Alembic logo use violation?

[jazzyvee]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

+ 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.