C
chriscar
- Original Poster
- #1
Hi guys
I have a car sales business and have the misfortune of having another rival business on the same site as me. We have worked in the same area for the last couple of years with no problem - I sell prestige vehicles and his business sells various models.
Anyway 2 weeks ago this guy decided to copy my business model by going purely into prestige vehicles. Fair enough I thought. My stock level is around 30-35 vehicles whereas he has around 4-5.
He has however created a website and has directly copied my main copyrighted image on the central page displaying all my vehicles for sale. I informed him this was illegal and he is refusing to remove it so instructed a specialist Solicitor to deal with this for me. Likewise his logo also infringes copyright with one of the main car manufacturers so they will be on his case shortly too.
Anyway he literally is just a '1 man band' trading on his own but his website states the company has been estabished 15 years and is a family ran garage. Likewise he suggests the business has a reputation for being one of the leading suppliers for prestige vehicles in the uk.
Hes been trading tops 4 years with the new business only being active for 11/12 days. He also infers that he stocks several vehicles and only advertises whats available, which again simply isnt the case.
I feel aside from the copyright breaches and impersonation of my garage (the last part of his business name is the same as mine and he shares the same post code) the text he has put is just not accurate and misleading.
I have taken the necessary precaution of registering the .com domain name (which he forgot to do!) and pointing out that we are a separate business and currently taking legal proceedings against him. Likewise, I have put a disclaimer on my website stating the same points. The website image worries me because its direct association with my garage in the event of issues with his vehicles/sales.
Additionally, on site I have put obvious and unremovable branding on my vehicles (inside the cars which are locked large company logos), number plate advertising boards etc. as well as posters informing my clients he is a separate entity. Given the layout of the site, he had a habbit of trying to pass off my stock as being his in order to give his customers confidence. He is far from happy with my posters and has ripped some down but every day I am replacing them! Ive got 200 printed lol.
Any advice on his practices with his website would be appreciated - is he breaching any laws? its not an area im experienced in regretfully!
Thanks
I have a car sales business and have the misfortune of having another rival business on the same site as me. We have worked in the same area for the last couple of years with no problem - I sell prestige vehicles and his business sells various models.
Anyway 2 weeks ago this guy decided to copy my business model by going purely into prestige vehicles. Fair enough I thought. My stock level is around 30-35 vehicles whereas he has around 4-5.
He has however created a website and has directly copied my main copyrighted image on the central page displaying all my vehicles for sale. I informed him this was illegal and he is refusing to remove it so instructed a specialist Solicitor to deal with this for me. Likewise his logo also infringes copyright with one of the main car manufacturers so they will be on his case shortly too.
Anyway he literally is just a '1 man band' trading on his own but his website states the company has been estabished 15 years and is a family ran garage. Likewise he suggests the business has a reputation for being one of the leading suppliers for prestige vehicles in the uk.
Hes been trading tops 4 years with the new business only being active for 11/12 days. He also infers that he stocks several vehicles and only advertises whats available, which again simply isnt the case.
I feel aside from the copyright breaches and impersonation of my garage (the last part of his business name is the same as mine and he shares the same post code) the text he has put is just not accurate and misleading.
I have taken the necessary precaution of registering the .com domain name (which he forgot to do!) and pointing out that we are a separate business and currently taking legal proceedings against him. Likewise, I have put a disclaimer on my website stating the same points. The website image worries me because its direct association with my garage in the event of issues with his vehicles/sales.
Additionally, on site I have put obvious and unremovable branding on my vehicles (inside the cars which are locked large company logos), number plate advertising boards etc. as well as posters informing my clients he is a separate entity. Given the layout of the site, he had a habbit of trying to pass off my stock as being his in order to give his customers confidence. He is far from happy with my posters and has ripped some down but every day I am replacing them! Ive got 200 printed lol.
Any advice on his practices with his website would be appreciated - is he breaching any laws? its not an area im experienced in regretfully!
Thanks
