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Re: [RC] Ariat Tevis vs Ariat Terrain - Truman Prevatt

I rode back on the airplane recently next to a guy who was a trademark/copyright lawyer. He said it has got to be one of the most boring areas of law but it pays well, probably because of the type of things Ariat did. This type of things seems to be common - a company takes a name from "public domain" and copyright the use of it in their product. He had a bunch of examples and they couldn't keep WSTF from using the word Tevis - but they could keep any other product from using it.

Yes WSTF should have gotten a trademark on "TEVIS" just as the AERC should have gotten a trademark on "Endurance Riding." But they didn't, the terms are public domain and the horse is out of the barn :-).

There is a lot of things the public is unaware of in this type of law. Most don't know that if they go to a photographer and get their pictures taken, they don't own the pictures of themselves, the photographer does and all rights that go with the use of the pictures.

Truman

Linda B. Merims wrote:
>I find the Ariat Terrain lace boots, but not the Tevis???
 
The Ariat corporation tried to trademark "Tevis" as the
name of their sneaker.  The ad I saw actually said
"Ariat Tevis(TM)".
 
I don't know the details, but evidently the Western States
Trail Foundation heard about this and, very legitimately,
objected.
 
If Ariat trademarks "Tevis," and the WSTF doesn't
defend its presumptive trademark on "Tevis," (after
all, why would anyone name a sneaker T-E-V-I-S?
because of the fame and cache' of the ride
that the WSTF has been putting on for 50 years!),
then Ariat could forbid WSTF from using the
name "Tevis," or could actually charge WSTF
a royalty fee for awarding the Tevis Cup!
 
It looks like WSTF was successful in getting
Ariat to change the name of their product to
Terrain and protect WSTF's right to the
Tevis "brand," but not before Ariat had put
out a lot of publicity on their new riding
sneaker under the old name.
 
I wonder if Steph and John should consider registering
"Ridecamp"?
 
As I said before,
 
What a world, what a world...
 
Linda B. Merims
Massachusetts, USA
 
 


Replies
[RC] Ariat Tevis vs Ariat Terrain, Linda B. Merims