Point well taken.

And certainly the point that they are not a charity is very well taken. The more money they make, the stronger they are and the better shot we have at getting even better cars to drive.

Part of the point is, I guess, don't bite the hand that feeds you. ANYTHING that makes a potential buyer hesitate, even a second, is a mistake. The buyer, whether it is the new car buyer or the one that takes the car off his hands, is the hand that feed BMWNA.

Weigh any possible revenue gain from not having this site in their control vs. the gain by having it exist over the last year or so should tell them they woke up on the wrong side of the bed the morning they made this decision.

They are in this to make money. So do your marketing research BMWNA and SEE which action will make you more money. This is America. We LOVE the little guy here. I don't wish to draw a point to the maniac someone mentioned a page or two back, but that type of personality does not fly in the free, or free market, world. If Benz came out with the same car, same price, same time, same everything, I think at this juncture BMW would get most of the business here, UNTIL the table turned and Benz became the little guy :smile: (In BMWNA's dreams!)

'nough said by me, except, back down BMW. I think the people on this board, for whatever reason they think you are wrong, will not back down. It is a board full of Brakestone dogs. We are on the pants leg and not letting go.

 

It's unbelievable but in this day and age it's more likely you will be violated by legal action just for doing what's right and putting your best foot forward in this once great free enterprise system. Fortunately manufacturers creating names such as Miata or Mustang have stuck with their good natured principles and allowed their markets to flourish. BMWUSA has a decision to make. Will you remain a company we can be proud to be affiliated with or will you disengage and become one with the scum sucking trial lawyers that have destroyed corporate America?

 

:evil: :evil: :evil:

Another thing comes to mind. I recall that when Daimler and Chrysler merged, Daimler claimed that they would allow Chrysler to remain somewhat of an independent entity. However, Daimler slowly got rid of many Chrysler execs, and instituted some pretty ham-fisted policies. They were not nimble enough to respond to the initial demand for the PT Cruiser, for example.

 

Signature completed - #283.

As many others have pointed out, many other car makers have enthusiast sites they tacitly support if not openly honor -- not harass as BMW is setting up to do here ! Obviously the wrong people at BMW NA are letting this go forth; I hope they see the error in their ways soon.

Why has BMW not gone after other sites that have a make and model name in them, e.g. bmwm5.com ?? Can they please state and enforce one policy, and not do it "after the fact" in such an arrogant and heavyhanded way ?

 

>>Mark, have you considered putting out a press release regarding this? A little bit of bad press and BMW may not feel the need to persue it...
>>
>>Just a thought.

And a good thought it is!

 

If you feels so strong about the situation you should sell your Mini, never buy another and let them know why
They don't give a crap about anything but the bottom line.

Less is more

Mona Cooper

 

>>>>Mark, have you considered putting out a press release regarding this? A little bit of bad press and BMW may not feel the need to persue it...
>>>>
>>>>Just a thought.
>>
>>And a good thought it is!<<




Cheers!
Clover

 

>>As for the domain, you already have "brand recognition" with MCO, so perhaps you could use a derivative of that? MCO-CLUB.COM, MCO-FORUMS.COM, etc.
>>
>>


Mark: JWTucker is right. Nowhere in "MCO Online" is the words Mini or Cooper seen.
Could be "Miniature Car Owners" for all they know. The letters MCO do not belong to BMW, MINI, or JCW! :evil:

 

Someone at BMW/MINI can't see the Forrest thru the trees! How blind or stupid are the persons or person pushing this issue. Can't they see the amount of publicity/free advertising being done for them by MCO? Someone in marketing needs a wake-up call or fired!

Oh no no no you can't name your baby Jenifer, because Miss Lopez has rights to it. Bullsh!t! :evil:

_________________
Minian(^-^) DrkSlvr/DrkSlvr S/Sprt pkg/Aero/HK Sound/Alta Air & Pulley(May Club)

 

>>If you feels so strong about the situation you should sell your Mini, never buy another and let them know why
>>They don't give a crap about anything but the bottom line.
>>
>>Less is more
>>
>>Mona Cooper
>>
>>

Mona you've got a point there! If all 9000 member / owners sold their MINIs, then MINI-USA would still have those 9000 MINIs on the road, they'd just have new drivers. The finance companies would still have loans and the dealers would still have wait lists! If you cancel your order because of a name dispute at your internet car enthusiast forum, that would be depriving yourself of this nice automobile.

I'll be coming here, even if the site is named Ferguson-Motoring.com
(see BMW try to take that away from him)

Call it what you will . . . I'll be here !

_________________
"Madeline" - MCS CR/W, Stripes, White 16" X-Lites, Xenons, Fogs, DSC, PDC, Auto AC, MFSW, Full Aero Kit and Union Jack !

 

>>I have been contacted by a producer who wants to interview me about this fiasco as I roll through the San Francisco bay area on Thursday. I am going to do my best to arrange to be there! He wants to film my Wicked Wanda!
>>
You go Clover!!!!! I can't think of a better spokesperson (or spokesMINI) than you and Wicked Wanda!!!!!!!!

 

>>I have been contacted by a producer who wants to interview me about this fiasco as I roll through the San Francisco bay area on Thursday. I am going to do my best to arrange to be there! He wants to film my Wicked Wanda! :smile:

I too will report when I have more solid information.

Chow!

Donna
donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

Actually, BMW is going after BMWM5.com

BMWM5 link

 

>>(for example our new shock absorbers – which you are going to love)

How does that idiot know we'll love the new shock absorbers? They'll make our minis handle like a boat! whats to love there? Does he think we'll love the way mini is hassleing MCO? Where is MINIdivision? what does he/she/it have to say about this? I dont even think MINIdivision is even working for mini!

I'd be happy to put a BMW sucks sticker on my mini, I'd put a giant one on my roof!

 

MINIdivision probably has orders to keep a very low profile as this evolves.

 

>>More examples from another manufacturer - Acura (Or really Honda NA).
>>
>>As a former Acura owner, I'm on Acuraworld.com a lot and know the owners of that site along with acura-tl.org, acura-tl.com acura-cl.com acuramdx.org.
>>
>>Acura has NEVER contacted these site owners about legal issues. In fact, Acura PAYS Acuramdx.org $4K/month (!!) just to advertise on that site!
>>
>>It's ridiculous BMW is taking this approach.

I was thinking today about my old forum. Miata.net which saved me a possible blown engine by alerting me to the #4 bearing defect.

 

As a nearly former Ferrari owner, I can recall several sites such as MCO.com that use the official name in the address. Here is a great site and example of such:

http://www.ferrari308.com/

Take a look at how it says, "This is NOT an official Ferrari site...Click here to go there now." Perhaps an arrangement such as this could be arranged. Ferrari is used to tifosi going high tech...why can't BMW??

D

 

>>>>I have been contacted by a producer who wants to interview me about this fiasco as I roll through the San Francisco bay area on Thursday. I am going to do my best to arrange to be there! He wants to film my Wicked Wanda!
>>>>
>>You go Clover!!!!! I can't think of a better spokesperson (or spokesMINI) than you and Wicked Wanda!!!!!!!!
>> <<

 

>>Thanks! I'll have to figure out how to get her cleaned up for her close-up! Tee hee! :smile:

 

>>Another thing comes to mind. I recall that when Daimler and Chrysler merged, Daimler claimed that they would allow Chrysler to remain somewhat of an independent entity. However, Daimler slowly got rid of many Chrysler execs, and instituted some pretty ham-fisted policies. They were not nimble enough to respond to the initial demand for the PT Cruiser, for example.
>>
>>I am hoping that the powers that be in Germany are not going to make a similar mistake here with how they run/oversee MINI USA! Meaning not that they manufacture zillions of MINIs, but that they honor the amazing philosophy of motoring that has sprung up as a result of their excellent website and even better word-of-mouth campaign here by we MINI owners! I still think they do not realize how crazily passionate we are about our MINIs!! Or how important free expression and freedom of the press is here in the US! Let's hope that when this hits the press...as it will...that MINI USA will do the right thing and find an amicable win-win solution for MCO and for MINI USA!

Clover,
It seems to me that this is that situation but in reverse. I think MINI USA / BMWNA has been allowed to go too far off on its own and has set up this legal action independent of the mothership. I'd be very surprised if the order to do this came from MINI HQ in Oxford, not just because I'm a Brit and don't like to think of us rushing to legal action, but because there have been companies around in the UK for decades that have the letters m-i-n-i in their domain names from serving the classic mini market. BMW may have bought the rights to use the MINI name on a car, but they can't close down any site or business that sells mini parts and says so in their name.

So far MINI USA has been known to reverse its stupid decisions (at least in word if not deed - has anyone got rear fogs yet! ) so maybe they'll listen to reason again here.

 

I wonder if there's any number of Mini sales directly attributable to this site. The NY Mini dealership seems to be pretty keen on advertising here and from what I have seen just mentioned have shipped a pretty fair number of Minis around the country as a result of MCO purchasers.

 

MINIclo, why don't you take a car cover and cover Wanda for the interview. That will get a reaction. A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

I'm sorry you guys really need to relax.
Go ahead and boycott I don't think that it will make one bit of difference.

Yes there are thousands of thread views but how many are from the handful that keep posting here?

158 - 1000 - 2000 signatures on what will prove to be a less than significant online petition (I have never seen one of those things work in spite of signing several with 10k+ signatures) is not going to amount to a hill of beans.

Please choose a new name. It's not worth fighting (either in time, effort, and mostly dollars). In the end if the site has merit (which I belive that it does) it will not lose popularity.

Even though the name is 30+ years old the fact is that Mini Cooper is BMWs trademark and they can do what ever they want to do with it.

 

I see that http://www.M1N1C00PERONLINE.COM is not yet registered. Mark change to ones and zeros and flip BMW the bird

I'll be wearing my MCO T to Bimmerfest at Limerock next month. Right now, I'm 2 miles away from BMW's SC plant, time for my Ninja suit and a couple cans of red spray paint from Wal-Mart.

X2

_________________
Men that drive MINIs have no shortcomings to make up for.

<IMG SRC="https://www.northamericanmotoring.co....jpg">

 

>>>>I have been contacted by a producer who wants to interview me about this fiasco as I roll through the San Francisco bay area on Thursday. I am going to do my best to arrange to be there! He wants to film my Wicked Wanda! :smile:
>>
>>I too will report when I have more solid information.
>>
>>Chow!
>>
>>Donna
>>donna@dcmetrominis.org


YOU GO! BOTH of you!!


Let's get noticed. Let's motor.