cchris2lou":2gxpm2kg said:
page down probably to check if Fat chance name is up for grab ?
Yes, quite likely.
I hope Chris Chance or somebody else who was actually involved in the varied history of Fat Chance still owns the rights to the name and sends them a "Cease & Desist".
Even worse has happened with Hutch, a former top-flight BMX brand.
The rights to the Hutch name were bought about 2 years ago by a guy called John de Bruin. He immediately used strong-arm tactics to close down a couple of amazing fabricators who were making top quality "retro look-alike" components for the enthusiast market - Components that NEVER had a HUTCH logo on them and which JDB NEVER originally had a any hand in developing anyway, as they were mostly developed for Hutch (over 30 years ago) by the genius Bill Grove!!! :twisted:
After those small fabricators declined to continue producing their components for JDB to mark up and sell on, JDB had his own reproduction Hutch parts made (allegedly in China, though he refuses to confirm) and charged a fortune for them. Customers paid up front, the parts were over a year late. There were QC issues with the first products and now other promised products seem to have been put on hold.
The thread detailing this mess on Vintage BMX is > 100 pages, with some very annoyed customers and Hutch fans.
It's all very well laying claim to a brand by means of a large pile of money or squatting expired brand names.
But you need to be very careful how you manage the legacy of that brand if you are to retain any goodwill from those with fond memories of the originals.
