Money grubbing profiteers

Dave W · December 06, 2018, 10:32:51 AM

Prince estate asks Bloomington man to stop selling iconic Cloud guitar replicas

Most of you know how I feel about trademark law, but this is nothing but an attempted money grab by Prince's greedy heirs. I don't think Dave Rusan should have exclusive rights forever to a design he created many years ago -- if he had patented the design, the patent would have expired long ago -- but Prince's estate wants to lock anything and everything connected with Prince behind a paywall. Screw 'em.

Alanko · December 06, 2018, 10:56:54 AM

If they lock everything to do with Prince behind a paywall then people will slowly stop talking about and remembering Prince, as there won't be a lot of stimuli around.

doombass · December 06, 2018, 02:08:04 PM

Well, I don't get it at all. If Rusan came up with the design there can't be much they can do legally right? OTOH they are only "asking" but I have no clue if (coming from an attorney) that would be the same as if The Godfather "asks a service of you"?

Granny Gremlin · December 06, 2018, 05:40:08 PM

Quote from: doombass on December 06, 2018, 02:08:04 PM
Well, I don't get it at all. If Rusan came up with the design there can't be much they can do legally right? OTOH they are only "asking" but I have no clue if (coming from an attorney) that would be the same as if The Godfather "asks a service of you"?

Similar in that it is a subtle veiled threat.... but with much less behind it. A test to see how much of a pushover you are. They might escalate, they might not. They won't likely win but they can make life difficult in the meantime. On the bright side one could milk it for a lot of free publicity.

Dave W · December 06, 2018, 11:14:01 PM

Quote from: Alanko on December 06, 2018, 10:56:54 AM
If they lock everything to do with Prince behind a paywall then people will slowly stop talking about and remembering Prince, as there won't be a lot of stimuli around.

Jamie Hendrix's actions haven't stopped people from talking about and remembering Jimi. She's not even a blood relative. How she ever got control of his estate is a mystery to me.

Quote from: doombass on December 06, 2018, 02:08:04 PM
Well, I don't get it at all. If Rusan came up with the design there can't be much they can do legally right? OTOH they are only "asking" but I have no clue if (coming from an attorney) that would be the same as if The Godfather "asks a service of you"?

He just recently got the trademark. He probably suspected the estate would try to otherwise. Once a trademark has been granted, there's a 5 year period you can contest it, and I suspect that's what the estate will try to do.

Keep in mind that Prince never claimed ownership of the design or tried to stop him from making and selling the guitars. Now the greedy heirs, who created no music and no guitars, want to take away his income.

Granny Gremlin · December 07, 2018, 01:23:11 PM

Reminds of the time my great Aunt in the UK died and left me 15 quid - even back then not a lot of money, but it was a nice gesture. I got a cheque in the mail when I was like 6-8 years old or something. The rest of the heirs got together and somehow stopped it after I deposited it. Not only did they take that 15 pounds back, but I, a kid with no more than $100 in my bank account, was stuck with a $20 NSF charge.

Just thinking about it now makes me so fucxing mad, like how much of a scrooge-ass cocksucker do you have to be really, to screw a kid (and a relative, if distant, no less) over for 15 quid.

uwe · February 04, 2019, 03:19:11 PM

So it's a "cloud" guitar, huh? Of course, that is what I always saw in it too, probably a cum-u-lus(t).

I miss the little guy! $:-\$