Well, I left a long reply to this thread and I guess it timed out. Sorry I haven't been on in so long. This time of year means 70-hour weeks instead of 60. Thanks to Skiptomylou for the heads up. Regarding enforcement...We busted four sellers on e-bay just nine-days ago. Another will receive a registered letter this week. Still another seller has violated the trademark a second time and will receive a summons next month. I think it goes without saying, we are protecting our trademark. It breaks my heart to see someone steal from us. Here is the text from the blog that explains our configuration trademark and counterfeiting.
Counterfeit Road RunnerŽ Lures Posted on
January 23, 2011
Our configuration trademark Road Runner
One of my many jobs includes protecting our intellectual property. That means monitoring the on-line auction sites and fishing forums. This also entails walking the aisles of tackle shops, looking for knock-offs.
We are nice at first. The response is usually apologetic and the offenders are often not aware they are breaking the law. Unfortunately, there are those that get ugly about it. Most often, these offenders did not pay federal excise taxes either. Then things get very messy.
Reselling counterfeit products is against the law too. The tackle dealers that carry counterfeit Road Runners are shocked when the local deputy walks in the door. It suddenly becomes a priority to send us the inventory for destruction.
Many anglers think they are getting a “deal” when they purchase counterfeits. You usually get what you pay for though. They may include; over tempered hooks, a steel blade instead of brass and a cheap swivel instead of a stronger, crane swivel.
“But I can’t get them tied with squirrel tail” is not an excuse. We encourage customizing Road Runners. That is one reason we make Road Runner heads available in bulk packaging.
It breaks my heart to see someone steal from us. Stealing intellectual property is a crime. Buyer, beware. Blessings, -TJ
Road Runner lures are protected under the Configuration Trademark #1577913. (The CokeŽ bottle shape is a configuration trademark for example.) “Road Runner” is a registered trademark of TTI-Blakemore Fishing Group.