[68keyblr]

To make any real impact, we'll have to get everyone we know to write to Ford. I've already got my family and friends working on it...

[Dave Moors]

Originally Posted by StangDreamin'

As I said in my previous post; perhaps North American Aviation (or it's assigns) should sue Ford for having -over the last 40+ years- capitalized on their idea of naming the "secretary's car" after NAA's (back then) 26-year-old warbird design!

Hey, maybe the British government should sue Ford!
1.) They actually affixed the moniker "Mustang" to NAA's prototype fighter.

Made me laugh, not many people seem to realise that the design and spec requst for the P51 came from the RAF so maybe its time for them to raise some cash and drop a letter to Bill at Ford and ask for £10,000!!!
As someone said here earlier they lost out on the GT40 to the extent of not being able to call the GT the same name maybe they just got jittery,(or maybe someone in legal saw some easy $ to be made? ) I think its a chap over here that made replica GT40s after ford lost interest that now has the rights to that name as he calls them "GT40" when they are sold.You can tradmark any word relevent to your business here now, the term "lucky dip" belongs to our national lottery company, stories indicated they actually threatened church fetes for using hte term on stalls to raise money!

[hungrymonkey]

Originally Posted by bnickel

i think i may sell every ford car and part i own and buy dodge products for the rest of my life. Ford can kiss my ass, because of what they are doing it is going to cost me more to buy parts for my cars and i won't have any part of it. i have always been a loyal ford guy but no longer after this BS.

Kind of the way I feel.
I went to the corporate site and added my .02 to thier contact us form.

And, honestly. I do not feel that mustangs would be nearly as popular without its aftermarket. Hell, It might of gone the way of the camaro.

[jeffnoel]

Mustang Monthly just did a full page about this crap.

[Platonic Solid]

There's only one proper and powerful way to fight this .

Boycott new Ford Vehicles

[Platonic Solid]

Originally Posted by jeffnoel

Mustang Monthly just did a full page about this crap.

Thanks for posting that article. Here's the letter I just submitted to NPR as a story suggestion:

The Ford Motor Company has apparently decided to “reclaim it’s legacy” by protecting it’s “Mustang” trademark. Ford is demanding companies discontinue using “Mustang” in their name and transfer any internet domain name containing the word “Mustang”. Rather than retype the whole article I read in “mustangmonthly.com” please read it here: Hoofbeats

I’ve personally been tinkering with old Mustangs for 25 years and have relied heavily on classic parts suppliers like “Mustangs Unlimited” and “Virginia Classic Mustang”. I can hardly imagine the devastating affect this will have on 100’s, if not 1,000’s, of parts suppliers, websites and magazines.

I was in the market for a new 2006 Mustang GT, but have decided I can not, in good conscience, support a company that would willingly cause so much harm to the people who have helped keep the classics alive.

[pabear89]

My letter in oversized envelope to the Ceo of Ford.

Sir; I have heard about your Legal battles to regain the "Mustang" name.
Times must be extreamely difficult for this company to go after all of the so-call name thiefs that are supossedly infringing on your Trademark.

As not to be hounded by your High powered legal teams,
I have removed ALL Mustang and Ford Logo name plates from my car.
and have enclosed them to you.

I am sure if I require some parts in the future that I will be able to adapt anything from GM to make MY car work.
This 40 year loyal Ford fan is moving over to the otherside.
have a nice life.

[rsev216]

As someone said earlier, a letter writing campaign is needed. Below is my letter to Wild Bill mailed last week...

William C. Ford
Chairman & CEO
Ford Motor Company
PO Box 685
Dearborn, MI 48126-0685

Dear Mr. Ford:
I have been a loyal Ford customer since my first 1955 sedan when I was 16. I currently own a 2003 Mustang, a 2000 Explorer Limited and a recently restored 1965 Mustang convertible.
Recently I read an article on the Ford lawyer’s attack against Mustangs Plus, a small business that provides a valuable service to us Mustang enthusiasts. I am very troubled by your lawyer’s attack on suppliers and shops using the “Mustang” name. Your lawyers have demanded that these small businesses that do a great deal to build the Mustang brand image by making needed parts and accessories readily available cease and desist from using the word “Mustang” in their names, as well as forcing these companies to pay a $10,000 fine. While Ford needs to protect it’s brands, arbitrarily driving them out of business runs a high risk of alienating many Ford loyalists like myself.
This is a very short-sighted policy that is blind to the great service these businesses do for the Ford and Mustang brands. You are punishing the source of the Mustang’s life blood. A significant piece of the Mustang popularity is attributable to those businesses that have made the Mustang a classic by making restoration and after market parts available while building enthusiasm for the brand. I cannot understand why Ford would adopt a policy that would alienate the very people and businesses that bleed “Ford Blue,” and have had no small part in the success of the Mustang for more than 40 years. Ford benefits from the goodwill and exposure generated by these support businesses.
I hope you will apply some good, “out of the box” business sense by calling off your pit bulls and offering these loyal Ford supporters the opportunity to continue using the Mustang name at nominal or no cost before irreparable damage is done to the Ford name. You should be encouraging these supporters, not trying to bleed them dry. You have the opportunity to either work with these entrepreneurs to build a bigger, stronger, loyal customer base or you can continue the current adversarial path that risks destroying the Mustang mystique and alienating a significant customer base. Choose wisely.

[jeffnoel]

Great letter, I wonder which companies are on their hit list and which aren't? How about everyone checking with local shops that use the Mustang name and seeing if they got a letter and then post the info here. Here in Fresno we have the Mustang Ranch which sells early Mustang parts and complete cars. Let's see if we can find out how many letters went out...

[jikelly]

Gee I've got mustang in the title for my webpage. What a stupid thing for Ford to do. I'm going to write a letter today. Right now.

[FordMuscle]

Hi all,
Just wanted to make you aware that FordMuscle has started a campaign against the suits being brought on by Ford and Howard, Phillips, Andersen,
all comments will be submitted to several key contacts in Ford PR and Legal.

Please take a moment to submit your comments here:
http://www.fordmuscle.com/blog/more-...d-sucks/112105

Thank you.

[zookeeper]

For the life of me, I can't figure out why this is not yet a sticky. I'm not usually the letter-writing, activist-type of person, but I hope we all realize how important this really is to our hobby. I posted a letter on the Ford Muscle site and followed the link to Ford's "contact us" site and left a letter there as well. I hope you can all find the time to do the same. Ford is attacking the very people who have helped us keep our Mustangs, and therefore our hobby, alive for many years. Let's face it, Mustangs were never meant to last 40 years in the first place. They were a cheap (and cheaply built) car meant only to draw younger buyers into the dealerships. Ford has NEVER supported the restoration hobby in any way whatsoever. To them the Mustang was simply a car, no more and no less then the LTD, Country Squire station wagon and the Pinto. When our cars reached a certain age, the parts were discontiued, period. By comparision go to a GM dealer and see how many parts you can buy for '60s GM muscle cars. I always shop the dealer first for parts for my wife's '69 427 Corvette and have yet to find anything they can't have the next day, and the quality is top notch. Ford is not just attacking the parts vendors, they are attacking you and me. Lets suppose your favorite vendor decides to simply pay the fine, change his business name and go on with business. Do you really think he's going to absorb the lawyer fees and fines out of his pocket? Would you? No, he'll raise prices and you and I will pay for Ford's greed. Better think about it...

[jerry S]

Like many Mustang hobbyists, I was stunned that Ford would attack an industry that has created so much free brand equity for it over the years. When the 2005 Mustang was introduced, it was the only car Ford could sell. It was hot and it got people in the showrooms. I recall reading that the '05 was on dealer lots for 20 minutes on average before being sold. If the '05 Mustang was a success it is in no small part because of hobbyists such as myself and vendors specializing in classic Mustangs who have kept the Mustang legacy alive and given the car a near cult following. The '05 would never have been built and Ford would have had ZERO buzz these past 2 years had hobbyists like myself and after-market vendors not been investing time, money, and sweat into our classics. Although Ford got a free ride, it is now lashing out at the very people who have done so much for the Mustang and Ford to keep the legacy of the Mustang alive. Ford is squandering the brand equity we have worked so hard to build for it - for free no less. Ford obviously has no idea how injurious this will be to the brand.

Ford has done nothing to cultivate the Mustang legacy and has instead been riding on the coattails of after-market suppliers and hobbyists. If I want a replacement interior for my 1969 Mach 1, I know that I cannot get one from Ford. Rather, I need to get something made by TMI and which is sold by Mustangs Plus, Mustangs Unlimited, Laurel Mountain Mustang, etc. This has really given me a bitter taste in my mouth and I cannot see myself buying a product from Ford anytime soon.

[Cannoball888]

After 40 years, Ford will probably also go after Mack Rice for writing "Mustang Sally"

[68keyblr]

Originally Posted by zookeeper

For the life of me, I can't figure out why this is not yet a sticky. I'm not usually the letter-writing, activist-type of person, but I hope we all realize how important this really is to our hobby. I posted a letter on the Ford Muscle site and followed the link to Ford's "contact us" site and left a letter there as well. I hope you can all find the time to do the same. Ford is attacking the very people who have helped us keep our Mustangs, and therefore our hobby, alive for many years. Let's face it, Mustangs were never meant to last 40 years in the first place. They were a cheap (and cheaply built) car meant only to draw younger buyers into the dealerships. Ford has NEVER supported the restoration hobby in any way whatsoever. To them the Mustang was simply a car, no more and no less then the LTD, Country Squire station wagon and the Pinto. When our cars reached a certain age, the parts were discontiued, period. By comparision go to a GM dealer and see how many parts you can buy for '60s GM muscle cars. I always shop the dealer first for parts for my wife's '69 427 Corvette and have yet to find anything they can't have the next day, and the quality is top notch. Ford is not just attacking the parts vendors, they are attacking you and me. Lets suppose your favorite vendor decides to simply pay the fine, change his business name and go on with business. Do you really think he's going to absorb the lawyer fees and fines out of his pocket? Would you? No, he'll raise prices and you and I will pay for Ford's greed. Better think about it...

Amen, brother Zookeeper. I've also written Ford on the "Contact Us" page and posted comments on the Ford Muscle site. In addition, I've written paper letters to both William C. Ford and the Customer Relations Department. I hope everyone that reads this does the same and gets everyone they know to do it as well.

So who can make this a sticky, and why is it NOT a sticky yet???

[hungrymonkey]

2bav8 or obobrian can sticky in this forum. Tyler and the admins/supermods can as well.

[jerry S]

I sent an email to John McCormick, the automotive correspondent for the Detroit News and suggested that he report on the story.

I think that Mustang owners should organize and turn out en masse at the Dream Cruise along Woodward Ave this year and generate a lot of bad PR for Ford.

[Platonic Solid]

According to the Hoofbeats article, even "Stangnet" isn't immune to this hostile action:

...it won't be as easy as replacing Mustang with Pony or Stang. According to Ryther, Ford is protecting those trademarks too.

I don't see GM screwing their loyal fan base. A quick search of Camaro and Corvette leads you to hundreds of sites with no official GM affiliation.

I think the only proper action for Ford to take would be to require unofficial uses of their trademarks to bear the following disclaimer: "Company Name is not sponsored by, endorsed or affiliated with the Ford Motor Company."

What's next, will Ford be suing Google (and all the other search engines) for all non-Ford sanctioned results that come up when seaching "their trademarks"? A quick wikipedia search of the word "Mustang" reveals a few other non-Ford meanings. Heck, it was a fricken horse long before Ford came along! What gives anyone the right to trademark a word used in common vernacular? I'm beginning to think that our trademark laws are too broad ranged.

Maybe Mr. Ford just has a genetic predisposition towards oppression and domination. It wouldn’t be the first time.

[mustangracer]

[QUOTE=Platonic Solid]According to the Hoofbeats article, even "Stangnet" isn't immune to this hostile action:

...it won't be as easy as replacing Mustang with Pony or Stang. According to Ryther, Ford is protecting those trademarks too.QUOTE]

And what's next after that? going after every person with a screen name or email address with mustang, pony, stang etc?... If they are getting stupid enough to chase these companies, then I can even see that happening. Probably by pressuring ISPs and forum boards the same way the music industry has hounded for downloaders. If I hadn't already bought an 06 GT I would probably have gotten the Cooper S instead, I may still at this rate. Unfortunately I would also have to get rid of my Freestyle...

This is plain stupid, it smacks of a predatory class action in reverse. Why sue one company at a time when you can shake a bunch down for 5-10k by threatening to sue. It isn't "brand protection" at this point, it is finding some way to making Ford some extra cash.

[chepsk8]

Time to re-ignite my romance with my other favorite Musclecar - Hurst/Olds.

Now to find one! Anybody got a 1974 H/O Indy Pace car for sale cheap?

Here's one I had 20 years ago. I should never have let it go....

[68keyblr]

Originally Posted by jerry S

I sent an email to John McCormick, the automotive correspondent for the Detroit News and suggested that he report on the story.

I think that Mustang owners should organize and turn out en masse at the Dream Cruise along Woodward Ave this year and generate a lot of bad PR for Ford.

This would be very effective I think. If Mustang owners were to put up a sign on the package shelf or taped to a side window at high profile events with some sort of succint statement on the subject, we might get some traction.

In fact, I'm going to make up signs for all 3 of my Mustangs and leave them there until Ford changes their policy or hell freezes over!

[zookeeper]

I'd like to thank the moderator who made this a sticky and also to offer more encouragement to those who haven't written. Does anyone remember when Ford wanted to get rid of the Mustang altogether? It may be hard to beleive, but it's true. The only thing that stopped them was a massive letter-writing campaign by Mustang people. Evidently, it's time to let them know that not only are we as Mustang owners and fans pissed, but that we consider the aftermarket vendors a huge part of our family as well. To paraphrase Marlon Brando, "You don't go against the Family..."

[reenmachine]

Well, I signed the petition and I'm working on my snail-mail letter.

I'm fairly wired-in to a lot of people in the Mustang business and there is a huge buzz over this -- more like a roar.

Let's face it, in these days of excellent value, quality, and even style from the import car makers, one of the few things keeping Ford alive is brand loyalty, which they're now ruining.

Another of their strong points is the sales of the '05-'06 Mustang, a car which would not be nearly as popular as it is without the classic Mustang world. We kept the cars alive that gave Ford the instantly-recognizable vintage styling cues to draw from. Would the new Mustangs be so popular if the image of the classics was a faded memory? So they crap on us.

I have heard from a lot of people that they will never buy a Ford product again unless this is totally reversed. I am one of those people. Coincidentally, I am in the market for a work truck. After never owning a non-Ford truck, I just pulled the plug on my E350 van deal and will buy a GM product. I will send a picture of me standing next to it to Bill Ford. Funny thing is, after removing my brand-loyalty blinders to do my research, the GM product is far superior.

Vote with your wallet. It's obviously the only thing they understand.

[stangonline]

What a joke..

At very least...I would change Mustangwebsite.com to "Whatever.com - Formally Mustangwebsite.com" lol

[stangonline]

Actually, anyone with Stang or Mustang in their screen names had better change them! Ford might think you are posing as a Ford employee, and sue you.

I was in the market for a Fusion to replace my current commuter...however, if this isn't dropped in the next month or two, I'll be looking at a Cobalt, or some other brand X car.