Rough Cut lawsuit

[Bob10]

Point is a name is worth fighting for.

Simon

I have a friend that spends on average more than $100k a year on attorneys to protect his name and patents.  He doesn't have some huge company and it if he didn't maintain his name and patents he might be left with nothing

[Admiral]

I have a friend that spends on average more than $100k a year on attorneys to protect his name and patents.  He doesn't have some huge company and it if he didn't maintain his name and patents he might be left with nothing

With trademarks at least, if you don't use and protect your IP, you can lose it; hence Tommy's lawsuit......

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail....7e9690c131

[Phil Thien]

Point is a name is worth fighting for.

Simon

Some names, sure.

There doesn't seem to be much invested in this name, not yet at least.

For what attorneys cost, and the uncertainty of any verdict or settlement, and to finish the relationship altogether (it sounds like it went sour), I'd still advise to just change the name.

[Handplanesandmore]

Some names, sure.

There doesn't seem to be much invested in this name, not yet at least.

For what attorneys cost, and the uncertainty of any verdict or settlement, and to finish the relationship altogether (it sounds like it went sour), I'd still advise to just change the name.

If I went to a lawyer to protect my name (whatever it is) and her advice was to change it, what I would change is the lawyer (for a second opinion). The SawStop owner would not have won his case against one of the largest corporations in the world if he had gone the easy way. If Rough Cut with Fine Woodworking is a legitimate and properly owned name but has to be dropped just because someone challenges it in court, what is next? A new show by the name of "A fine woodworking show that we don't know what to call?"

Simon

[Gary G™]

I’m the common man.
When I hear or read Rough Cut, I think Tommy Mac.
If I see a ‘Rough Cut’ without Tommy, I’l think it’s wrong. It’ll seem like something is wrong.

I think PBS is screwing up in this matter.

[Bob10]

I’m the common man.
When I hear or read Rough Cut, I think Tommy Mac.
If I see a ‘Rough Cut’ without Tommy, I’l think it’s wrong. It’ll seem like something is wrong.

I think PBS is screwing up in this matter.

Yes simply changing the name of the show takes care of the lawsuit and honestly having the Rough Cut name might do them harm when people go expecting one thing and get something else and for those that didn't like his style they won't even look

[mdhills]

How about calling the new show "The New Yankee Workshop"?  oh, that one has been taken, too...

I'd also had the impression that Tommy had some sort of podcast going before the show premiered.
I do see his old website from 2008:  "Tommy MacDonald, AKA T-Chisel, host of "The Rough Cut Show,"
Was he already working with WGBH at that time?  or were the videos his own thing that eventually morphed into the broadcast show?
(and think it was originally broadcast as "Rough Cut -- Woodworking with Tommy Mac", rather than "The Rough Cut Show" mentioned on his website at the time.  Oh, looks like "The rough Cut Show" was a podcast than ran 2007/2008, hosted on Bob Vila's site, prior to the show broadcast through PBS.

A short blurb on origins of the program.

Matt

[Handplanesandmore]

Let the lawsuit run its course!

Which may include a settlement as part of its running its course.

No one has all the facts apart from the parties involved.

Simon

[OldGuyDrummer]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:kiqrl8.2.8   live
http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:kiqrl8.2.12   live
http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:kiqrl8.2.10  live
Trademarks for: Rough Cut and Rough Cut Woodworking with Tommy Mac
But they all belong to WBGH Educational Foundation with Tommy Mac consent.

A lot of “Rough Cut” trademarks:
http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4806%3Akiqrl8.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=rough+cut&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query
I don’t see a trademark listing for:
“Rough Cut with Fine Woodworking”
He may have a case. Most of the TM ran 6 years and began in 2011 = ends 2017, new show started in 2018 with no officially listed trademark........

Cheers.

[Handplanesandmore]

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:kiqrl8.2.8   live
http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:kiqrl8.2.12   live
http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:kiqrl8.2.10  live
Trademarks for: Rough Cut and Rough Cut Woodworking with Tommy Mac
But they all belong to WBGH Educational Foundation with Tommy Mac consent.

A lot of “Rough Cut” trademarks:
http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4806%3Akiqrl8.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=rough+cut&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query
I don’t see a trademark listing for:
“Rough Cut with Fine Woodworking”
He may have a case. Most of the TM ran 6 years and began in 2011 = ends 2017, new show started in 2018 with no officially listed trademark........

Cheers.

Excellent research.

What remains unknown is what WBGH and Fine Woodworking have possessed on their side and what they will present in court when the case is heard.

I like this "He may have a case," and I hope we will find out the outcome through a definitive court ruling, unless one of the parties involved has decided to continue the case is too risky and will face a huge loss.

Simon