Using manufacturer branding to advertise a product?

smo

Free Member
Apr 3, 2010
2,095
336
Devon
We were in talks with a manufacturer about taking their product and doing something quite unique that if it worked would make a lot of money for them, us and the sole UK distributors.

They have gone quiet on it and arent doing what they needed to do, however we are considering taking the idea forward without their direct input, but with the full support of the distributor.

Now, are we allowed or more to the point will we get in trouble for using their products branding to advertise and promote their product. We're not pretending to be them, just want to use a coherant and unified product appearance from how we sell it through to what the customer receives. As far as we know they dont own any trademarks for the names/product.

EDIT: Just checked trademark again, he has applied (yesterday) for a TM on the name...???
 
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Talay

Free Member
Mar 12, 2012
4,171
948
In early 2012 I put forward a business proposition to a large UK based company which would have seen us both come out well ahead if it had gone forward. As they tried to keep me at arms length, they tried to develop their own version of this proposition and even went so far as to put a half assed botched attempt into production.

They then had the audacity to come back to me to offer me a very small slice of the cake with slim margins !

I took up their "offer" to see where they had gone wrong but it was a cannibalisation of my processes and development and as they didn't have a single original thought in their heads, they couldn't work out why it wasn't working or where they had gone wrong. I then stepped back.

I would be very careful of not tipping your hand as even though a percentage of a decent profit looks attractive, 100% of that profit or even a slightly smaller amount can look much more attractive to a greedy corporation and managers keen to impress.
 
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