Wear Beer's Mercedes-Benz saga was fun while it lasted
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Yet we wonder what the motor multinational was thinking of. Both logos use three-armed shapes, otherwise they are, to quote Blackadder, about as similar as two completely dissimilar things.
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Hide AdWear Beer, a tiny company, did not cherish the prospect of any legal contretemps and dropped the registration, but remain free to use the logo.
The story was taken up by a the national press so, ironically, Wear Beer and its logo are now more familiar to the public than could have previously been dreamed of.
Mercedes-Benz responded to the Echo’s queries, 13 days after receiving them (but one day after the nationals started having fun with the car giant).
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Hide AdThey claimed Wear Beer withdrew the trademark application “before we had the opportunity to respond” adding “at no stage did we threaten him (brewery owner Julio Romero Johnson) with costs”. Indeed MB itself made no threats.
However, their solicitors contacted the Intellectual Property Office, who sent Wear Beer a Notice of Threatened Opposition and a letter stating: “If the filer opposes your application and they are successful, you are normally ordered to make a contribution towards the opponents’ costs, including the opposition filing fee.”
Mercedes says: “As far as we are concerned the matter is now closed." Not for a sniggering public it isn’t. Online sarcasm has been honed and "fears” expressed for the Isle of Man, the nuclear industry and the people who make wind turbines.
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Hide AdManagement at Fulwell Mill apparently rushed outside to check it had four sails and not three, just to be on the safe side.
Comments to our Facebook page included: “Phew! I could have easily bought an E Class instead of a pint of Pale Ale by mistake. Thank you Mercedes.”
And: “Well that explains why I went to buy a car but came back bladdered instead.”
Again therefore, what were they thinking of?
Still. It was fun while it lasted.