[SuperRSi]

First of all Ford sold the name GT-40 and the rights to continue making the cars in serial number order to a company in England, who then years later refused to sell or allow Ford to come back and use the name.

And for Volkswagen it is the way the copyright is defended. There are nice ways and not so nice ways. For several years VWOA defended the copyright in vicious ways. Ask some of the advertisers who list in their ad copy that they no longer can show or say something VW related because of suits or decist orders. It is silly that they cannot show the front of a VW Samba just because there is a chrome VW logo on the front.

Of course manufacturers license the ability to reproduce parts. VWOA just deemed the licensing as too inconsequential to their business for too many years. Now they need to raise money any where they can. It appears VWOA is ready to try the nice way of enforcement. I think this is great.

If VW continues the downward spiral of less than enthusiatic vehicles and pricing, they themselves might wipe the factories off the face of the earth. How long can a company have losses as large as they are now having? It sometimes takes hitting rock bottom to help one reflect on what has been done wrong to get you there. Hopefully VWOA is set for change.

I still see this all as a function of most all large American companies having too many Lawyers on staff without enough to do. Maybe they should file the points off of each others teeth...

Thanks,

Randy