Berthold bullies competing font producers – report here when you’re hit by them

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Comments

  • Scott-Martin Kosofsky
    Scott-Martin Kosofsky Posts: 422
    And so it goes: The Type Business in the Era of Trump.
  • Johannes Neumeier
    Johannes Neumeier Posts: 381
    It's my understanding organisations like the TDC offer some sort of legal advice to members against copyright infringement. Would this sort of aggressive trademark bullying be something an interest group is better equipped to argue against, instead of single designers? Or at least publicly take a stand on the issue, which might also influence the scales when a middle party like MF assesses their damage from compliance?
  • Scott-Martin Kosofsky
    Scott-Martin Kosofsky Posts: 422

    I know you're right, Stephen. I was eager to see whose ire this would find. Now I know.

    I imagine that a lot of Berthold Direct’s value is based on “goodwill,” which, in U.S. accounting parlance, includes the value of trademarks. A lot of companies beef up their balance sheets by aggrandizing the value of such intangible assets, which is how trademarks are classified. One way to demonstrate the value of the trademarks is to pursue their defense vigorously. Perhaps now they’re grasping at straws to bolster the value of their aging property, such as the Poppl fonts, that no longer sell well.

  • Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian
    Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian Posts: 2,044
    edited January 2017
    Your claim should find the ire of anybody who minds spin. Otherwise any hope of properly addressing an ingrained, long-standing problem fades.

    Berthold is simply milking any value in its property, which increasingly is the law of the land.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 2,899
    Nor does ATypI.
  • Johannes Neumeier
    Johannes Neumeier Posts: 381
    I suppose I misunderstood the intention of this. Nonetheless, I wonder wouldn't an association like that care about such issues and at least command more moral voice as the representative of a large group of practitioners. 
  • Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian
    Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian Posts: 2,044
    Dreamy, but: https://www.microsoft.com/typography/links/News.aspx?NID=515

  • Tamye Riggs
    Tamye Riggs Posts: 7
    Members and stewards care deeply but are not in a position to give legal advice on behalf of an association. When these issues arise, it's best to seek the advice of an attorney familiar with trademark and copyright law, intellectual property cases, etc.

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