would be none to tasty and it's too damn much work to clean a fresh chicken

 

[Highlander]

Raptors don't taste well, they're tough and not enough meat to them...

You've tried one...?

[Granny Gremlin]

The firm of Hornung und Gimmell had very lavish Christmas parties bvack in the 80s.

You've tried one...?

The firm of Hornung und Frankenfurter had very lavish Christmas parties back in the 80s.