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<font size="-1">it's not theft if texas is doing it :P<br>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Subject: </th>
<td>[The IPKat] "You’re So Vain; You Probably Think This Plate
is about You"</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
<td>Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:37:22 -0700 (PDT)</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
<td>Jeremy <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jjip@btinternet.com"><jjip@btinternet.com></a></td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Reply-To:
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<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jjip@btinternet.com">jjip@btinternet.com</a></td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ipkat_readers@googlegroups.com">ipkat_readers@googlegroups.com</a></td>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ftaKzXnvyOc/TgbElmkR-WI/AAAAAAAASKA/pDrRpvSBvN8/s1600/virg.jpg"
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coolmallu/1925949768/">Image</a></b>: <span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">BY-NC-SA
coolmallu</span> </i></td>
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The IPKat is thrilled to have persuaded his friend and
fellow-blogger <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/04296562132231894342">Aurelia
J. Schultz</a></b> to metamorphose a brief Tweet into a
fully-fledged blog post for him to host. It's all about that
splendid phenomenon, the customised motor car licence plate. Writes
Aurelia:<br>
<blockquote>"There’s been a whole lot of hullabaloo lately as trade
mark owners brace themselves for the onslaught of infringements
expected with new top-level-domains. But it’s not just the
information superhighway where trade mark owners need to watch;
they might want to take a look around on the paved highway too.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">Texas has found a new way to make money.
People, well Americans at least, love to showcase their
individuality. And with over <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/censusandstatistics/a/commutetimes.htm">100
hours a year</a></b> spent driving, what better place to
showcase your individuality than on your very own
specially-for-you licence plate? These licence plates, called
vanity plates, usually are available for a small additional fee
through the state department of motor vehicles when you register
your car. You submit your first few choices and hope that
someone else hasn’t already taken “ILUVTM”. Texas, however, is
doing things a little differently, exploiting the market, and so
far that exploitation has brought in some big bucks. But,
should the bucks really go to Texas? </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">Texas is auctioning of highly sought after
plates. Rather than a small fee and the hope that you’re first,
you can secure the licence plates of dream to showcase your
individuality by out-bidding every other individual who wants to
identify themselves the exact same way. The Wall Street
Journal <b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303745304576359910386002034.html">highlights
</a></b>some commonly-desired plates, such as single digit
numbers and AMERICA. But the most interesting plates mentioned,
fetching $7,500 and $15,000, were not numbers or places. They
were trade marks. </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">“FERRARI”, just the word on a licence
plate, went for $15,000 in Texas. “PORSCHE” sold for $7,500.
Both (arguably) well-known trade marks related to cars, one has
to wonder if the companies should have some say, or some piece,
of what’s going on here. (One also wonders whether Texas
requires that the FERRARI plate only go on a FERRARI. Perhaps
the threat of society laughing at your FERRARI licence plate on
a ’72 Pinto takes care of that.) </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">It would be hard to find trade mark
infringement here since no one is going to confuse a licence
plate for a car, or think that a car is a Porsche just because
the licence plate says PORSCHE. And people know that licence
plates are produced by the state, usually by the prisons, and
not by car companies. There’s also no unfair competition here
as the licence plate is not competing with the actual car.
Dilution would be hard to show since there can be at most 50
licence plates with the TM, maybe 500 if there’s enough room for
a digit (Note: the author does not know of any states that allow
more than 7 spaces on a licence plate.)</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">Texas does seem, however, to be unfairly
gaining a hefty amount of money thanks to the strengths of these
brands. Shouldn’t they be sharing th<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5574479&postID=2641571603185097734"
name="_GoBack">a</a>t large pot?"</div>
</blockquote>
Thoughts, anyone?
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Posted By Jeremy to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2011/06/youre-so-vain-you-probably-think-this.html">The
IPKat</a> on 6/26/2011 06:37:00 AM
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