I am looking at starting a porsche related website and was researching use of the porsche name.

Came across this: http://www.porschev8.com/battle.html

Anyone here? Did anything come of it? Guessing not since the site is still up.

Darn, opened this in parts and not the Garage...admin?

...that was an interesting read. Thanks!

I say go for it and start your web site.
I can see where Porsche would want to protect their name but at the same time people have free speech. Just because we talk about Porsche's here and use "914" are we next to get letters from lawyers?

Let's look at this from Porsche's view. You are 1 of the Largest Auto Manufacturors on the Planet, wouldn't you go to every length to protect your Brand?

Even when I worked at a Porsche Dealership, I would get the Lawyers calling, eMailing & mailing me when they found out we were marketing products ( ladies handbags, etc) that were not Licensed.

A Line from the Movie "Employee of the Month" - "I have Lawyers that would wrap a Lamp Cord around a Baby's Neck before they lose to a Shmuck like you" applies here. They have DEEP Pockets and will drain you before you ever get to Court.

Yesterday I sent an email to the Contact Us link on the Porsche website. In two days have gone back and forth with the Intellectual Properties Manager twice.
It seems She is hung up on the us of the name Porsche within the domain name.

More reading...another case: http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisio...d2004-0481.html

Here is a copy of what "Porsche" says they can enforce...

Click to view attachment

Apparently a company that doesn't aggressively squash this everywhere they find it, and at all levels, can't legally defend themselves from real infringements. All or nothing I'm hearing.

Rennlist used to be Porschelist many years ago and we got used to the former for a long time. Porsche did the same thing and the Dunkles (site administrators) took care of it amicably, although there was a lot of carping about at the time. All of our accounts were automatically converted and Rennlist continued to grow like a weed.

The situation wasn't the same, but Porsche Palooza held every fall for the past (12?) years, had to change it's name to PCA Palooza for the same reason. It got absorbed into the PCA event calender and has continued to grow like crazy as well. This year's event will be one of the best on the entire calendar.

This company's reputation will carry it through if they're good at what they do.

Sadly, pcar916 is very right. In this country, if you refuse to defend your trademark, you'll loose it. VW went through a sweep about 10 years ago, lots of places had to change their names. After talking with many at VW about it, they didn't really want to do it either and felt the law was a bit unfair. Cost of doing business in the U.S. though.

If I read that right in post 6 it said "porsche-buy" won the case.

Yes they won. Ron you're right. If done well the company will grow like a weed. But, originally it used the Porsche name to get established and associated to the brand. It did not harm or dilute the brand in any way; nor will my site.
I am not pasting Porsche logos on Yugos and selling them as one case says.

In a way I can see their side. But I really don't think certain things they claim can be won in court. They just like to intimidate. I brought up the porsche-buy.com case up in my inquiry and her response did not touch upon that case at all. She only kept re-iterating that the Porsche brands must be preserved and stating cases where I could be liable for up to $100k.

Bingo.

porscheV8 site and porschbuy is still up running.

I'd go for it and try it. Is it going to be a talk site or information site?

I've been there with them too on several occasions.. So much that I know the folks on a first name basis.. I relinquished a site to them in 2009 and the reason why was my own damn fault.

I am starting a site, PMB-Trannies.com

I'm changing my name to Pors Che to see if Porsche will buy me out

I don't think Porsche buys anybody out.

Hypocrites say they don't endorse independent sites.

But isn't PCA independent? 365registry?...they "endorse" those. hell they probably pay for click advertising.

Cool, but try PDK-Trannies...different story.

Anyone trying to associate with Porsche cars PORSCHE