They run a site called carsandcoffee.info and I contacted them when I had the idea originally thinking they had some type of ownership rights; they don't. Here's the package they wanted to sell me for $3500/yr.. note the part where they explicitly say they do not have rigthts to the "Cars & Coffee" name:
Quote:
We do the following for $3,500.00 per year and a reduced rate in year two:
Give use of our logo
Give unlimited email addresses
Write press release announcing your group and what your group is doing
Give one year full tech support including upload of images, text, links, sponsor banners, etc.
Give revenue share for advertisers we post to your page or sponsors we bring to your event that you approve
We do "not" grant anyone permission to hold a Cars and Coffee event. The term Cars and Coffee is as commonplace as "Kleenex" and "Xerox" and has been used loosely by car clubs and even Dupont Registry for their weekend gatherings for well over a decade.
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So basically they created a website for C&C hampton roads as a subsite of their website and made a "press release" which was nothing more than creating a HR section on their forums and making a post in it.
Yet they have hired some independent local marketing firm called seven (something) marketing to call and bug me... basically I told them I didn't want their product, they saw the good turnout/interest, then sent someone here to sell their "package" to somebody. They're more than welcome to do that... it's tacky, but to call me and try and tell me I can't use the cars and coffee words is unprofessional. I know for a fact that they do not have it trademarked... a gentleman in GA does.