Ford starts legal dispute with YouTuber TJ Hunt over Streethunter S650 Mustang Build

[nitepony]

Thoughts on this?

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[agreywolfe]

on the one hand, i get Fords move, Streethunters is basically just making a GTD kit.

on the other hand, if Ford took their heads out of their asses and realized they make cars for the fucking every man and not charged 300 thousand fucking dollars for a mustang we wouldnt have this problem.

 

[Neggytive]

If you think Ford is bad, try Tesla.

They will brick your ECM and not support the electronics

When you buy a car, you are buying a bunch of metal and rubber, and a software license that they can revoke at any time.

 

[infinitemberstang]

What a shame! It’s just a body kit. Get over it Ford. Poor fella is an independent YouTuber and you basically are trying to curb ingenuity and creativity. Typical American corporate.

 

[MAT1955]

I don't blame Ford.

 

[agreywolfe]

What a shame! It’s just a body kit. Get over it Ford. Poor fella is an independent YouTuber and you basically are trying to curb ingenuity and creativity. Typical American corporate.

thats the issue, and why im sure Fords taking such an extreme approach to this. these guys DO sell products to customers, and selling a GTD kit does put them in a legal gray area

 

[ShaZadam698]

I will admit it does look mighty like a GTD...
but I also see that u should allow people to customize things, and let them want to expand your brand and show off what they can do

 

[broncoboy22]

Doesn’t Anderson and others have GTD like body kits out already?

Edit: Yup! Here they are

Difference is Anderson has a relationship and approval from Ford. I feel for TJ but they will have to make it unique enough from the GTD so that Ford can’t claim they are stealing IP

 

[Zig]

De

Thoughts on this?

deflated arrogance

 

[Alan Applegate]

Everyone has an opinion, and as long as they maintain decorum, voicing it is a right we all have. I for one, certainly see Ford's point. From a non-lawyer standpoint, it is a violation of copyright and/or trademark.

One of the reasons all of us are are interested in Mustangs, is simply... It looks like the Mustang we all love and admire. Any company designing parts to make an ordinary S650 look like a GTD, gives Ford the right to defend its design copyright and/or trademark. If fact, if they do not do so, it gives credence to others to blatantly duplicate said copyrights and/or trademarks.

Ford, and just about everyone else, has specific rules one can follow to make and sell products using (in this case) Ford's logos like the Blue Oval one, and other protected identifiers including design elements.

We all should step back a few paces and look at this from a different angle. Imagine if Ford allowed any Chinese company to make and sell parts that look the same, packaging and all? Ford does have the right to go after these companies, because if they do not, it reduces the value of their product. Is that what you want them to do? I think not!

 

[Skye]

https://www.mustang7g.com/forums/threads/anyone-else-following-this-story-cracked-sparkplugs.162206/

I thought he was familiar. Drama! Drama! Drama! I feel the following comments continue to be apt.

"I'm surprised millions of people are following this individual. For real? For laughs? I found him annoying.

Virtually all of his videos are drama-filled events; his shop breaks or crashes almost every vehicle.

His profile and of the people working with him is a person having little mechanical experience, modding new cars that were "impulse" buys, which were actually funded by other individuals and businesses.

The Ford Technicians, Service Advisors and Managers routinely correct him."

Skye

 

[roket]

for anyone confused why this is happening, go ahead and take a look at the Streethunter bodykit vs the GTD

Streethunter bodykit

GTD

its basically an exact copy of Ford's halo car, with some minor visual differences, but none of the performance stuff. no pushrod suspension, no active aero, no supercharged 5.2L. not sure if there is enough to claim fair use. also, they look so similar that on the road people are easily going to confuse that bodykit with the actual GTD, and from what i know, that is a big, big no-no

 

[POHLHAMMER]

I have nothing to stand on , and my opinion means nothing. Just my 2 cents.

I don't see how this takes anything away from a REAL GTD. I would see it just bringing excitement to a style that very few can afford anyways. If only a handful of people ever see one, it becomes a car that only enthusiast's are even familiar with. Why take any spotlight off the brand , for ANY reason ?
Look , if you can afford the real one (and if FORD lets you). Then you will NEVER buy the fake one. If you can't afford the real one , then build a copy and have fun. No true enthusiast will be tricked into thinking its real. No one will pay "REAL" price for a copy.

Look at the Shelby Cobra. Everyone knows what they are. Everyone pretty much loves them.
Very few are actually "REAL" cobra's and every enthusiast knows that. They also know , and even I know , a "REAL" one is worth WAY WAY WAY more. With very few ever driven. So it would not have near the recognition today if not for the kits. Recognition + Brand = GOOD

From that perspective , I don't see how it would hurt FORD. After all , don't they build these to show off the brand ? So what if guys buy MORE Mustangs and build copies.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" -Oscar Wilde

 

[MCS]

Yeah it does look too close for comfort. It looks like they took a GTD and ported it into Cyberpunk-type world. It is close enough though that I would probably look twice going down the street to see if I can see a knock off or a legit GTD.

That being said; there are many Chinese companies out there making parts for the S550 that will allow you to turn it into a GT500, GT350, GT Premium with PP, whatever other flavour you want. I assuming that stuff has all been "allowed" by Ford.

Personally, when he got the new S650 and immediately caused issues with his engine kinda set the tone and experience with his channel. Prior to today, I had not watched any more of his stuff as I also find it very dramatic.

 

[MCS]

I don't see how this takes anything away from a REAL GTD. I would see it just bringing excitement to a style that very few can afford anyways. If only a handful of people ever see one, it becomes a car that only enthusiast's are even familiar with. Why take any spotlight off the brand , for ANY reason ?

I think you hit the nail on the head here. It's not really FORD that is pissed. It's the people who are spending $300,000 USD to show the world how elite they are. Most GTD will NEVER end up on the track (sure, there will be some guys out there who track it! I know one GT500 owner who got a GTD allotment, and has plans to track it. And I know he will!), a few may end up on the streets but a VERY few will ever be driven the way they are engineered to be driven. Most will end up in garages that cost more than my house and Dark Horse put together. Those Elites want nothing on the street that resembles their penis-with-wheels. Ford has to enforce that otherwise it may impact sales.

Would you go buy something, at insane prices, that you know any kid with an extra $10-20k can put something together that looks exactly like it?

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