Everton FC in battle with village farm shop over its name

[Prevenger17]

You joke.

But in reality it is more if a threat to our operations than you can fathom.

Oh, I fathom it Damo. I fathom it real good. Two organisations with their fingers on a doomsday button, this is '47 all over again. We can't let this Farm Shop Stalin outmuscle us, strength is the only thing she will respect.

 

[D410]

You joke.

But in reality it is more if a threat to our operations than you can fathom.

Agree mate, I remember when Goodison park staff were using the kettle twice in the same day and it blew the main fuse for the main stand lights. We threw all the kettles out along with the last person who used it and now we have a productive workforce and the lights stay on.

 

[bizzaro]

What?? are you being serious? It's not like it's the Everton FC Farm shop. This doesn't strike me as a covert operation to sneak in and cream profits off the Everton FC brand. It does seem like a complete waste of time and money as well as a bad PR own goal on the clubs part.
Also, why do they not allow use of the club crest on here? have they given a reason, again, seems shortsighted to me.

This isn't about PR.

It's about Everton FC protecting it's legal and commercial rights. Just as @GrandOldTeam implies.

For a club with sluggish commercial revenues and as a business owner they are well within their rights.

I've no problem with this action. Sometimes you've got to flatten the upstarts trying it on.

To be honest I'm angry with Everton for giving any alternative to her.

But it's IP lawyer's tactics. Is all.

 

[Prevenger17]

Agree mate, I remember when Goodison park staff were using the kettle twice in the same day and it blew the main fuse for the main stand lights. We threw all the kettles out along with the last person who used it and now we have a productive workforce and the lights stay on.

We went on to get top 4 that year as I recall. Just goes to show, don't do half measures when only a full measure will do. Destroy this woman and grind her business into dust, she is Troublesome Kettle MkII.

 

[bizzaro]

Agree mate, I remember when Goodison park staff were using the kettle twice in the same day and it blew the main fuse for the main stand lights. We threw all the kettles out along with the last person who used it and now we have a productive workforce and the lights stay on.

Quite right. Far too many people getting away with things. People have complained of there being too many Kopites in the club. That former communications director who was a Kopite had a dodgy kettle I reckon.

 

[Prevenger17]

When was the last time we replaced our kettle actually? We could be destined to repeat the mistakes of history if we are not vigilant.

 

[bizzaro]

The media portray it as a big bad football club taking on a small business.

In reality, the clubs retained legal team will be flagged of any trademark with 'Everton' and have made a small, reasonable request to make 'FARM SHOP' the same size as the word 'Everton'.

This small business as a point of principle has said no, and has then leveraged a small victory to promote themselves. Why else stand there with a football posing for the media?

"Is this what Elstone is doing?"
"Is this what the club are focussing on?"

Moan, moan, moan. No. It's a retained legal firm doing their job. Protecting the clubs trademark.

You are the voice of reason Sir. On here I mean.

Move along people.

 

[D410]

When was the last time we replaced our kettle actually? We could be destined to repeat the mistakes of history if we are not vigilant.

Things got so bad we could,nt use the fax machine on transfer deadline day night, lost a few deals over the years with staff putting on the kettle and blowing the electrics. We do the deals at finch now and put extra lights in at the ground.

 

[bizzaro]

I'd actually lay the blame at the legal team.
I get that the club is legally protecting it's brand and I'm glad they are. But the legal team must realize that 'image' is very important to the club. It's something they usually do a great job with and, doubtless, helps with gaining sponsorship. They should weigh up the pros and cons of going after a farm shop in a village called Everton. There's a minor chance that they'll abuse the brand in the future but there's a major chance they'll use the threat of legal action from a premier league team to generate free publicity.
The legal team made the wrong decision and now we're chatting about it on here.

I don't think they have.

In legal cases it's only bad PR if you lose.

Winning legal cases is always good PR.

We haven't lost. We've given her an alternative which she seems intent on rejecting. That will count against her in court. If it gets thar far.

 

[Prevenger17]

We haven't lost. We've given her an alternative which she seems intent on rejecting.

It's a game of survival and she knows the rules. She can't possibly have any complaints now if she ends up in separate suitcases along the Mersey as Kenwright drinks her family's tears from a goblet.

 

[Moomin]

She has had us off, worse than West Ham beating us to the signing of Byram.

Sad days

 

[TheFinnFan]

Make no mistake, this woman's small enterprise is a threat to the very existence of Everton FC and must be destroyed. There is no middle ground here, kill or be killed.

No MERCY!

 

[Prevenger17]

No MERCY!

KILL THE PIG, SPILL HER BLOOD!!! KILL THE PIG, SPILL HER BLOOD!!!

 

[COYBL25]

What happens to all the West Indian fellas called Everton ?

 

[bizzaro]

Everton Farm Shop is located on the A631 which runs from the South Yorks conurbation (Sheff, Rotherham, Donc) to the coast. It provides one of the few crossings over the River Trent with traffic volumes of circa 8000 vehicles per day - more at weekends. Everton is one of the few villages not to have been by-passed by this major trunk road and our shop (a former cart shed) is slap bang next to it. With commodity prices on the floor, many farmers would love to diversify into direct retail but many do not have an appropriate location. Happily, we do.

Selling to passing traffic is vital to the success of the business but the shop is massively popular with local people too. Much of this will be linked to the fact that we are "top drawer" and have given famous Farm Shops a run for their money in national competitions. Estate Agent particulars cite the proximity of Everton Farm Shop ref: units they are selling and house prices in the village have risen. Our district is ex-mining/Labour and you can see the (soon to be demolished) Harworth pit head from the shop....we are therefore performing a form of regeneration in the locality of Everton. But most critical for us as a business, is to pull in the commuters and holiday-makers etc...who pass the shop in their '000's.

The shop was opened in July 2014 following 18 months of selling our own meat from freezers. A friend in the village designed the logo for me gratis (the bat/cobweb thing is only used at Hallow'een) autumn 2014. The brief was that it had to show farm animals, grass, wheat and oil seed rape. The whole thing was put together in one afternoon using photo-shopped images - and we love it!

Spring 2014 we parted company (poorly) with the person who was supposed to be doing our social media. This person had always been extremely taken with the Everton Farm Shop logo because like us, they loved the figurative element. Since they were in possession of an electronic copy, had a number of clients and were not responding to requests to give it back/delete; the logo was put forward for protection. The legal advice stated that because the geographic place name was part of a figurative image, there would be no problem (because you can't register geographic place names etc etc). We made particular care to state that we did not want rights to the geographic place name as part of our application. That solicitor was as amazed as we were when the objection from your club came through.

We hate the idea that our village should be sequestered by a Premier League club. We hate the idea that sport culture should over-ride food culture - but we have had the wind taken out of our sails by the totally unexpected volume of support from the fan base. The fact remains - we live here, we work here, we grow our food here, we process here, we trade here. Everton FC should have registered Everton FC. The counter action requires demonstration of operation across the 22 use classes for which the geographic place name has been registered by the club. This action was the only reason that we were told to change our font/font size ie: that was the climb down position - before then the place name was out of bounds full stop.

At least the ex-social media person will not be able to rip-off the logo now. And if we are defeated on this, we shall simply use the Anglo Saxon spelling and state "Grown in Everton" underneath. No-one can halt the truth of that statement.

We wish you well as a club (re: your traditional operation) and would like to thank those who have offered kind words and other support.

You should be directing comment to Everton Football Club with whom you are currently engaged.

You need to consider that EFC is frequently at risk of parasitic persons/businesses trying to use its IP for gain. I think that the suggestions given to you are perfectly reasonable and should neither cause you excessive financial or other distress.

I'm a business owner. When naming your business and creating company logos you need to ensure you stay clear of trademark or copyright infringement. This is an entirely normal part of running a company.

The problem is your logo.