De Tomaso Dealer Sign - Reproduction

Julian,

I had looked at them a couple times and 300 was ..to steep for a sign .. 75.00 makes it more attractive for the shop.

Thanks
Ron

Julian,

Count me in for one.

Thanks, Dave #3463

Julian:

Count me in also

Wayne #9437

I'll take one too

Julian
Put me in for one also

Daniel

Me, too.

Count me in.

I will take one as well. Thanks, John

Count me in if it can be shipped to me somehow.

Count me in as well. Ill take 1

Thank You

Johnathan,

Welcome back, we had quite a few people looking for GT5's on the board recently and sent some your way. Is your's still for sale or have you got over the winter blues with another summer too close to let her go?

Julian

Hey Julian.

6 more weeks I figure and I can finally go for a ride after this crappy Canadian winter. Ahhh I have grown attached to the car and I cant see my self without. Not for sale anymore. I tried last spring, after no success I put insurance on it in the summer and I really got attached to the car.

Awesome Jonathan. Glad you came to your senses. See you on the road this summer!

That indeed is great news, once again welcome back!

Yes i finally came to my sense. lol. For sure will all get to together like last summer.

I'd take one...look at them on E-bay but too $$$$


Chip
chascher@fuse.net

Okay, I have seen enough interest that I'm placing the order. They should be ready by early April. I'll repost with photos of the final rendition once I have them.

If all goes to plan I can deliver those that are attending to the Vegas POCA convention. If others that reside in similar locations want to combine or bulk ship a number I will accomodate as best I can to reduce shipping costs.

Julian

Julian, I'll take one as well. I hope that we can bulk ship them (with the others near me who are also interested) and save on the horrendous shipping and duty charges. Or, maybe someone would like to load a few in their Pantera after they finish at Vegas and bring them back as ballast???

I'll take one also, count me in as well.

Thanks

Mark,

We'll try and work something out. I commute between Calgary and Reno enough that I could maybe take a few up at a time as hand luggage and ship them from inside Canada.

Julian

Julian,

If they are ready for Vegas, DEEB has kindly offered (after my not-so-subtle hint) to try to bring some back in his car if he can fit them, so hopefully they'll be ready AND fit! I'm looking forward to seeing them. Thanks for taking this on!

Julian,

I am attending Las Vegas for the Saturday show, although I would prefer my sign to be shipped to me here in SoCal. No problem regarding shipping costs. Are you ready to sell 'em?
I ready to buy!

Thanks, Dave # 3463

Dave,

Order has been placed and I expect to get them the first week of April. I'll post here once I have them in hand with photos of the final product.

No problem in shipping if that is what you prefer.

Julian

I'd like 2 signs. Ken F

Roland,

We are all friends here. Julian is not trying to make a fortune, isn't advertising in Road and Track to thousands of readers and certainly isn't the first person to use the logo on items for sale.

I even wonder if De Tomaso has kept the USA trademark legally up to date?

Larry

Roland,

Thanks for the advice, although as Larry mentions I see a lot of flags, banners and other De Tomaso logo items offered for sale in various sources.

I didn't catch in your post whether you wanted one of the signs or not?

Julian

Roland, first get Julian's wife out of your car. Then you can make a deal with him.

quote:

Roland, first get Julian's wife out of your car. Then you can make a deal with him.

Hey, my wife resembles....err I mean resents that remark.

Roland,

Not to push your buttons but Julian is a hobbyist providing a favor to others like us. Since you are making and selling trademarked items I wonder if you have the proper licensing required for that venture. I'm sure you must with your last post. Nor do I challenge your integrity here.

I find a lack of items and their quality for detomaso memoribilia. Addtionally, I would prefer to get my items here in the U.S. rather than pay for it in euros and have it shipped from Europe.

Julian now make my order for 2. I want 1 for my garage and 1 for my freind's service center.

Dave # 3463

This topic has come us many times before and the basic consensus was (as I recall) that the DeTomaso marque and vendors supplying that marque) all benefit when more people are exposed to the brand. There is no real money to be made off these signs, but a small group of us will enjoy them and many more people will see them and ask questions about DeTomaso. Why make a fuss?

Roland:

The difference between Julian and you is that you are selling originals at a cost that makes them profitable for you but that puts them out of reach of most of us, while Julian is taking time away from his work and family to have reproductions made on a cost-recovery basis so that we can enjoy them and promote the marque. I, for one, am thankful Julian has taken the initiative to do this. I don't expect reproductions will take away from your sales (how many originals do you have left, anyway?) because people who are willing to pay a premium for originality will still come to you. People like me, who obtain our signs from Julian, would never have been your customers in the first place.

As for the Qvales or whoever owns the US trademark rights, they should be desperately grateful for people like Julian keeping passion for the marque alive on this continent, because they are doing nothing themselves - as evidenced by our not even being certain who holds the rights. Without people like Julian, their rights would be worth little if anything.

- Peter

Thanks for the warning, Roland.

I would imagine that the owner of the trademark would have to show damages in some way. I don't think any lawyer or judge would waste their time over a situation like this, where something is being done by a volunteer on a non-profit basis. It would be counter-productive for the trademark owner as well, because they would be angering and alienating their customers. It would be like suing your own fan club. I'm sure it's been done, but I don't know anyone who would say it's a particularly smart thing to do.

I know that some time ago DeTomaso and some of the US vendors got into a spat over use of the DeTomaso name and, in the end a settlement was brokered where the vendors could continue to use the name on some limited conditions. If I understand correctly how that played out, in the end DeTomaso saw the value of the vendors keeping the marque alive, and did not ask for any sort of royalty. That was an instance where real money was at play, as contrasted with the matter at hand.

It would be interesting to know from someone with more history than I have exactly what was involved in the agreement between the US vendors and DeTomaso. I have two questions. First, did the deal cover only those vendors involved at the time (and who were they?), or does it extend to all vendors (in which case Julian would be covered). This is an interesting question because new vendors have sprung up in the meantime and everyone is merrily making and selling DeTomaso-branded reproduction and upgrade parts without, as far as I know, paying any royalties to anyone. Second, if DeTomaso sold their US rights to Qvale or anyone else, did those rights transfer subject to existing agreements such as the deal with the vendors? I would be surprised if it did not because this would be standard practice and, if it did not, then notice would have had to have been given to the vendors. This also begs the question of whether the deal with the vendors was in writing or just a handshake arrangement.

Perhaps Dave Adler or someone else with the relevant history and/or legal expertise could weigh in on this?

Peter and others,

Thanks for all the support, I'm following up on the trademark issue as well, just to see where it leads.

So far;

The Word 'De Tomaso' and the 'De Tomaso badge logo' are 'Live' US trademarks, both of which are still owned by the De Tomaso family. Maybe I'll give Santiago a call and see where they stand on this. There is so much aftermarket' De Tomaso' branded or logoed stuff on the market, I don't see it being a real issue.

Julian

My 2 cents.

There are lots of DeTomaso trade mark infringements in the marketplace, the DeTomaso family has never pursued enforcing their rights in that regard. Technically, in court it would be easy to prove that they have knowingly allowed trademark infringements to exist, and therefore you could have your case dismissed. In reality, the likelyhood that you will be sued in court by the DeTomaso family is nill.

However, the DeTomaso trademark is for sale, and if it should ever sell, you can bet your sweet arse the new owners, who just paid millions for the trademark, will enforce their rights with a vengence.

cowboy from hell

Joules / George,

Ad the cost to our membership, and give them away next year to members.

I have to tell you I really would like one to promote the Marque. But I'm not paying 2-300 bucks for an ORIGINAL for my garage.

The 75.00 or what ever it was is merely a donation.

Please work this out with Joules ... so a honest effort to get the MARQUE out there isnt squashed.

Ron

I'm a bit late to this discussion. I do have some experience with the infringement subject.
In the 1980's my family reproduced a set of tootsietoys of the twenties and thirties, among other things. They were made of lead, with very limited production, so they weren't kids toys. We sold them as collectables through several vendors, including the Smithsonian Institute gift store.
We found out quickly that it was worth getting the release/license to use copyrighted/trademarked logos and images.
Incidently we did an AC Cobra too. 1/24 scale in lead. It was commissioned by a club who supplied a hand made plastic model for us to use as a pattern. I've only got one left. weighs about three pounds. We cast the body in one piece in a centrifugal casting machine in a vulcanized rubber mold.
That being said I'd certainly like to buy one of your signs for my garage too (which used to be the the shop where we made the castings).

This will be a small run. Just do it.

Please bring one to Vegas for me too Julian.
Thx.

Coz,

Good as done. I should have word this week on progress and when they'll ship out to me.

Julian