FN Sues Ruger Over SFAR' Mark, Claiming Infringement on Its SCAR' Trademark

[The Heretic]

And my mention of Luger/Ruger was not because of their shape, but that they were only one letter different. And in Japan, Ruger and Luger are pronounced the same.

There is a lot of US legal precedent that you cannot sue someone for using their own legal name as a company name. That has been tried and failed. There are exceptions (e.g., if you explicitly sell a company with that name as a trademark and the trademark is included in the sale contract). E.G., Smith & Wesson could not sue Dan Wesson firearms (or CZ now) for using "Wesson" in their company name.

 

[orygun]

My opinion, for what it's worth, is the FN can take this and plug it straight up their backside.
Talk about a stretch for a lawsuit.

 

[Stomper]

It is whatever FN wants to call it. The full name or acronym. Bear in mind that FN is a Belgian based concern and their names/acronyms do not always translate directly to English as you would expect. Their two main languages are Flemish (Dutch) and French. FN is located in the Flemish part of Belgium. Dutch is a Germanic language and like Deutsche it probably tends to string new words together as a single word. Beyond that, you will have to ask somebody from FN why their acronym and the full name don't match in English.

I only rarely speak Flemish when I have a head-cold, which only occurs…. rarely.

 

[orygun]

I only rarely speak Flemish when I have a head-cold, which only occurs…. rarely.

Do we have a "shake my head" emoji?

 

[CamoDeafie]

Do we have a "shake my head" emoji?

 

[monkeybutler]

It is whatever FN wants to call it. The full name or acronym. Bear in mind that FN is a Belgian based concern and their names/acronyms do not always translate directly to English as you would expect. Their two main languages are Flemish (Dutch) and French. FN is located in the Flemish part of Belgium. Dutch is a Germanic language and like Deutsche it probably tends to string new words together as a single word. Beyond that, you will have to ask somebody from FN why their acronym and the full name don't match in English.

USSOCOM seems to have coined SCAR. I would not expect a Flemish name for something so obviuously intended for a US market.

FN SCAR - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[orygun]

That one shows more disgust than I was thinking. This one will have to do.

 

[The Heretic]

USSOCOM seems to have coined SCAR. I would not expect a Flemish name for something so obviuously intended for a US market.

FN SCAR - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

*shrug*

Whatever - just speculating. Makes even more sense that it comes from the US gov/military

 

[CamoDeafie]

It is whatever FN wants to call it. The full name or acronym. Bear in mind that FN is a Belgian based concern and their names/acronyms do not always translate directly to English as you would expect. Their two main languages are Flemish (Dutch) and French. FN is located in the Flemish part of Belgium. Dutch is a Germanic language and like Deutsche it probably tends to string new words together as a single word. Beyond that, you will have to ask somebody from FN why their acronym and the full name don't match in English.

USSOCOM seems to have coined SCAR. I would not expect a Flemish name for something so obviuously intended for a US market.

FN SCAR - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

*shrug*

Whatever - just speculating. Makes even more sense that it comes from the US gov/military

To be honest, its the same sort of thing that gave us Safariland's SPEAR- ELCS/BALCS, 1998-2000s

Special Operations Forces
Personal
Equipment
Advanced
Requirements

Equipment
Load
Carrying
System

And

Body
Armor
Load
Carrying
System



"SOF PEAR" sounded like bad grocery

 

[Stomper]

Do we have a "shake my head" emoji?

 

[Diamondback]

@The Heretic - good one!! Take that Ruger.


(Technically, the above would be patent infringement. In the US patents have a 20-year life span.)

But I doubt in the 1950's when Ruger came out with the Standard model, post Nazi Germany Walther company was be willing to pursue a complaint, nor would US courts have given it much traction - given Walther's tiles to old Adolph and everything.

Walther would have no standing anyway, the rights were with DWM or Mauser.

 

[Flopsweat]

Remember when Harley Davidson sued Honda for making a bike that looked and sounded like a Harley? They eventually dropped the suit, even though it was blatantly obvious exactly what Honda was doing. In my mind, there was no brand confusion. The Honda was obviously a Honda, not a Harley. I'm no lawyer, but I don't see anyone mistaking a SFAR for a SCAR.

 

[Provincial]

There is a lot of US legal precedent that you cannot sue someone for using their own legal name as a company name. That has been tried and failed. There are exceptions (e.g., if you explicitly sell a company with that name as a trademark and the trademark is included in the sale contract). E.G., Smith & Wesson could not sue Dan Wesson firearms (or CZ now) for using "Wesson" in their company name.

The Plumb Company (named for Fayette R. Plumb) sued the Plomb Tool Company (founded by Alphonse Plomb, but later sold to another person in Los Angles) for trademark infringement, and won. Not once, but twice! Plomb then changed their name to Proto.

The conflict was because of Plomb selling hammers, which was the principal product of Plumb. The first lawsuit was settled in 1926 by Plomb agreeing to not sell hammers. After WWII, Plomb again sold hammers under it's own name, rather than the Paschall brand used previously. That resulted in the ruling forcing the company to change it's name.

 

[Nosferatu]

I'm no lawyer, but I don't see anyone mistaking a SFAR for a SCAR.

I wish I knew the alphabet when I bought a SFAR.

 

[Provincial]

Remember when Harley Davidson sued Honda for making a bike that looked and sounded like a Harley? They eventually dropped the suit, even though it was blatantly obvious exactly what Honda was doing. In my mind, there was no brand confusion. The Honda was obviously a Honda, not a Harley. I'm no lawyer, but I don't see anyone mistaking a SFAR for a SCAR.

On the other hand, Wilton trademarked (rather than patented) it's design of using a piece of round tubing for the slide of a vise. This meant that no one could copy the design, ever, as long as the trademark was retained, instead of the 20-year life of a patent. This, despite the fact that York had been using that design for decades, and others, as well. It took about 50 years, and Asian knock-offs, to allow similar vises to be sold in the USA.

 

[WAYNO]

This has gone on so long.....
So many names and descriptions seeming to be public domain and every day language.
Black Angus was the name of a restaurant elsewhere. When the chain came to Oregon, there was already a restaurant here called Black Angus. That restaurant sued the new Black Angus, and won handily. The new restaurant changed its name in Oregon to Stuart Anderson Cattle Company.

Ultimately, neither restaurant survived in my area.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

All in all, I think we are the most litigious country on Earth it seems. I understand the need to protect a brand name etc, but the sue happy culture here has affected so many aspects of our daily lives more than many realize.

 

[Flopsweat]

This has gone on so long.....
So many names and descriptions seeming to be public domain and every day language.
Black Angus was the name of a restaurant elsewhere. When the chain came to Oregon, there was already a restaurant here called Black Angus. That restaurant sued the new Black Angus, and won handily. The new restaurant changed its name in Oregon to Stuart Anderson Cattle Company.

Ultimately, neither restaurant survived.

From Black Angus to SACC.

 

[Nosferatu]

All in all, I think we are the most litigious country on Earth it seems. I understand the need to protect a brand name etc, but the sue happy culture here has affected so many aspects of our daily lives more than many realize.

What's your address? I'm suing for calling me litigious!

 

[Provincial]

The locals referred the Black Butte development near Sisters, Oregon, as "Black Butte." The strikethrough command doesn't work well with the small "e" letter!