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The "VW" trademark was awarded by the USPTO to Volkswagen AG on 10/29/1957 the last renewal was on 8/20/97 for 10 years. A trademark application # 76207608 for a drawing of a classic beetle viewed from the front quarter driver's side was refused by the USPTO on 3/7/2002. A trademark application # 76318904 for a drawing of a classic beetle viewed from the front quarter passenger's side has not yet received final action, but an initial refusal letter was sent by the USPTO to VWAG on 1/3/2002. Volkswagen's trademark registration for the word "BUG" was suspended by the USPTO on 7/21/2000 and as of 4/4/2002 the USPTO has suspended further action on the application. Volkswagen's trademark registration for the word "BEETLE" was suspended by the USPTO on 4/29/99 but was re-registered on 1/15/2002. Volkswagen's trademark of the word "FAHRVERGNUGEN" was cancelled by the USPTO on 10/19/98. Volkswagen's trademark of that stylized line drawing of a seated driver holding the steering wheel with the five "speed marks" behind him was canceled by the USPTO on 10/6/97. Volkswagen's trademark of the stylized representation of a beetle consisting of a large arc representing the body of an automobile connecting two smaller arcs that represent tires is listed as abandoned as of 7/22/99. The above information was extracted on 4/6/2002 from the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) located on the USPTO web site. Andrew van der Stock wrote: > This is what I sent 'em in the feedback form: > > --- > You guys are making the very people who like VW extraordinarily hostile > towards the company and its products. > > It is NOT trademark infringement to have pictures of *my car* on *my* > web site. It is NOT trademark infringement to write about Volkswagen or > any other company name - see the law statutes and any business newspaper > for proof positive of this. It is NOT trademark infringement to run > events for other car owners. It IS trademark infringement to attempt to > SELL like goods or services under the trademarks that you hold, for > example if someone tried to sell knock off copies of your distinctive > badge, or if another car manufacturer built a Golf or a New Beetle and > tried to sell them. > > All that is required to protect your marks is for the enthusiasts to put > "Volkswagen (tm)" or "Beetle (R)" on their pages. By law, people do not > have to license *ANYTHING* from you and you know it. It's just an ambit > claim to try and stifle free speech and enthusiast web sites. > > Trademark law, as you know being a lawyer, is a method of protecting you > from competitors who are SELLING products that trade upon the good will > of the VW brands and marks. Enthusiast sites, like mine, do nothing of > the sort, and you are chilling free speech. Your actions are legally > unenforceble and not in the spirit or the letter of the trademark law. > We do not sign license agreements with the papers for our car - we own > them. You cannot impose additional conditions after sale. > > I've owned five VW's and with the current quality woes of my New Turbo > Beetle (the right rear bearing has rusted out and it's not even 7 months > old and the ABS unit has to be replaced because it could set fire to the > car), VW do not need to cause us any more grief! > > Be sensible, and stop pissing off the very people who make VW the third > largest car manufacturer today. > > Check out the following supreme court decisions: > http://www4.law.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/empower?DB=SupctSyllabi&TOPDOC=0&QUE > RY00=trademark&PROP00=t=b > > None of them uphold your disgusting attempt at chilling free speech. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Richard (PapaG) Green New Ulm, Texas