RVA, please help support a local small business and fight the Cleveland Guardians!

Submitted by stayintall t3_zzezjf in rva

https://gofund.me/7eae8533

You might have seen a post a day or two ago about a local small business being sued by the Cleveland Guardians over a logo dispute.

If you’ve read the article you’ll see the Guardians are grasping at straws trying to sue him over the use of a single letter, but they obviously have a much larger bank roll to squash the little man. I have known Noah for years, he was one of my first clients when I was trying to break into the audio engineering world and I recorded a lot of their early songs. He’s a hard working man and very generous with his time, constantly giving back to and building up his community. He deserves better than this and needs our help.

Please consider giving a little to his go fund me or at least help spread the word. Thanks for your time!

https://gofund.me/7eae8533

26

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

shalomfromus t1_j2c3xc3 wrote

Sorry. I’m going to be that asshole.

This is so fucking stupid. Just change your logo.

33

For_Never_Dreams t1_j2cdyc8 wrote

Yeah. This is the best answer. Also whatever raised doesn't have to be used for the intended purpose. But I guess asking for money to change your logo is not as catchy.

5

WakeNikis t1_j2bz4zd wrote

I mean, they are asking for 25k to fight over their logo in court.

Can’t they just change it? I mean is their logo really central to what they are doing?

Also, this lawsuit doesn’t appear to be “grasping at straws.” Right in the go fund me description, they say baseball-inspired. Also, Cleveland trademarked the “c” logo decades prior to this company existing. Their logo looks exactly like the Cleveland “C” with an added in lighting bolt.

27

DwayneWayne91 t1_j2d9y08 wrote

Let's be real, that C looks just like any other block-font C. There's nothing special about it.

9

WakeNikis t1_j2e031z wrote

The Cleveland guardians C is a block C made up of something like 18 individual straight lines.

The C in question here has the same 18 lines in the same configuration.

Not only that, but the Cleveland C has a flourish at the top of the C- something that is not common with Cs. It almost looks like an upside down G. The C for this org has the exact same flourish at the top.

6

J_Beyonder t1_j2doc3i wrote

Seems like it would be cheaper to change the logo.

5

DwayneWayne91 t1_j2da90l wrote

Not only that, but their C looks NOTHING like the Cleveland C. Cleveland Indians, kind of. Cleveland Guardians, not at all.

https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/680443422022/Cleveland_Guardians/2022/Cap_Logo

2

KiwiStack t1_j2dbbo3 wrote

This is just their current logo that just came out this past year with the name change. Pretty sure every team keeps trademarks on legacy logos.

8

[deleted] t1_j2dd41u wrote

[deleted]

3

DwayneWayne91 t1_j2dsxal wrote

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's a capital C in a common font, nothing special about it.

3

RulerOfTheRest t1_j2bvxgu wrote

All I can afford right now is to wish Noah luck, as this is going to be an uphill battle. From all of the trademark lawsuits that I've read over the past two decades, ranging from small breweries to clothing, I think only one was successful in arguing that their logo was different enough that the case was tossed, and that 'C' style they're using has been trademarked by Cleveland baseball since 1915. Even the companies that argued fair use under parody exceptions have failed in each of the cases I've read about...

...so, here's hoping that Noah and Charged become the 2nd case I'm following that will succeed...

13

Thatpart1017 t1_j2cievz wrote

What was the one?

4

RulerOfTheRest t1_j2clqms wrote

Honestly, I can't remember, and been racking my brain since I first posted. It was about 8 or 9 years ago by now and will probably come to me when I least expect it. The one parody line that still sticks with me is "The South Butt" that got snuffed out by The North Face. From what I remember about that one is they gave him an out through a settlement, but the dude almost immediately violated that settlement agreement and got burned...

2

AlreadyShrugging t1_j2diagq wrote

No one should be allowed to trademark a single letter.

6

kerserker1 t1_j2fe3te wrote

Are the Cleveland Guardians suing? All I get from this story is that the Cleveland Guardians have objected to them being granted a Trademark. Happens all the time in IP law. If you can’t get a logo trademarked, then redesign it (as original Art) and trademark that.

1