Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion What it was like in the 1990s

Just for discussion purposes only. Saw something in a picture and it reminded me about something that happened at Turkey Run years ago.

Naturally, I was selling ECOs. Had one that was orange and black. Had a Harley decal on it, but it was only stuck on in a little place, it could easily be removed.

Up comes a 30s looking gentleman, wearing very nice jeans, didn't really look like a biker, just was dressed nicely.

Asked me about the Harley ECO. Than stated that it was never made by Harley, therefor was in violation of their trademarks. He told me to remove the decal, or to stop trying to sell the meter. I asked him who he was an he informed me he was a lawyer and employed by Harley. He preceded to open his binder and showed me an injunction or whatever it was to back up his request. I asked him, how was he going to enforce this request, he turned to the right and pointed to a Daytona police car, just down the row from me, and stated that if I didn't do as he requested, he would have them confiscate the meter.
Naturally, I not wanting to show him how smart I was, I just reached over and removed the Harley decal, therefore making the meter a early Phillips 66 meter (black and orange).

No particular reason for posting this, just wanted to have a little discussion while everyone is at Hershey.

Has anyone else ever been approached accusing you of copy write or patent infringement?

Jack Sim

Harley is crazy crazy crazy protective of their trademark name. Have you tried getting a Harley Davidson gas globe lately? The few people that make them are in hiding, its like buying illegal drugs or something. No one out there is allowed to make them, I checked. The harley globes that are left have increased in value because of this. I've heard stories about Coke as well, people getting their restored gumball machines confiscated because they put a coke sticker on it. At least Coke licensed one company to make stickers - Funtronics. I have mixed feelings about it, mass producing is definitely bad but people doing one or two items with a coke or harley sticker, is that worth lawyering up?

I wish every company protected it's trademark as well as H-D does theirs! The unmarked repro problem wouldn't be nearly as bad then.

The moderators on this forum used to get complaints about a vendor that was making and selling globes with a logo the complainer claimed they owned. If I remember correctly the trademark in question wasn't actually owned by the person that said they owned it.
People stealing images from the internet and posting them on this and other forums is a big problem. We would occasionally get complaints from the people that owned the copyright to the images asking us to remove the images.
We also got emails from repro people saying that other repro people were making unlicensed items. (I don't miss being a mod!)

A lot of people don't think copyright and trademark infringement is a big deal, but there are a whole bunch of lawyers that make a very good living in copyright and trademark law that would disagree.

So if I buy a Harley decal at the Harley dealer, I can not out it in a pump or air meter?

Maybe the problem arises when you try to sell the pump or meter in a public place?
Good point you bring up.

Wes, I'm not sure about Harley but if you read Funtronics catalog about Coke, you can only put Coke stickers on original Coke items, at least that's what I remember, been a few years. Harley probably has the same rules I would bet.

This is still going on. I had three tin no trade marked Harley signs for sale on Ebay last year. Ebay was asked to pull them, so they did. The thing that gets me was i bought all three in the early to mid 90`s from the Harley dealership here in Modesto !

If the Registered Trade mark and Patent people were actually protecing the rules they set forth, a lot of the reproduction stuff would go away.
Problem. Many Repros are "off" just enough they can get away with it the there lies the problem!
That is why you see sooooo many complaints on here about how bad a reproduction looks. It's not about bad coping. It is about missing the mark on getting busted !!!

I was at Hershey several years ago. I had a small gas pump restored in yellow and green with a John Deere decal on the front. I went to the John Deere Dealer, bought the licensed decal and applied it to the pump. Imagine my surprise when a customs agent, with gun and badge, along with attorneys from Harley Davidson, John Deere, and Ford, stopped to question me. I was told that if I didn't remove the decal, they were empowered to take the pump. I argued that it was a licensed decal, etc. How about all the guys who put John Deere, Harley decals on their trucks?.... The agent just said he would not discuss it. I removed the decal and sold the pump to a farmer. I supplied the farmer with the extra decal I had bought but told him to apply it at his own risk. Sad but True story...Paul www.severngaspumps.com

The problem is you are adding value to your item by using THEIR trademark and not compensating them for it. Fore example, buy a $100 leather coat, put a $25 licensed Harley or Mickey Mouse patch on it and now it's a $300 coat. Same thing with pumps or air meters. These companies own their name/trademarks and have spent a lot of money to grow and promote it, and do have the right to protect it. They may not want even their name on a gas pump, air meter, etc. Imagine if you owned the name, you might see it differently?

I do understand that it is their right. I just don't get why they use the double standard about putting them on cars/trucks is OK? I have not done a Harley or John Deere pump since. I have painted things yellow and green, for customers. I keep expecting them to license the paint! LOL! Paul www.severngaspumps.com

LOL - licensed paint, that's funny! Maybe they consider the decals on the cars/trucks as advertising? They make their money on the licensed decal and it is not adding value to the product (truck) when sold? In the case of Harley, Ford did do a Harley themed truck and I'm sure Harley got paid well for each one....

So what are you supposed to do with all those licensed decals, stick them on a Harley? How many of you would put a sticker on a Harley? If they don't want you to put them on something, why do they sell them? seems to me that if you stick them on something it is all advertising for them. If you try to sell the item you stick it on as a licensed product then that's a different story

Harley decals bought at dealer are licensed decals and its ok to stick them on your forehead if you wish,But it doesn't make you a licensed product. With this in mind I see their point. I have a globe last one of two hundred run as the story goes before Harley gathered up all maker had at a show and put him through the ringer. Harley watched and protected their trademark very closely,then came the AMF years and it got away from them. AMF's THOUGHT was the more harley stuff out there the more free advertising.\

You have to understand that sales of new harleys is twenty percent of dealer profit. Not much is made on the sale,but then you have to have the tees,etc etc. They want the dealers to be the one to sale you the stuff not some flee market guy.

Bought my globe from the Harley dealership, Decal from them, hand lettering from a pinstripper. Had to pull it from ebay, Harley Davidson sent me a letter to pull it.
No problem, just will not buy from their dealership again any decals or whatever.