Article: The North Face trips over The South Butt

Someone I know saw this in The Register and passed it on. I think The North Face is going to gain the teen more publicity and money from this than they expected:

A Missouri teenager is defying the might of clothing manufacturer The North Face, which is a bit hacked off at his "The South Butt" range of clobber.

The North Face Apparel Corp moved in August to eliminate the threat to its international business posed by 18-year-old Jimmy Winkelmann and his company The South Butt, LLC.

Jordan LaVine, a lawyer acting for the company, sent Winkelmann a letter on 14 August insisting the rival logos are sufficiently similar to provoke "consumer confusion as to the source, sponsorship or affiliation of particular problems and services that could dilute or tarnish the distinctive quality of the famous and distinctive TNFAC marks".

Winkelmann told ABC News: "I was like, 'How did they even find me?' It was ridiculous."

A fair question, since the enterprising teen's business is a modest affair he set up two years ago after "he and his high school pals were poking fun at the kids at their private high school who satisfied their need to belong by buying the exact same jackets and vests".

He explained: "People thought it was so cool to wear The North Face fleeces. Everybody had to have them."

Cue the "South Butt" idea, which started as a joke, then "just, like, escalated".

Read the full article: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/02/north_butt/

HaHa!

I guess it's a matter of perspective, but I don't see the harm really.

I think that if Winkelmann is being honest about his motivation, this seems to be a poke at certain customers, and not TNF directly. Maybe TNF could have played their hand more skillfully, then again maybe they are tired of defending their logo(s), trademarks, patents, etc.

Anyhow, I have seen exactly what Winkelmann seems to be irritated by, difference is I just try to be amused, not upset.

It should be called The Consistently Underfilled Down Garment Company. TCUDGC.

They could run adds about The First Ascent of Wall Street Without Oxygen or Sherpa Support Above Base Camp...

Or maybe just The Butt Face and be done with it.

A couple years ago I bought a used red fleece jacket that had the North Face logo sewn on it and a North face tag on the inside collar. The zipper was broken on it so I sent it to North Face to get a new one put in, two weeks later I got it back with a note saying it was a counterfeit jacket and they would not repair it. Thought afterwards they could have replaced the zipper and charged me something instead of just sending it back?

I like the South Butt logo as a sense of humor.

BigRed: The First Ascent of Wall Street Without Oxygen is pretty good.

Go SB I took my NF tent inti NF and they couldn't even tell me what model it was.

BigRed said:

They could run adds about The First Ascent of Wall Street Without Oxygen or Sherpa Support Above Base Camp...

Yes...I agree with Tipi, good one!