Trademark dispute - rj Guitars

[RJ Guitars]

Last night I got a note from some real nice folks overseas that were letting me know that some other not so nice guys were trying to steal my "rj Guitars" tradename and register it as theirs in Asia... Thankfully they only want $2650.00 of my dollars to stop this injustice. Below is their note:


Dear Sir,

Following is the cost and the procedure of the registration:
1. We will send the Trademark Dispute Application Form to you.
2. You fill in the Dispute Application Form return it via email or fax.
3. We will send the Invoice signed & stamped to you, We will formally submit the Dispute Application Form to register for you and put on records.
4. You transfer the payment to us according to the Bank information on the Invoice and fax the payment proof to us.
5. When we received your payment voucher, We will accomplish the Trademark registration.
6. You will be awarded the certificates of the Trademark after 5 workdays.
That is the cost:
China, Hongkong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam Trademark(The default period is 10 years, refer to the trademark law of China, Hongkong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam)
rjguitars 2650 USD/10 years
PS: If your company has a LOGO, please send me by attachment, format JPG,GIF,PNG,BMP.

If you have cleared the registration process and the price, decide to start the registration step. Please let us know in order to transfer the Application Form to you.


Best Regards,

John Ren

International Department/Manager
China IPR
Add:3/F,1st Building ZongFu Street No.47,Jinjiang District, ChengDu, China.
Tel: (+86) 28 8777 5008|Fax: (+86) 28 6246 5008|Web: http://www.cn-nic.asia

[Phil_S]

Though I've never had reason to see one of these before, I get the feeling it is a tried and true scam. This crap never ceases to amaze and entertain. Think about it. This note pushes all the buttons to induce payment to someone you don't know and never heard of. The logo request is icing on the cake, as if they can't just steal it off the internet, if you actually have a logo. Come to think of it, is the the whole text? He doesn't even cite your company name or was that in the subject line?

As soon as you pay, "John Ren" evaporates, never to be seen again. Maybe you know someone in ChengDu? Send 'em over to know on his door, if there really is a door.

[RJ Guitars]

That was the 2nd letter: Here is the first:


Dear Sir,

Thanks for your information. We found that " rjguitars " is your company's registered name, but there is no registered the trademark and domains in China, Hongkong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam. These regions and countries consumers will mistakenly believe that this is your company branch. The registration may affect and confuse your company In these regions and countries. So we inform you also that's reason why we sent email to you.

We have suggested they should choose another name to avoid this conflict but they insist on these name. But you should also know that the trademark and domain names registration is open in China. They have right to apply for the available trademark and domain names. For this reason they is also licit applicant and we have no right to reject them. However, your company is the original keyword owner, and own the preferential rights to register the international trademark and domains in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan....

[gktamps]

This looks like a variation on the activities by patent trolls who buy up expired patents and then sue anyone who has any technology, service, or business tied in any way, real or perceived, to the patent. In this case, it appears they are trying to extort money by threatening to have your business name used in those countries in Asia listed in the letter.

Based on what I've been told by several business owners who have, or have had, business dealings in that region, there is no such thing as patent or trademark protection in this country that will confer to those countries. I would be very surprised if paying that money would do anything to protect your name or trademark if they really want to use it.

This also sounds like a variation on ransomeware, doesn't it?

[RJ Guitars]

You are exactly right - an email from somebody I don't know offering a service that was unsolicited...

I know there is typically a lot of cash spent in protecting Intellectual Property but in this case my total sales and worth in Asia is usually only a million dollars a year (monopoly dollars), I've sent packages all over the world but I don't recall ever making a sale to anyone in China. I did get an inquiry for a set of USA transformers - no doubt to clone them. The sale never went through so I'm going to struggle to protect my brand I guess.

There is an RJ Guitars - an actual guitar builder in England and we have lived somewhat aware of each other for years but I never felt any feelings of conflict or competition. Neither of us has ever made the jump to buy the rjguitars.com website for their meagor $2500.00 hostage fee.

Now there is another RJ Guitars and the RJ Guitar Center in the Philippines and they seem a little more aggressive and I suspect they filed for a trademark in Asia and this hostage negotiator company has snagged the info and are trying to make a little cash... maybe from both sides??

RJUSA.com is also for sale - Again my lucky day cuz it's only $3140.00

[RJ Guitars]

So in digging around I sadly find that RJ Guitars in London has recently closed... http://www.rjguitars.co.uk/

[drew]

Do you even make or sell guitars?

[pompeiisneaks]

Most of Asia doesn't even have any agreement to conform to our regulations. There are rampant clones of everything there if they think they can sell it. Usually very poor quality. This definitely screams scam, run away fast, or just troll the crap outta them

(Edit changed "China' to "Most of Asia")
~Phil

[sunnydaze]

RJ,

It's a scam. My company receives similar messages all the time. We have numerous trademarks, logos and domains registered in Asia.

If you're interested in registering something in Asia or the west, I can put you in touch with a great and reasonably priced firm.

Mike

[RJ Guitars]

Thanks everybody... anytime I get email offering or asking for some official business transaction it's usually quick to go into the trash but I thought this one was worth sharing. Meanwhile I sent a note earlier today to the RJ Guitars in the Philippines and ask them if they'd like to trade a guitar for an amp.

[Ron Worley]

Just send them a very sincere "Fuck you, you scumbags" message and block their email and URL.

[RockinRocket]

Tell them to give you 2600$ and they can have your name in the West too lol.
Keep the Web site domain and redirect to your new site

[titser_marco]

I'm from the Philippines and yes, RJ Guitars is a brand of guitars being sold here in the PH. As far as I know it started of in the 80s as RAJ guitars, which eventually moved into the RJ brand in the 90s. Back then they had a workshop making their guitars but these days I think everything is subcontracted off a factory either in Korea or China and rebranded as RJ Guitars.

You are exactly right - an email from somebody I don't know offering a service that was unsolicited...

I know there is typically a lot of cash spent in protecting Intellectual Property but in this case my total sales and worth in Asia is usually only a million dollars a year (monopoly dollars), I've sent packages all over the world but I don't recall ever making a sale to anyone in China. I did get an inquiry for a set of USA transformers - no doubt to clone them. The sale never went through so I'm going to struggle to protect my brand I guess.

There is an RJ Guitars - an actual guitar builder in England and we have lived somewhat aware of each other for years but I never felt any feelings of conflict or competition. Neither of us has ever made the jump to buy the rjguitars.com website for their meagor $2500.00 hostage fee.

Now there is another RJ Guitars and the RJ Guitar Center in the Philippines and they seem a little more aggressive and I suspect they filed for a trademark in Asia and this hostage negotiator company has snagged the info and are trying to make a little cash... maybe from both sides??

RJUSA.com is also for sale - Again my lucky day cuz it's only $3140.00