UP vs Lionel

[Anonymous]

How can Union Pacific justifie sueing Lionel over their silly logo and colors. I always thought that a corp. makes their profits from quality service and products. Not from the "art work" that just happens to represent them. I do beleive that our legal system is out of control. Way too bad for us and our kids!!

[Anonymous]

D David.

It's not only Lionel that they are doing this to. In the april issue of Garden Railways Magazine, the editorial told about Union Pacific insuing that the companies that use their name on products, like coca-cola (coca-cola has an excuse) should pay the Union Pacific royalties for the products that their name is on.

Nicholas Parker

[Anonymous]

How can this be the same road that runs steam and E-unit passenger trains?? It boggles the mind. U.P. is not a favorite of mine anyway, seems like sort of a bully to me. Hey, Lionel....Athearn..... just drop the stupid U.P. products. Go with the better roads after all, right now there is some future shipper playing with a train set, why should U.P. be forever implanted in that young shippers mind? (wake up U.P. IT'S FREE ADVERTISING...DUH)[:(!]

[Anonymous]

It's mighty poor when Union Pacific has a problem with model trains using their logo.

[Anonymous]

D Davis: You are 100% correct! How and the hell can a railroad sue model co's when thay CAN'T even run their own railroad!
BNSFrailfan.

[Anonymous]

Every company has the need to protect their logo's or else they fall into the public domain. Try using the Lionel logo's without paying for the right to do it and see what happens.

[billlbeutler]

I here tell that the BNSF just repanted a GE Dash 8 40B in Santa Fe warbonet with no BNSF markings just for the purpos of keeping the SF traidmark active.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by arnstg

Every company has the need to protect their logo's or else they fall into the public domain.

This is true...though "ANY " logo that has NOT been used for more that a year in their company,can not be reused for any type of purpose now.This is what the U.S. Trademark office has been saying,and told the big shots at U.P. There was one day at a stock/shareholders meeting in Omaha,NE,that a board member/stockholder told right to the CEO's face and the person in charge of this licensing fiasco,that he wanted an explanation as to "why" we are wasting money and time on something that has no interest in running the railroad.Needless to say the "person in charge of the licensing",had no excuse,though he took full blame for the problem,still nothing has been resolved about it. And yes there are alot of model train manufacturers that have dropped the Union Pacific all together. Granted this will end,but when who knows.[sigh] There was another railroad many years ago that tried the same thing,but they ended up loosing the battle.That was the Chesapeke and Ohio Railroad.It went on for 10 years.[:O], and by the way the board member/stockholder at U.P., he is a model railroader and was not only questioning the problem, but I believe he was also defending the rest of us who model trains,and watch them as well[:D][yeah]

[Anonymous]

All in all, this silly business is probably costing Union Pacific more in legal fees than they can hope to recover in royalties. Perhaps they should go back to running their railroad (if they can), and let us run our railroads.
-John in Delray Beach,FL

[Mark300]

Scott Adams who pens the 'Dilbert' comic strip and some really descent business books might call this matter an example of 'Clueless Marketing' or 'Clueless Management.' His books are filled with laughably pathetic examples.....Life seems to parody Art (or comic strips).

The results will eventually backfire....And I hope it doesn't fatally cripple Lionel and others before it blows out.

Don't be surprised if there's some version of 'UP vs Lionel' in a future cartoon series; I understand the Dilbert forum is filled with this kind of stuff.

By the way.....in an Atlas ad for a flat car in the September issue of one of the model RR mags, among the many roads listed are the following......
'- Atlantic Coast Lines*
- Chesapeake & Ohio*
- Western Maryland*
- Seaboard Coastline*
- NC & St. L*

* CSX Licensed Product'

Those 'Fallen Flags' have been down for more than 21 years.

What's next? The PRR, NYC, N&W, Southern and others get 'owned' by Norfolk Southern?

I hope not but it' seems...Ominous!!

Mark

[Anonymous]

It's an attack on the past RR's.
The point is....................UP just plain SUCKS!

[railman]

I find it interesting that UP chooses to do this now- when the models are the best they've ever been, for the most part. You would have thought those atrocious early models would have made railroad execs worried about getting a bad name, but now?

Like others have said- this is goodwill thing. Protecting trademarks is a very serious issue. UP has the right to defend their name but they should do so with a little common sense- i.e. not going model railroad enthusiasts who support trains and railroading in general.

[Mark300]

QUOTE: Originally posted by railman

I find it interesting that UP chooses to do this now- when the models are the best they've ever been, for the most part. You would have thought those atrocious early models would have made railroad execs worried about getting a bad name, but now?

Like others have said- this is goodwill thing. Protecting trademarks is a very serious issue. UP has the right to defend their name but they should do so with a little common sense- i.e. not going model railroad enthusiasts who support trains and railroading in general.

I agree...especially as the editor of MR pointed out, the UP and others encouraged Lionel to use their name in past times...The 50th aniversary O gauge engines my brother still has comes to mind.

Mark

[Anonymous]

It is not only Lionel, Athern as well, an HO company..

The logo UP has a problem with is the "Building America" ON SD70M's.