Specialized at it again...now Neil Pryde

[Illuminate]

Pretty poor, isn't it? I wonder if Mike has been made aware of this case?

[bura]

Mike ,which lesson has been learned?
Nothing.As the NP case shows.
I do not care about your statements .
Specialized is acting like a fool.
Try to ban everything. If it does get bad publicity , then come with a foolish statement.
No Specialized products anymore.

[CBJ]

I think Neil Pryde got lucky and got a much more distinctive name with NAZARÉ. Marketing is about doing something that will stick and set you apart from the competition and I think they did a bad job choosing the name Alize. Hate all you want on Specialized but Allez and Alizé is not much different than the joke in Coming to America with the McDowell's burger chain home of the big mick.

I think this is a very different case than the cafe Roubaix and don't forget we are in an industry with tons of copy cats and fakes sold on eBay its not easy to draw a very clear line in the sand unless you think you should not be allowed to protect trademarks but I think that is wishful thinking in an industry where a huge part of the value of the company lies in the brand value.

[KWalker]

I don't get why this surprises people. Working in a tech field we see this happen very often. Patent trolls sit around and wait for opportunities such as this and given the increasing importance of IP companies are often in a prisoner's dilemma to protect trademarks or patents.

Google is trying to claim the phrase/word "Glass" as it own for christ's sake. Apple has gone after a slew of companies over equally absurd violations, but then gone around and pursued the case that the lower case i before various words is their's and their's alone.

[spdntrxi]

Rather ironically, Merida Industries make a lot of Specialized branded frames. Would be cheaper to just buy a Merida in the first place.

Specialized ... a very American brand.

I know this is a global board.... but you can stick that last statement you know where.

[CBJ]

Totally that is what is called the global supply chain just like Apple does not manufacture their phones etc. In a knowledge economy who produce what part is not as important as who designs and markets the products.

[davidalone]

didn't fuji use the name before specialized did?

[HammerTime2]

Wow. And to think I almost bought a NeilPryde Alize, thinking it was a Specialized Allez. And I was going to buy it on Alibaba, which I confused with my LBS. Fortunately, Mike Sinyard will shortly become best buds with Neil Pryde, and put this matter behind him ... until the next one.

[djm]

Guys, you do know that Merida holds a 49% stake in Specialized?

[tymon_tm]

Hate all you want on Specialized but Allez and Alizé is not much different than the joke in Coming to America with the McDowell's burger chain home of the big mick.

hate to brake it to you, but it is different. to mistake using a different word, with a different meaning, that happens to sound alike for someone unfit to tell, for some sort of 'damage' or 'violation', is pretty damn different from prey on an established brand. apparently to some (americans?) any french word starting with 'al-' would sound the same - shows just how ignorance prevails over common sense. and it has nothing to do with corporate espionage or stealing technologies - it's just that there's a point at which a company becomes so large and so over-confident, it starts to play god with competitors. we've seen this many times, although Specialized has mastered a rare art of harassing tiny businesses over imaginary issues. pathetic. no matter the outcome (hope there's at least a big fuss in the internet) i also won't buy anything from spec anymore.

[Quinn039]

glad i looked first, was about to post this too. Some things never change.

[CBJ]

I'm not sure you really hate to brake it to me

To the average American I think its look and sounds very similar you can call it ignorance but I'm not the one to point fingers. Just like the average American lack an understanding of a language I am sure there are languages you do not master. I did not say its the same just trying to illustrate what potentially could be the reason for the action taken.

Anyway I am a glass half full kind of guy and I think Neil Pryde will get more out of this then the actual similarity to the Allez name and should start naming more bikes like this so Internet love. Clearly on Specialized part its bad timing no matter how you swing it.

[grid256]

I believe in legal speak this is a called a phonetic equivalent.

[AndreLM]

Stupid Specialized... what this means:
- This will increase brand awareness for NeilPryde (who heard of Cafe Roubaix before?)
- This will damage even more Specialized brand
- The Cafe Roubaix fiasco made me decide never buy a bike from them
- I was considering buying Specialized shoes in the future... just changed my mind

Marketing and Legal should have a conversation and check if this is viable as a long-term strategy...

[HammerTime2]

Specialized just sued Speedplay for selling cycling products which sound too much like Specialized, and indeed have the same first three letters. Speedplay counter-sued Specialized for selling pedals, not to mention replacement bearing kits ... or something like that.