Ferrari to use full name of new car

Ferrari to use full name of new car

Ferrari unveiled the car last month under the full name "Ferrari F150th Italia," reflecting Italy’s celebration in 2011 of the 150th anniversary of the nation’s unification.

Ford sued Ferrari in Detroit federal court, contending the Italian racing carmaker had violated its trademark over the pickup truck name F-150.

Ferrari says it hasn’t used the abbreviated F150 name commercially.

It said it failed to see the logic in Ford's viewpoint.

“Ferrari believes that its own contender in the forthcoming F1 championship cannot be confused with other types of commercially available vehicle of any sort whatsoever, nor can it give the impression that there is a link to another brand of road-going vehicle," it said in a statement.

"Despite this and to further prove it is acting in good faith...Ferrari has decided to ensure that in all areas of operation, the abbreviated version will be replaced at all times with the full version, Ferrari F150th Italia."

The F1 season starts March 13 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

 -AP

Ford sues Ferrari for using F-150 name on race car

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) sued luxury automaker Ferrari on Wednesday for trademark infringement after Ferrari named its 2011 Formula 1 racing car the "F150."

Ferrari's F150 logo bears striking resemblance to the one on Ford's F-150 pickup truck, the top-selling vehicle in the United States, Ford said in a complaint filed in federal court.

"Ferrari has misappropriated the F-150 trademark in naming its new racing vehicle the 'F150' in order to capitalize on and profit from the substantial goodwill that Ford has developed in the F-150 trademark," Ford said in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

Ford is asking the court to bar Ferrari from using the name. The automaker is also seeking unspecified damages, including damages of $100,000 under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.
Fiat SpA (FIA.MI) has an 85 percent stake in Ferrari, and management control of Chrysler Group LLC, in which it has a 25 percent stake.

Ford and Ferrari could not be immediately reached for comment. According to the complaint, the two automakers have a "legendary history as rivals in auto racing."

Ferrari set up a website -- www.ferrarif150.com -- to promote the racing vehicle.

"The choice of name stems from Ferrari's desire to pay tribute to this year's one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the unification of Italy," Ferrari said, according to a January 25 press release posted on www.ferrarif150.com.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

Friday, December 24, 2010 10:11 PM

Chapmans side with Group Lotus

SOURCE: Star Motoring

LONDON: Tony Fernandes's Team Lotus has been dealt a blow after Colin Chapman's family swung their support to Proton's Group Lotus in the latest development.

The Chapmans said they initially supported Lotus Racing, which was recently renamed Team Lotus because it had the support of  Lotus, the sports car maker. The family subsequently had a change of heart when Lotus revoked Lotus Racing's licence to use the Lotus name.

 There is an ongoing legal dispute in the British court over the use of the legendary brand.

Group Lotus has the rights to the Lotus road car brand, but there is dispute over ownership of the famous name in motorsports.

Lotus Racing took Proton to court for disputing its rights to the “Team Lotus” name.

The privately-funded team said it owned the rights following the purchase of Team Lotus Ventures Ltd from former British racing driver David Hunt several months ago.

Hunt owns the rights to Team Lotus, which is a separate entity from Lotus’ car manufacturing operations.

In the convoluted row, Group Lotus has recently teamed up with Renault F1 to form the Lotus Renault team that will compete with Team Lotus in the 2011 F1 season.

"The Chapman family is impressed by the exciting developments under way at Group Lotus, and it is very grateful to Proton for the significant investment that is being made, to secure a strong future for the excellent workforce at the Hethel factory," Clive Chapman, the son of founder Colin and owner of Classic Team Lotus, said in a statement.

Clive said that if it was up to him, the Team Lotus name should not have returned to F1. His father had established the name in 1958.

LOTUS vs PROTON: Long-drawn fight expected.

The Star: Thursday September 30, 2010

SOURCE:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/30/nation/7131281&sec=nation 

Long-drawn fight expected

PETALING JAYA: The cordial-turned-sour relationship between Lotus Racing Formula One team and Proton Holdings Bhd is not likely to be patched up any time soon.

Their fight over who owns the ‘Team Lotus’ rights, which has reached the British courts, is set to continue with Proton-owned Group Lotus insisting that former British racing driver David Hunt did not have the rights to the Team Lotus company.

It claimed that Group Lotus did not sign a deed to effect the transfer of the company after Hunt bought Team Lotus from a liquidator in 1994. Proton claimed it had lodged a lawsuit on that matter to secure the rights to use Team Lotus and its brand, said a source.

“The brand is about the company and the car,” the source said yesterday.

Hunt had recently sold his Team Lotus Ventures Ltd and the rights to the Team Lotus name to locally-backed Lotus Racing. Team Lotus is an iconic name in the motorsport world.

The privately-funded Lotus Racing team is jointly-owned by Tune Group founder and AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, Tune Group co-owner Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and Naza Group chief executive officer SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin.

Fernandes, who is Lotus Racing team principal, announced last week that its team would be known as Team Lotus from next year’s Formula One season after buying Team Lotus Ventures from Hunt.

Proton then announced on Monday that it was terminating the Lotus Racing licence it gave to 1Malaysia Racing Team to race in Formula One. The relationship between Lotus Racing and Proton became more tense during the team’s maiden F1 season.

Lotus Racing on Tuesday had filed an application with the English High Court to declare that Team Lotus Ventures, which was now owned by Tune Group, was the rightful owner to the Team Lotus brand.
The court documents stated that the purpose for the declaration proceeding was to “establish the validity of Team Lotus Ventures’ position as the true owner of the name Team Lotus”.

Group Lotus owns the car-making and engineering companies under the Lotus banner while Team Lotus historically is the owner of the racing team.

Both companies were separated by Lotus’ original owner Colin Chapman to distinigush its functions in his company.

RELATED ARTICLES (All from The Star online):

1) Lotus-Proton saga: 
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/29/nation/7123869&sec=nation

2) Battle over Team Lotus goes to English Court
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/28/nation/20100928095849&sec=nation

3) More than a brand at stake in Lotus-Proton saga 

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/30/business/7129434&sec=business  

 THAT'S ALL FOLKS, Thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry.