BluegrassWarehouse - Posted - 05/31/2013:  06:28:21

Wasn't trying to speculate or spread rumors.  Like I said above, I thought Kel Kroyden WAS American Made Banjo company, as it is the only ones you see on your website.  And your ad also said you were getting "near that time to retire from the instrument building business," which sounds like American Made Banjos would not be building any other brand either, especially since you already quit building the Affordable Series earlier.

I apologize for saying it was for sale, but I hope you can see how people thought that when your own ad says you are getting close to retiring from building instruments and you have for sale the only name of instruments that is sold on your website.  Again I apologize.

Lance

banjoy - Posted - 05/31/2013:  06:53:38

I too saw the Banjo Newsletter ad and thought the maker was going out of business. No rumor there. The ad pretty much says so, as noted in the above posts. I read that and thought the maker was shutting down. That's a fair read of the ad.

Regarding trademarks, I have been told many times by trademark attorneys that pre-existing logos and trademarks in the public domain cannot be trademarked. The qualifications for trademarks are that the trademark or trade name must be new and unique. The Kel Kroydon trademark was already in the public domain so prior to your filing for it. That alone could render your claim moot if it is ever challenged, so I have been told. I too tried to trademark names and logos in the public domain and was prohibited from doing so for that reason. Especially if you did not note on your original trademark application that it was a pre-existing logo, your trademark doesn't mean much. If you did note that, then you have some mighty fine attorneys :)

Edited by - banjoy on 05/31/2013 06:55:14

grich - Posted - 05/31/2013:  07:32:02

As long as the Name / Brand has been abandoned and is currently not being used then it can be trademarked 

When I first tried to trademark Recording King back in 1993 it was denied because Gibson claimed it was to close to their Studio King Trademark which

was being used for their drum line at the time. 

AmericanMadeBanjo - Posted - 05/31/2013:  07:33:30

No problem or need to apologize.

FYI we have not quit making the "Affordable Series Banjos" We stopped taking new orders if you read our website page. We have enough orders to keep us busy through this year and in to the next. Some customers were not happy or did not want to wait the 25+++ weeks for an instrument. So, I made the choice to slow the orders down a little rather than raise the prices. Or, follow the business model of Gilchrest Mandolins. If someone wants to wait around 25 weeks +++++++++ I have no problem taking your order and building an Affordable Series Banjo for you. I will put the Affordable Banjo page back live when I feel it's time. The Affordable Series are still the best deal on the market today and well worth the wait IMO. So, if you're interested in "IF" or "WHY" we temporarily stopped the "Affordable Series" orders call and ask. I'll tell you the real story, not what it looks like. OK?

Yes, what's wrong with retiring from the Banjo Building business for myself and venturing in to something else. Should I be telling you? What I am doing with my business and life may not be the way it looks to you and I understand. I will say it again, call and ask rather than guess. If I feel you need to know I will be glad to tell you the real story for you to post on forums & facebook and tell all your buddies.

In the meantime our only goal @ AMB Co is to provide top quality instruments, parts & customer service to our existing & new customer base which we already have a great reputation for. Not spend our time spreading or speculating on perceived rumors.

If you have any questions call 860 Kroydon. That's Kroydon with a "O" and not an "E". Or you will get the wrong number.

banjoy - Posted - 05/31/2013:  07:41:30

Well, I never spread rumors or posted anything anywhere until this thread. All I said was, your own ad made it sound like you were shutting down. The rumors started with you.

No need to be snippy about it. YOu can do whatever you want, I don't care. I don't have a pony in your race, nor could I care any less.

AmericanMadeBanjo - Posted - 05/31/2013:  07:47:35

My last post wasn't directed at you. I was answering warehouses post. A couple of other posts slipped in between.

The Ad never implied anything about AMB or other companies I own shutting down. The Trademarked Banjo making portion is owned and operated by the Kel Kroydon Co. At the time the ad was written and published I said I was retiring from Banjo Building. The rest of the world assumed I was going to stop making strings, heads & so on then go belly up.

I not trying to be snippy. Just trying to tell it like it is. Real facts with the real truth.

Got any questions Why, How, When, Where, & If,  then call me @ 860 Kroydon   

Edited by - AmericanMadeBanjo on 05/31/2013 07:55:26

banjoy - Posted - 05/31/2013:  08:22:21

That's cool. For what it's worth, kudos to any company, yours included, that does manufacturing and assembly in the United States — of anything — in this day and age. I have a good sense of the challenges you face on a daily basis and know they are ongoing, as they are for any business, but especially for manufacturing. That you've hung in there and and basically resurrected a dead brand is commendable and cool and to be applauded in my opinion.

All the best, and have a wonderful weekend!

BluegrassWarehouse - Posted - 05/31/2013:  13:43:09

Well I obviously am not the only one who thought that the ad did imply that AMB was closing down.  The only instruments listed on your website are Kel Kroydens.  I said nothing about parts, only instruments and banjos are instruments.  Your ad said that you were getting near to retire from building instruments, which implies all brands, not just Kel Kroyden.  And since Kel Kroyden is the "only" brand of instrument listed on your website and you are going to retire from building instruments and sell Kel Kroyden, it is very easy to see the implication that AMB was for sale.

It was a *legitimate misunderstanding* and NOT an attempt to spread rumors on forums and Facebook and I haven't even been on any other forums or Facebook.

I told how the ad said you were retiring from building instruments and Kel Kroyden was for sale.  Kel Kroyden is the ONLY brand of banjos you list as making on americanmadebanjo.com, and how it gave the implication that since Kel Kroyden was for sale and you were going to retire from building instruments, it *looked like* AMB was for sale. Evidently many others thought the same thing.  Obviously the implication that AMB was for sale was wrong, and for that I apologized.

I didn't feel the need to call, as I don't make a habit of verifying advertisements and I am not interested in buying either American Made Banjo or Kel Kroyden.  If I was I would have called.  I made a statement based on my understanding of your advertisement.  My MISunderstanding was legitimate and not an attempt to spread rumors, and I apologized for that misunderstanding as soon as I found out I was wrong.  No need to keep berating me for it.

Lance

AmericanMadeBanjo - Posted - 05/31/2013:  16:32:52

quote:

---

Originally posted by BluegrassWarehouse

 

No need to keep berating me for it.

Lance

---

If I was I did not mean to berate you. My apologies in public.

grich - Posted - 06/01/2013:  05:56:08

The information I got about Gibson is that Henry maybe stepping down as CEO this year for health reasons and the new CEO is a very qualified and respected person in the music industry ...so who knows he maybe it's just what Gibson needs if banjos are in their future ! 

Ebanjo - Posted - 06/01/2013:  05:58:54

Health reasons? Are they sick of him? LOL I couldn't resist.
Eric Ellis

grich - Posted - 06/01/2013:  06:11:48

You maybe right .. Cause damn 

bbanjoboy - Posted - 06/01/2013:  06:45:54

Hey Greg, did you get my email? KB

grich - Posted - 06/01/2013:  06:56:42

I did, and I passed it on to our sales manager .... we shall see what happens