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PostPosted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:30 am 
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Location: Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia
The name 'Hobie Island' sounds great to me, but of course I would as pirates just love islands to bury their bootie.....Pirate :wink:


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:24 pm 
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Location: Terrigal NSW, Australia
How about Kai-maran. It rhymes with trimaran, it sounds good - much better than sailyak or triyak. It suggests intuitively a hybrid of a kayak and a trimaran. It has a slightly Polynesian flavour. It doesn't suggest a sail as such, but if it was referred to as a Hobie Kai-maran, most people would infer that it is a sailboat, just as everyone knows that a Hobie Cat is a sailboat. It could be spelled Kaymaran, but then it is not immediately obvious that the first syllable would rhyme with "sky', rather than "hay".


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:15 am 
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Location: Punta Gorda, FL
That sounds pretty good, but we'd better check into all the international meanings of Kai. The Chevy Nova didn't do well in S. America. ("No va" means "it doesn't go" in Spanish). ;)

Maybe Kymaran as a backup?


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:32 am 
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Location: Terrigal NSW, Australia
Tom Ray said:
Quote:
Chevy Nova didn't do well in S. America. ("No va" means "it doesn't go" in Spanish).


The classic example of that is a S.U.V. they released in Australia called the Mitsubishi Pajero (don't know if it was called that in the U.S.) It turns out pajero is Spanish for wanker.

All I can find from Google is that Kai is Hawaiian for "sea" (which is OK) and also a breed of Japanese dog (not so good).

Chris


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:33 am 
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Location: CLEARWATER, MN
I personally like the simple name 'Island'...
what would be a simple way to conduct a poll of owners and 'hopeful owners' about a name change for the AI?
Or do you think that Hobie has too much money already invested in the name 'Adventure Island' to change it?


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:16 am 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
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Location: Oceanside, California
Not likely changing the name... Yes, we have a lot invested in it.

Boat names are a huge pain as we have to find where we may infringe on someone who is already using it. Copy rights, trade marks. Got to make sense, be appealing.

Just so it is understood where this name came from:

Hobie

Mirage (pedal kayak line)

Adventure (Kayak model it is built on)

Island (Sail configuration on the Adventure)

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:40 pm 
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Not suggesting Hobie change its model name Matt, but we users need a simpler generic name for this unique craft that Hobie has created. "I'm taking the Adventure Island out for a spin." doesn't really cut it IMHO 8) .

Chris


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:01 pm 
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Location: Punta Gorda, FL
Hobie probably can't use anything we mention here for fear of being accused of stealing it. ;)


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:15 pm 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Not true... kayakfishingstuff.com named the Revolution.

We contacted the parties involved and gave some perks for coming up with the name, so crunch away.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:56 pm 
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The first business to successfully bring a new concept to market often gains an enduring advantage in that the name they use often becomes the generic name for the product. Think "Sellotape" and "Hoover" (they are American brands, arent they?). When the inevitable imitators of the AI appear, it would be good for Hobie if they had already nailed the generic.

Chris


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:23 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:55 pm
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Location: Pensacola, Fl.
Quote:
Boat names are a huge pain as we have to find where we may infringe on someone who is already using it. Copy rights, trade marks. Got to make sense, be appealing.


You do not really have to worry about copyrights if you are naming a personal boat. It does not matter if someone is already using it as names and titles are not copyrightable. Trademarks, such as Hobie, are copyrightable of course, but names and titles are not. You could write a book and call it "Gone With The Wind" or "In Cold Blood" and no one could sue you for copyright infringement. However the content is copyrightable, just not the title. Many different movies have the same title and they do not have to pay royalties to the original for using the same name again.


So name your boat whatever you wish without worry, just as long as it is not the name of a line of boats or a trademark such as "Adventure Island." That would would be a trademark, not just a name. Hobie has copyrighted all its trademarks, but you could name your boat "My Adventure" and it would not matter if Donald Trump had named his boat the very same thing, he could not do a thing about it.

There are hundreds of boats with the exact same name, "Wind Song" for example. I have seen three or four with that name. My sloop, that I sold, was named "Nirvana". I am sure there was many others with that name. It is really no big deal.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:28 am 
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Location: Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia
Having read all the above, I am now strongly of the opinion that the name Hobie Island stands out head and shoulders. It is a standout name and is consistant with its full title. So if owners have difficulty calling it here and to friends etc. a Hobie Adventure Isand, then why not just Hobie Island. It has a good ring to it you must admit IMHO.....Pirate


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:05 am 
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Location: Pensacola, Fl.
"Hobie Island"? I really don't think you could get by with that. "Hobie" is definitely a registered trademark so just using that would be a trademark infringment. The word "Adventure" on the other hand would be too generic. You could get by with that. You cannot trademark generic words. Miller sued Budwiser when they called their beer "Light Beer". They lost. Miller registered "Lite" as a trademark and no one can use that, but "Light" was deemed too generic and Miller could not prevent Bud from using that.


So you could get by with "Adventure" but definitely not "Hobie".


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:27 am 
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"Hobie Island"? "Hobie" is definitely a registered trademark but you might get by with using that as the name of your particular boat. The word "Adventure" is generic. You could get by with that in any case. You cannot trademark generic words. Miller sued Budwiser when they called their beer "Light Beer". They lost. Miller registered "Lite" as a trademark and no one can use that, but "Light" was deemed too generic and Miller could not prevent Bud from using that.

There is a difference between a name or title, which is not copyrightable and a trademark, which definitely copyrightable. You could not copyright "Hobie" as a name, anyone could have that name, or the title of a book or movie. But no one else can use "Hobie" for the name of a line of boats except Hobie. The copyright law is very complicated. You can copyright the title of your business, "Cesars Palace", but you could write a book and title it "Ceasars Palace" and no one could sue you.

Could you call your boat "My Hobie" just as you could call your car "My Ford".

You can copyright a phrase or slogan like "The Beer That Made Milwakee Famous". Though Schlitz is defunct, the new copyright law states that any copyrighted material lasts for the life of the author plus 50 years. The old copyright law stated that all copyrighted material expired after 25 years unless renewed by the author.
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:04 am 
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Location: CLEARWATER, MN
If the majority of AI owners and hopeful owners start to use their preferred name for the AI...and stick with it...even Hobie will eventually have to come around...even if it is for an upgraded future model. (It would be a way to distinguish the 'newest' model from the old)
Look at 'Jeep'...I have heard both Russians and Chinese refer to some of their 4x4 vehicles as 'Jeeps'.
My dealer and friends who own an AI have no problem when I make a comment about my 'Island'...the name is short...there is no other 'Island' model in the Hobie line...but there is another 'Adventure'. Friends and relatives now ask me how the sailing was, using the "Island".
If you say 'Hobie', I bet 99% of people immediately think of a sailing catamaran in a bright color!


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