| Author | Message | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4588 Registered: 6-2002 |
One of my sources has brought this alleged trademark infringement of the Alembic logo to my attention. As the offence is clearly on USA territory, I'm passing this on you guys to look into. http://www.alembicpainting.com  I have forward the intelligence to Susan and Mica who I am confident will take on the suspected perpetrators of this infringement. Over and out. Jazzyvee (Director of Alembic Trademark Infringement Detection Operations UK) :-) | ||
| moongerm
Advanced Member Username: moongerm Post Number: 241 Registered: 8-2013 |
Wow, now I can get my facia boards, cedar shakes, and my Alembic bass all painted in one fell swoop. I think they only use Benjamin Moore high grade exterior on Alembic bodies. This is hilarious and a violation indeed. I'd like to hear what their version of the logo represents, bet that paint can means something pretty deep, lol. | ||
| edwardofhuncote
Senior Member Username: edwardofhuncote Post Number: 476 Registered: 6-2014 |
I'd love to eavesdrop on that phone call when Mica gets in today... maybe the Mothership building needs some attention to the trimwork? LOL! =) Not to make light of it, but just imagine how many times a week this cat has to explain to the check-writing customer, "No, it's Uh-Lem-Bik, not O-Lim-Pik." Guy plays one maybe, or is a huge fan? I mean, why else would you do that? I'm going to assume they meant it to be flattering, rather than sinister, but still... yeah, don't do that. (Message edited by edwardofhuncote on July 22, 2015) | ||
| sonofa_lembic
Member Username: sonofa_lembic Post Number: 76 Registered: 5-2014 |
Either the owner of the company is an Alembic fan, or he hired some punk advertising firm who has Millenials working there who just go to the internet and steal their ideas, implement them with no clue as to the legal ramifications, and then bask in the glory of their misguided creative prowess. I hope Susan rips them a new one. | ||
| sonofa_lembic
Member Username: sonofa_lembic Post Number: 77 Registered: 5-2014 |
Or maybe this will explain it…..Mica, did uncle Bob take up house painting on the days when he is not running the shop at Alembic? | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Senior Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 581 Registered: 6-2012 |
+ 1 on the ripping of a new one. And I can't think of anyone better than Susan to administer it. ;-) It's bad enough that they used the name, but it's unforgivable (and illegal) to steal a TRADEMARKED logo and slightly alter it for another purpose. | ||
| lidon2001
Senior Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 553 Registered: 4-2005 |
Yes, go off the charts and rip him a new one. Much better idea than a courteous professional phone to who is probably a fan of the company. You all need to chill | ||
| sonofa_lembic
Member Username: sonofa_lembic Post Number: 78 Registered: 5-2014 |
Tom, you clearly don't know Susan. LOL. She can be civil, but she won't stand for any crap, and she guards her company and family with her life….as it should be. That tenacity and passion is exactly why Alembic has survived for over 40 years…still run by its original founders I might add. Susan has always ascribed to the adage "Live and let live", but theft like this is over the line. Whether she is chill or vicious, she will do what is necessary to protect what the Wickershams have worked so very hard to create. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6166 Registered: 7-2004 |
I'm with Tom on this one. And remember, there is a HUGE difference between those cheapo bolt-ons with the Alembic decal, or putting an Alembic logo on a non-Alembic instrument versus paint. No one who is looking to buy an Alembic guitar or bass is going to be fooled into buying a gallon of "evening mist" latex. A polite civil communication will probably be all that's needed. Of course, if that doesn't bring the appropriate result, I'd hate to be on the other side of Susan! Bill, tgo | ||
| lidon2001
Senior Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 554 Registered: 4-2005 |
My thought is if the situation is killed with kindness, they could sell a Series II for all we know. And then we might get a FTC thread to gawk at. I like pictures. | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Senior Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 583 Registered: 6-2012 |
Normally, I'd agree with you 100% that polite and civil is generally a good first approach when dealing with these types of situations. And, in this case, had it just been the use of the name "Alembic", that would be an appropriate way to begin. However, IMO, an important line was crossed when a large portion of the trademarked Alembic logo - the "face" of the company - was used virtually verbatim and then clumsily altered with a paint can. How is that different than, say, me taking the Apple logo and altering it by adding a worm coming out of it to use for my new design group "Worm Hole Graphics"? I'm dead certain that the Apple legal group would be far less than civil toward me regardless of the fact that I own, use and love many of their products. | ||
| edwardofhuncote
Senior Member Username: edwardofhuncote Post Number: 477 Registered: 6-2014 |
I'm guessing rather than generalizing here... but I wouldn't expect the average (looks kinda' small-time) painting contractor to be up on their U.S. Patent & Copyright law, and that a word to the wise will be sufficient, especially if the owner is half as much a fan of Alembic Inc. as we are. Worst case, dude has to come up with something original for a logo, then redo his business cards and the side of his truck. But yeah, if that word went un-heeded, or worse, ummm... I wouldn't expect our hosts to be passive about it, and like Bill, I wouldn't want to be on the other side of Ms. W. either! As an aside, I think it's pretty cool how everyone here is unanimous in support of the Company, even if we differ on how best to deal with this one. Speaks volumes not only about loyalty, but also how that loyalty came about. | ||
| hammer
Senior Member Username: hammer Post Number: 721 Registered: 9-2009 |
I'd agree with everyone on the use of the logo being way overboard and actually a dead giveaway that they were in fact stealing intellectual property from the family-owned company we all know and love. IMHO if all they used was the name "Alembic" as in "Alembic Painting" it would be totally another story as the word (a·lem·bic, noun, a distilling apparatus, now obsolete, consisting of a rounded, necked flask and a cap with a long beak for condensing and conveying the products to a receiver) was around long before the company that build's our basses. That being said, I can't believe anyone would do this and not understand that the use of BOTH the company name and logo would not have some consequences. Hopefully, a simple phone call will result in their seeing the error of their ways. On the other hand....some copyright/trademark stuff can get totally out of control as when both the U.S. and the International Olympic Committees sued a small family diner in Connecticut about a decade ago because it was named the "Olympic" diner (and no they were not using the Olympic logo). | ||
| sonofa_lembic
Member Username: sonofa_lembic Post Number: 79 Registered: 5-2014 |
Hopefully the owner of this painting outfit is in fact an Alembic instrument enthusiast, and a simple "excuse me" from Susan will do the trick. As is clear from all the comments, none of us Alembic fans would ever go so far as to purloin the name, the logo and even the script, so I think the owner is probably a victim of a sophomoric advertising firm who had no idea what an Alembic was, and went online and gathered up various bits and pieces from the most visible text during their Google search. Still, it has to be squelched whether by a kind word, or threat of a lawsuit. The one thing we all fully agree on is that the use of the name, copied partial logo, and Gothic font, just ain't cool. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8579 Registered: 6-2000 |
Thanks for all the concern here - I'll be contacting these guys and having a chat. I'm going to find out which one of them plays guitar! I deal with these situations myself, and so far (knock on wood) they've all resolved out amicably. | ||
| oddmetersam
Advanced Member Username: oddmetersam Post Number: 376 Registered: 7-2008 |
A few of you know I sell (mostly) T-shirts on Redbubble. Not too long ago I saw that a band I'd never heard of posted one of my irreverent shirt designs -- slightly modified and the original link to me removed -- on their facebook page and it had 300,00+ likes and I don't remember how many shares... Copyright infringement is at its core, uncool. And frankly, lazy. And illegal if it's a genuine infringement as opposed to public domain stuff. Alembic has so much "karmic energy" behind it, I wouldn't be surprised if the owners of that paint shop aren't already vibrating at 31Hz right about now... | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4375 Registered: 5-2009 |
(double post correction) (Message edited by sonicus on July 23, 2015) | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4376 Registered: 5-2009 |
Sam , we can all get that 31Hz event happening with our collectively manifested consciousness and then for the grand finale take it down to about 15.5 Hz and pump up the volume. It's all about the Bass !  .With a positive result for all! First they hear us and then they really feel it . | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Senior Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 584 Registered: 6-2012 |
Then their gutz rumble and they spew. ;-) Then their CREATIVE consciousness awakens and they re-brand themselves using a completely different logo - ! Behold the awesome power of the lowWwWw end... | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4377 Registered: 5-2009 |
The 64ft and 128ft pedal organ stop experiment ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEVd2vdWYc0 The sounds of creation to awaken the creative consciousness with the really " lowWwWw" end ! . ( good for new logo creation ). | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Senior Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 585 Registered: 6-2012 |
Yikes - that's some impressive structure-shaking low end! I'm surprised the paint didn't start to flake off the walls & ceiling in that guy's house... If it did, he might need a painting company to fix it. Maybe an opportunity to convince our friends to re-name / re-brand themselves as "Bass" Coat Painting - "A Brush with Greatness". We have a "low frequency" of customer complaints... Logo could be a roller with a bass clef for a handle. I'm only here to help - really. |
