Bose™ is in the business of being a trademark nazi

Tuesday, Sep 4. 2007  –  Category: Musings

So I listed a Bose™ SoundDock™ on eBay with a photo of the SoundDock that I took. I then listed the following description:

Brand new, still shrink-wrapped and in box Bose SoundDock, dock system/speaker for the Apple iPod. Fits any generation iPod with the included 3 dock inserts. This one is the white one.

And I was informed that my listing was cancelled because Bose requested it be pulled for a trademark violation.

??? I can’t see how I violated trademarks given that I gave it my own description and used my own photo – but well, that sucks. I’m following up with Bose to see if it was just flagged overzealously by some trademark nazi (human or robot) on their end, or if I really can’t sell Bose equipment on eBay.

One Trackback to “Bose™ is in the business of being a trademark nazi”

  1. University Update - Vladimir Putin - Bose™ is in the business of being a trademark nazi
    September 4th, 2007 at 17:46

18 Comments to “Bose™ is in the business of being a trademark nazi”

  1. Walter Bays Says:
    September 4th, 2007 at 11:18

    Oh, it looks from your posting like you guessed the real problem. OK, so you can’t sell Bose equipment on eBay. You may not even be able to sell Bose™ equipment. But I bet you can sell Bose® equipment. Part of the crazy rules for trademarks say that if they don’t defend it, like for instance by harassing you, they can lose their trademark. The funny thing is that advertisements often use trademarks loosely. When did you see an ad for a Toyota™?

  2. Tim Foster Says:
    September 4th, 2007 at 14:05

    I’ve got it! Just re-branding it yourself on Ebay! I vote for “Boise™, Better Sound Through Research^H^H^H^H^H Somewhere In Idaho” help ? :-)

  3. David VAn Couvering Says:
    September 4th, 2007 at 14:23

    My suspicion: this is Bose trying to keep their margins from slipping by preventing an active grey market for their merchandise. Trademark is just an excuse. Remember how the big Sun grey market hurt Sun for a number of years After the Fall?

  4. Stephen Lau Says:
    September 4th, 2007 at 14:34

    Walter: good point; I tried re-listing it with the right ® mark and putting the disclaimer that all trademarks are registered trademarks of Bose corporation. We’ll see how that flies.

    David: Possibly – but it’s still a dodgy practice at best. What happened to capitalism? ;-)

  5. Steven Young Says:
    September 9th, 2007 at 15:58

    Stephen: I’m in the market for the Sounddock you are selling. Also, I have met a Stephen Lau before. Any musical background by chance?

    Thanks! Steven with a ‘v’ in Boston.

  6. Jason Says:
    December 17th, 2007 at 19:24

    I had the same problem trying to sell my Bose Sound Dock on ebay… I just had my account suspended…because of it.

    Crazy.

  7. kiesha Says:
    January 9th, 2008 at 14:57

    hi guys, this is fuckers email who reporting to ebay ipattybose@yahoo.com let’s over fill his inbox!!!

  8. kiesha Says:
    January 9th, 2008 at 14:58

    get more people to do that, he will not have enaugh time report to ebay!!!

  9. kels Says:
    January 29th, 2008 at 16:54

    I have tried to list my Bose on eBay too and they pulled it off 3 times. But if you look up Bose Triport there is one PowerSeller that was selling 6 of them at the same time and they didnt get pulled. Has anyone email that ipattybose person and got a response?

  10. K Cato Says:
    April 16th, 2008 at 08:46

    Has anyone figured out how to list Bose products yet? I’ve had the sam experiences as y’all and am looking for a solution

  11. kels Says:
    April 16th, 2008 at 11:24

    I havent. the ipattybose person contacted me wanting me to turn over the place I bought mine from and who I have sold to and told me not to sell Bose products again.

  12. steff Says:
    May 6th, 2008 at 01:44

    please help, somebody do something to ipattybose@yahoo.com muthefucking piece of shit, any ideas guys??? how can we fight back?

  13. zerp Says:
    June 24th, 2008 at 14:13

    It has now been removed by eBay and there is a Bose.com email address for vero now. They do reply and are very good.

  14. ashley Says:
    June 28th, 2008 at 16:33

    Did anyone figure out how to list their Bose product with out having it yanked?

    Ebay has taken my listing down twice, and when I emailed them to ask why, they directed me to the same pattybose email who didn’t give me any indication as to what sort of trademark violation my listing was in.

  15. joe Says:
    August 25th, 2008 at 16:11

    don’t allow your Bose item to be shipped internationally (if you live in the USA) and they won’t take your item off ebay.

  16. Steve Says:
    September 29th, 2008 at 13:23

    I have worked 12 years for Bose Europe and even my items were removed several times by eBay because of a request of Bose. But I know (from the CEO of Bose Belgium) that Bose try’s to remove as much as possible items from eBay as they don’t like this sales channel as they have any grip on it.

  17. barry Manock Says:
    November 16th, 2008 at 06:11

    Surely if you have brought a Bose product and list it as used you have full rights to sell the item as you see fit.

  18. stew Says:
    March 9th, 2010 at 23:28

    look up exhausion doctrine – they shouldnt have a right to protect after authorizing sale in a region

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