Trek v. Farley

[makoti]

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/chris-farley-s-family-suing-wisconsin-based-bike-maker-trek-n880551

The family is not pleased with Trek naming it's tire "Farley"

[mt2u77]

Looks like Tommy just sold half a million disc brakes.:bike:

[MaraudingWalrus]

If they were petty (and slightly more fun) they'd rename it the Chris or something. See how that goes.

Do they also go after Surly because they have one called the Ogre, and Chris Farley was supposed to be the voice of Shrek, too?

[thwart]

Kind of hard to believe their legal team didn't talk to the Farley family before using his name.

They could've donated some funds to the local Chris Farley House for addiction treatment...

[oldpotatoe]

Kind of hard to believe their legal team didn't talk to the Farley family before using his name.

They could've donated some funds to the local Chris Farley House for addiction treatment...

Yup, is trek’s next model an all black ‘Belushi’...poor, imho.

[GOTHBROOKS]

Looks like Tommy just sold half a million disc brakes.:bike:
haha i get this joke.

[bfd]

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/chris-farley-s-family-suing-wisconsin-based-bike-maker-trek-n880551

The family is not pleased with Trek naming it's tire "Farley"

That's gonna leave a mark...

[91Bear]

Fat guy on a little bike.

[Mzilliox]

So does everyone else named Farley also get a piece of the pie? or is there only one Farley?

[ColonelJLloyd]

So does everyone else named Farley also get a piece of the pie? or is there only one Farley?

The defense hopes you're in the jury.

If the clues are "fat, funny, Farley" I don't think there's much room for confusion on that Trivial Pursuit question. Trek's attorneys will no doubt try and make the case that counters that, though.

I've no idea what sort of case is here on legal grounds, but I don't buy the fact that Trek's fat bike shares the name with the area's most famous fat guy as coincidence. If, indeed, that's the claim Trek is or will be making.

Also, props to mt2u77 for the funny. Hell, I lost my virginity to his daughter for crying out loud.

[mt2u77]

I find it hard to believe Trek legal didn't get the family's Herbie Hancock on that one.

(OK, I'm done. I promise.)

[Bentley]

I think Raliegh sold a fixie called a Mr Farley a few years back

Ray

[William]

I bet the tires are really cool. You're not even gonna believe it. Like, let's say you're riding along the road with your family...:eek:






William

[AJM100]

I think Raliegh sold a fixie called a Mr Farley a few years back

Ray

That was a Three's Company theme - Furley and Roper

[FlashUNC]

Trek just can't stop being Trek can they?

[kevinvc]

Trek just can't stop being Trek can they?

If it was Specialized, they would have preemptively sued the Farley family before releasing the bike.

[Gummee]

The defense hopes you're in the jury.

If the clues are "fat, funny, Farley" I don't think there's much room for confusion on that Trivial Pursuit question. Trek's attorneys will no doubt try and make the case that counters that, though.

I've no idea what sort of case is here on legal grounds, but I don't buy the fact that Trek's fat bike shares the name with the area's most famous fat guy as coincidence. If, indeed, that's the claim Trek is or will be making.

Also, props to mt2u77 for the funny. Hell, I lost my virginity to his daughter for crying out loud.

Could be someone's dog.

Just sayin

M

[Mark McM]

As I expected, the case has now been settled out of court, and the settlement terms are confidential:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/06/06/trek-and-make-him-smile-agree-settle-farley-trademark-suit#.WxlPQaPD-9I

[benb]

Trek really must have named it after him or just not felt like a fight.

If there was some guy in development with the last name Farley they could have said he designed the tire and they named it after him.

It seems like there should have been plenty of good defenses. Even if Chris Farley had been granted a trademark for the word "Farley" it would likely not have stood up in court against something completely unrelated to comedy.

[Mark McM]

Trek really must have named it after him or just not felt like a fight.

If there was some guy in development with the last name Farley they could have said he designed the tire and they named it after him.

It seems like there should have been plenty of good defenses. Even if Chris Farley had been granted a trademark for the word "Farley" it would likely not have stood up in court against something completely unrelated to comedy.

A more likely scenario is that Trek felt that the cost of defending the case was higher than the cost of settling it. Two other points to consider are: The settlement is a known cost, whereas a trial can be a bit of a wildcard with a less than certain outcome; the settlement likely includes a donation to Farley charitable foundation, which is not only tax deductible, but is a good PR move.

[oldpotatoe]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/arts/chris-farley-wisconsin-bicycle-fat-guy.html

[p nut]

I must admit I didn't even make that connection until just now. Don't care about the stupid lawsuit. Just wish Chris was still alive making us laugh.

[Cicli]

Lawsuits are stupid. Most of them.

People need to get over themselves.

[thwart]

Lawsuits are stupid. Most of them.


Agreed.

Almost as stupid as Trek deciding to name their fat tire bikes 'Farley' without having a discussion with Chris's family and (perhaps) offering to donate some money to his charitable foundation.

[Fivethumbs]

The real issue in this case was which state's law applies. Some states do not even recognize an after-death right to publicity. Trek's claim was that Farley died as a resident of Illinois; therefore, Illinois after-death publicity rights would govern. Illinois did not recognize an after-death right to publicity until 1999 which was after Farley's death. The law was not retroactive. The Farley family argued he was a resident of California when he died so California law should apply. California has provided for for after-death publicity rights retroactive to 70 years before 1985 (or since 1915) and that the rights to publicity extend 70 years after death. If Farley was a resident of CA when he died, then the family owns his publicity rights until 2067.

Some states' laws are very far reaching and indicate they would apply regardless of whether the celeb was a resident when he/she died. So the family could threaten to bring the suit in one of these states if Trek sells the bikes there.

[CunegoFan]

Next up, John Belushi's family sues Specialized for its fat bike suspension fork named the Bluto.

[Mark McM]

Next up, John Belushi's family sues Specialized for its fat bike suspension fork named the Bluto.


Is this after Popeye's Chicken sues the estate of John Belushi because it already owns the names of Popyeye cartoon characters?


https://img00.deviantart.net/9ac4/i/2011/179/0/7/popeye_v__bluto_by_mjrainwater-d3kdfni.png