Steve/Jim, I did one of my 'one pagers' for the CAPS newsletter on this last year. Here it is up on the website. I couldn't find much more than Oliver did.
http://www.capsnews.org/apn2004-5.htm Cheers, Keith >From: "Steven Medved" <[email protected]> >Reply-To: Antique Phonograph List <[email protected]> >To: "Antique Phonograph List" <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [Phono-L] HMV trademark ownership >Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2005 16:00:08 -0500 > >Hi Jim, > >All of my information came from Oliver's letter, he states: > >"I learned all this when I naively wrote to GE's present chairman deploring >the fact that under GE's more than 15 years of management the HMV >trade-mark, introduced by my grandfather, Emile, in 1900 and which reigned >for a full half-century as the world's most recognized trade-mark, had not >only fallen into disuse but was not even among the top 100 marques. My plan >to revitalize the marque was, obviously, not to be implemented The HMV and >RCA marques are now officially owned by RCA Trade-mark Management, a Thomson >subsidiary operating out of the former Victor Records pressing plant in >Indianapolis." > >Obviously until Oliver wrote the letter, he also thought GE owned the >trademark. > >I am sorry to say I all of the information I have comes from the letter. >Oliver later states that no one at Thomson knows anything about the history >of the trademarks, nor of RCA or RCA Victor. As I am ignorant of its recent >history, it is easy for me to believe GE gave it up as I recently read in >the paper where film studios threw out old recording and films and >autographed items and some of these items have been rescued from land fills >and dumpsters by a LA performer and collector. From what I read in the >letter GE had no further use for it as they were no longer making applicable >products and Thomson is now in the same situation and decided to rent its >use out. Oliver's "Hidden in that contract was a clause" gives me the idea >that perhaps GE was not aware it was selling the trademarks after a 15 year >period. > >I copied the from letter and tried to keep it saying what it said, and >hopefully I did not change the meaning. I will be happy to send you the >letter as an attachment or a photocopy. I learned that marque is n. a >product model or type, I had never seen the word used before this way. > >The HMV I refer to is the Trade-Mark showing Nipper listening to the early >Victor which is registered as No. 34,890. This is what is pictured at the >top right of the letter. > >Please let me know if I can be helpful or answer any other questions. > >Steve > > > > > This is a huge surprise to me. GE no longer owns the Nipper logo? What > > about the RCA logo? It would seem even harder to believe that GE would > > give up the latter. GE has always been known for keeping its logos and > > trademarks, and they seldom give them up. > > > > Also, I was curious about your comments about GE owning the HMV logo. > > My impression was that GE never owned that. Or did you mean to say > > "Nipper", rather than HMV? My impression was always that RCA, HMV, and > > maybe even Japanese Victor (JVC), may have had separate rights to the > > Nipper logo. > > > > Jim > > >_______________________________________________ >Phono-L mailing list >[email protected] > >Phono-L Archive >http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/
