Subject: Re: Some disturbing news

From: "William R. Sheppard" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 15:20:20 -0800

Carl Peters, M.D. wrote:
>
> Patrick Olguin wrote:
> >
> > I just received a newsletter from one of the local (SoCal) woodworking
> > supply stores: Classic Woodcraft Supply Company, located in Orange. This
> > mom-and-pop store is celebrating its fourth year in business by having to
> > defend itself in a lawsuit against Woodcraft (a well-known national
> > mail-order and retail woodworking supply outfit) for trademark
> > infringement and something about unfair competition.*********************
>
> I agree this is mean spirited. In my local area, a small country shop that
> had been selling Levis jeans for decades was told by the company that it would
> stop shipping to the store, as the store's image did not fit Levi's projected
> image of 'sexy, sophisticated,...'. Maybe I'm missing something here, but
> most of the folks on the street do not fit that image. Just more of the
 growing
> trend of boorish snobbery. In short, a local outrage turned into a national
> story this past week, all quite negative for the Levi Strauss Co. in San
> Francisco. The company has backed off.
>
> My point here is to make this Woodcraft vs. the little guy nuisance suit a
> thorn in their side - if enough woodworkers here complain, plus some
> publicity in the media, Woodcraft may re-think their aggressive stance. By
> the way, the suit would probably not win (and Woodcraft may know this), but
> the ridiculous cost of litigation can cream the mom and pop outfit.
>
> Patrick, can you provide more info for us and keep us posted? Anyone know
> Woodcraft's E-mail and headquarters addresses? Names of those that run the
> company? Can you post them for us? Also suggest you talk to the local press,
> and even some area big city papers (esp. if Woodcraft is in them)and see if
> they will bite into this special interest story. Tempt them with the Levis
> furor. I will be visiting the Woodcraft in St. Louis today, and ask my friend
> who works there for some info. If this predatory behavior continues, I will
> start shopping elsewhere.
>
> Carl Peters
>
> > woodcraft, and wants the humble little store (one of the only places that
> > carries quality hand tools locally) to change its name.
> >
> > I buy from both companies, and have for a long time, without ever getting
> > them confused. To my knowledge, Classic Woodcraft does not do mail order.
> >
> > Here's the rub, though. Rumor has it that Woodcraft (the big company) is
> > going to open several stores in SoCal, to cash in on the huge popularity
> > of woodworking here. Sounds to me like this suit is part of that
> > groundwork. This seems like a classic case of a big company trying to
> > intimidate a small company, and I don't like it. I like it even less,
> > because I've always had good experiences with both.
> >
> > CWSC even offered to change their name, avoiding litigation, if Woodcraft
> > would foot the bill for the $3K to redo their sign. No go.
> >
> > This stinks, big-time.
> >
> > O'DeenWoodcraft has to defend its copyright or face the possiblity of losing
the exclusive rights to their name. If they let one mom and pop get away
with using their copyright pretty soon a lot of mom and pop's will be
using it. Let's get on with woodworking and let the lawyers do their
thing!

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 08 Feb 1997 22:12:46 GMT

Oh Boy, would that open a can of worms for you know who.
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