LabattBlue Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Damn...I was hoping the moniker would go away someday. Instead the Bills trademarking makes it seem that they are embracing it, and will use it going forward. 😞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blainorama5 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 I've been a graphic designer for over 30 years and ... how should I delicately phrase my constructive criticism ... That logo SUCKS!!!! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Just now, C.Biscuit97 said: You’re not being serious are you? yes I am. I lived in an area where the Mob was prevalent I was in a restaurant that had pipe bombs thrown at an hour after I left the place. in their presence you never used the word Mafia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloMatt Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 I'm sure it was an offer he couldn't refuse. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenorthremembers Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 4 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said: You’re not being serious are you? He just may be. Mafia is not a widely known phrase. I for one am at a total loss as to what it means, or represents. I also eat lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Just now, thenorthremembers said: He just may be. Mafia is not a widely known phrase. I for one am at a total loss as to what it means, or represents. I also eat lead. You’re not being serious are you? 😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustWinPlease Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 14 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said: It’s a big corporation stepping on a small business. Business wise, it’s makes total sense but it is completely scummy. Someone can up with the term (which honestly I think is a corny but you can not deny it has taken off) and the Bills are stealing their idea. I hope there is more to the story (maybe throwing some money) but just being at work and looking quickly, it seems really crappy to do. Well it wasn't a smart business decision to start a business around a phrase and not trademark the idea. The Bills are making the smart business decision that the Bills Mafia people should've made on day one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyBatty is alive Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 minute ago, Back the Blue said: Damn...I was hoping the moniker would go away someday. Instead the Bills trademarking makes it seem that they are embracing it, and will use it going forward. 😞 That is an awfully bold assumption on your part. Who knows, maybe they put in the trademark protection because the Bills organization DOESN"T like the image it portrays, like the drunks jumping on tables, maybe they did trademark the term so isn't plastered all over t-shirts and other paraphernalia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 21 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said: So if I opened a restaurant called Bills Grill with no Buffalo bills colors/signage etc, they could send a cease and desist? I could not trademark my places name? what everyone is missing here is that broadcasters, NFL personalities, players, etc...’have adopted that terminology towards the team. Therefore that term is recognized by society as being associated with the Buffalo Bills. That’s where this got ugly for some people. Honestly, this is the correct decision and I have wondered why it was taken this long to come down. 3 minutes ago, JustWinPlease said: Well it wasn't a smart business decision to start a business around a phrase and not trademark the idea. The Bills are making the smart business decision that the Bills Mafia people should've made on day one. that would have never been granted 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan in Cleveland Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 I know I am in the minority but others have supported me. I hate the Bills mafia moniker. Especially the drunken table jumping morons. Its an emberassment to the team and anyone from the region. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie's Dead Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 This is nothing more, nothing less, than IP theft. The Bills no more own #BillsMafia than Mark Zuckerberg owned Facebook (stolen from the Winklevoss twins) or Bill Gates owned Windows (stolen from Apple, who in turn stole it from Xerox PARC). I've had my IP stolen, and there is no lower form of life on earth than the IP thief. I get that #BillsMafia could not be trademarked or copyrighted because it used the Bills name. But for the Pegulas to turn around and try to trademark it now, after someone else popularized the name, that's nothing but IP theft. Unfortunately, thems with the lawyers and money wins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyBatty is alive Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Just now, Ethan in Portland said: I know I am in the minority but others have supported me. I hate the Bills mafia moniker. Especially the drunken table jumping morons. Its an emberassment to the team and anyone from the region. Yep, read my post 3 back. The term doesnt bother me at all BUT i think it might irritate/embarrass the organization. Trademark is one attempt to control its unauthorized spread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeGOATski Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 minute ago, SDS said: what everyone is missing here is that broadcasters, NFL personalities, players, etc...’have adopted that terminology towards the team. Therefore that term is recognized by society as being associated with the Buffalo Bills. That’s where this got ugly for some people. Honestly, this is the correct decision and I have wondered why it was taken this long to come down. I assume they were monitoring it from the beginning to see where the term and team went. The term and the team are kind of hitting their stride together and it will be thrown around a lot more by "influencers." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Cubed Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 As I work in creative design I feel qualified to say, that is an absolutely awful logo. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo716 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, MAJBobby said: And this is why it is important. In the 90s they would Pay Texas A&M to license the use of the 12th Man. Now anyone wanting to use Bills Mafia would be subject to needing the same licensing agreement with the Bills. https://www.goodbullhunting.com/telcoag/2014/7/30/5953545/12th-man-trademark-agreement-texas-am-aggies-buffalo-bills The point is bills Mafia has bills in it which is already trademarked by bills. So 26 couldn't trademark bills Mafia We payed a&m to use 12th man because they already had it trademarked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. K Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Maybe this supplemental income will some how trickle over to the Sabres development team... Bad look on the Bills end to take a fan creation and trademark it and shut the original creators out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 INTENDS TO SELL so as Roy indicated. Are they? 6 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said: Yep, read my post 3 back. The term doesnt bother me at all BUT i think it might irritate/embarrass the organization. Trademark is one attempt to control its unauthorized spread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4_kidd_4 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 28 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said: How many of you people have briefly met, known or dealt with a real Mafia member? You keel your lips shut. or else Oh, I know plenty. In fact, I live next door to some of them. For real. I’m always VERY generous to them with fresh basil from our summer garden. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxbomber21 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 What's crazy is that the Bills organization didn't want anything to do with the Bills Mafia slogan and now they want to take credit for it and get paid....WOW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 50 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said: Fans not happy https://sports.yahoo.com/fans-not-happy-team-filed-154142828.html Oh well? No big deal. This stuff isn’t abnormal. The saints went through it with “who dat” gear not long ago the bills have a brand to protect and profit from. They are obligated to protect it or lose protections in many cases. honestly I was surprised the bills didn’t do this sooner. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpberr Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 There's no angle I see where the corporate Bills look good here. At best, it looks like a desperate way to gin revenue. At worst, it's using their corporate muscle to outmaneuver a fan. It's always ticky-tack stuff like this that gets the tone-deaf wealthy in trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 minutes ago, Bronxbomber21 said: What's crazy is that the Bills organization didn't want anything to do with the Bills Mafia slogan and now they want to take credit for it and get paid....WOW Who said they want to take credit for it? The problem is that regardless of what they wanted, the term became associated with the team and once that happens you can’t have the NFL industry referring to a private persons property. The NFL is like a real thing you know what I mean? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 hours ago, MAJBobby said: Because the Bills are taking a grassroots, fan verbiage that thy had nothing to do with and well are claiming theirs and will not charge anyone that ill want to use BillsMafia There would be no BillsMafia without the Buffalo Bills so there's that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penfield45 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) horrible look for pegula if they start taking legal action against fans for making bills mafia merch. trademarking a term your own fans created? Yikes. NFL is embarrassing with the amount of money they want from everyone and everything. Edited October 16, 2020 by Penfield45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Should Del have copyright'd.....yes. I think he was caught off guard by the Pegulas doing this. Is the term mafia somewhat inappropriate? Probably, but as Scott pointed out this moniker has already been nationally accepted by analysts everywhere. I guess the part that will always bother me is the big rich corporation coming in to take over the small guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, NoSaint said: if you don’t protect your trademarks you definitely risk them. Which could be a factor. also just because Reid is doing positive now doesn’t mean he or others always will. the optics are bad but the decision is sound and reasonable based on my limited knowledge of the situation. Agreed. Protecting how the term "Bills Mafia" is used in the future is totally within their rights, based on what we know right now. For example, what if someone were to make a t-shirt with "Fu**'en Yeah, Bills Mafia" The team would have to have the right to issue a cease & desist order to protect their (and the NFL's) image. Or if someone were to create a "Bills Mafia" line of dildos featuring Tom Brady's face. Hey....that actually sounds like a good marketing idea... Edited October 16, 2020 by Lurker 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden*Wheels Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) I wasn't aware there was a "legit", let alone in any way charitable org I could get Mafia stuff from....I've just been doing ebay. Who do I support real quick BEFORE the Bills take it over? Gotta say my fav shirt is a non Bills buffalo on a crest with five stars. Just says "Mafia". I assume you can't trademark that. Edited October 16, 2020 by Golden*Wheels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formerlyofCtown Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 hours ago, MAJBobby said: Completely agree. This is a bad look and must be the 2020 version of "drilling another well" Verbiage as well Hence their Second Filing I posted. Don't understand how they can. All he needs to do is dispute the claim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 For anyone who follows trademark law, they will understand that confusion is central to the issue. If people are confused about the bills not owning bills mafia then it’s done. They have to control that and protect their property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formerlyofCtown Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 31 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said: He just may be. Mafia is not a widely known phrase. I for one am at a total loss as to what it means, or represents. I also eat lead. Death to the french is italy's cry. Something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxbomber21 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 3 minutes ago, SDS said: Who said they want to take credit for it? The problem is that regardless of what they wanted, the term became associated with the team and once that happens you can’t have the NFL industry referring to a private persons property. The NFL is like a real thing you know what I mean? Well then shouldn't the Bills organization work out a deal with said private person Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4805:yr4ump.2.1 / Edited October 16, 2020 by Lurker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 12 minutes ago, dpberr said: There's no angle I see where the corporate Bills look good here. At best, it looks like a desperate way to gin revenue. At worst, it's using their corporate muscle to outmaneuver a fan. It's always ticky-tack stuff like this that gets the tone-deaf wealthy in trouble. This is the part I don't get. They had to know the narrative of BillsMafia. Did some marketing dude just pitch them to say F it and let's get some more merch revenue. The optics of this is terrible but each and every day I see money push ethics aside. And it will never end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=4803:u15e7p.1.1 Edited October 16, 2020 by Lurker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJBobby Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 16 minutes ago, Beast said: There would be no BillsMafia without the Buffalo Bills so there's that. Just like there are no Player brands without the Buffalo Bills. Should they start trademarking those? 14 minutes ago, SDS said: For anyone who follows trademark law, they will understand that confusion is central to the issue. If people are confused about the bills not owning bills mafia then it’s done. They have to control that and protect their property. Bills Never controlled Bills Mafia that was a grassroots fan thing. They didn’t have to protect anything. It wasn’t theirs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickleyjones Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 as someone who has actually had an terrible encounter with the mafia, i hope they put the moniker away forever. i don't care who owns it, it is distasteful at best. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 5 minutes ago, MAJBobby said: Just like there are no Player brands without the Buffalo Bills. Should they start trademarking those? Bills Never controlled Bills Mafia that was a grassroots fan thing. They didn’t have to protect anything. It wasn’t theirs Lol. So if Pepsi Mafia or Bud Light Mafia catch on, those companies have no right to control their use either? Not may business people on this board, I guess... 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJBobby Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 minutes ago, Lurker said: Lol. So if Pepsi Mafia or Bud Light Mafia catch on, those companies have no right to control their use either? Not may business people on this board, I guess... Yeah Business people. are here. Just your standard PR nightmare from Pegulas, happens one a QTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyBatty is alive Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 minute ago, Lurker said: Lol. So if Pepsi Mafia or Bud Light Mafia catch on, those companies have no right to control their use either? Not may business people on this board, I guess... Elegant and simple explanation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said: Honestly, it’s completely garbage. Reid is a great dude and does a ton for charity (and they have awesome gear, support them). He helped create it And the Bills are trying to steal it from them. i really hope there is more to this story because the Bills look like a greedy, scumbag organization right now. omg. Lighten tf up. What’s the 1st word in Billsmafia? Bingo. #Trademark rights 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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