US Wings did ROTLA?

[T.E. Lawrence]

I got this flyer from U.S. Wings and was taken aback by it's printed claim....Anyone know anything about this???

[IndyBrit]

On dear I think someone needs to have a word

If I'm not mistaken the vendor for Raiders is clearly establised and it is not US Wings.

[CM]

As the brand Coopers they supplied the "Raiders" type jacket for The Temple of Doom. However, they changed the design (at fan requests) over the years so that it doesn't look much like the movie version.

[FLATHEAD]

Its kind of like Chrysler saying they designed the original Jeep back in 1940.

Chrysler currently owns the Jeep name, which they bought from AMC, who bought it from
Kaiser, who bought it from Willy's.

Because Chrysler now owns the name, they can make that claim, even though
they had absolutely nothing to do with the design of the original Jeep.

Its the same here. Wings bought out Cooper, who supplied some jackets for
TOD. So Wings is making claims on that.

If you look at when Wings first established their business, it was about 5 or 6 years
AFTER the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark had came out.

If you look at the Wings website, you will notice that they can now only call their
jacket an "Indy style" jacket.

I do believe that the powers that-be got their lawyers on Wings case and made them
remove any reference to the actual name "Indiana Jones" on any of their jacket
offerings because they don't have anything to do with the Indiana Jones product
anymore, and they can no longer use the actual Indiana Jones name.

The only thing Wings can now put the full "Indiana Jones" name on is the
"Officially licensed" fedora hats they sell from other vendors that have rights to the name
for manufacturing the hats.

Whats the date on that advertisement? Is it current?

Flathead

[Michaelson]

I wonder how many times this is going to be dredged up, answered, be buried, then get dredged up yet again.

Use the search function and do some research. This has been answered and discussed many MANY times.

To agree with you, FLATHEAD, Lucasfilm lawyers DID go after EVERY vendor who made claims regarding items connected with Indy as they geared up for CS, including U.S. Wings. They removed every description on every item they did not have absolute documentation regarding a direction connection with the franchise.

That writeup is recent. With the above paragraph, and this comment, think about it for a moment. Lucasfilm lawyers greenlighted the claim and have allowed that statement to stand, as well as allowing them to keep their "Indy-style" jacket line (they were the official licensee to Lucas for years.)

Now, go do a search, and you'll find the rest of the story.

Regards! Michaelson

[binkmeisterRick]

It's one of those grey areas, but if you recall, just before CS was released, the Lucasfilm lawyers came down on all the vendors in regards to such products and descriptions. Even Wested had to remove some of the descriptions on their website. Only jackets that could prove provenance and/or intellectual property rights to were exempt.

US Wings removed all references to Indy on their CS jackets, BUT were left alone on the rest of the Indy line, as they DID have provenance as being an official vendor to Lucasfilm in the past. Also, the lawyers did not touch this Raiders jacket claim, so by the above logic, Wings has SOMETHING in hard core proof to make the LucasFilm lawyers back off. What that is remains a mystery, but they must have something in writing which caused the lawyers to back off and leave it be.

EDIT: I see Michaelson beat me to the punch on this one. But yes, this is in the archives here.

[FLATHEAD]

as well as allowing them to keep their "Indy-style" jacket line (they were the official licensee to Lucas for years.)

My only gripe is the "US Wings designed" part of this claim every time we see it.

I can understand the "supplied" part as per the Lucasfilm/Disney/Cooper connection, but
its the "designed" part that gets me.

US Wings removed all references to Indy on their CS jackets, BUT were left alone on the rest of the Indy line, as they DID have provenance as being an official vendor to Lucasfilm in the past. Also, the lawyers did not touch this Raiders jacket claim, so by the above logic, Wings has SOMETHING in hard core proof to make the LucasFilm lawyers back off. What that is remains a mystery, but they must have something in writing which caused the lawyers to back off and leave it be.

If this is indeed true, then why wouldn't Wings put the "Indiana Jones" name back on their jackets
and on their website?

Wouldn't it bring in more money for them if they could indeed put that on their jackets, instead of
just calling it an "Indy style" jacket?

Why would someone, who claims the have the right to call a spade a spade, call it something different
and hurt their bottom line?

I know if I created, and designed something that was world famous, and would make me all kinds
of cash, and I had the rights to advertise it as such, I would be all over it like white on rice.

Just curious if they do indeed have hard core proof of something why hold back?

Flathead

[Michaelson]

You got me! You'll have to ask David Hack that question.

Apparently there's enough evidence there to cow the lawyers, but not enough there to be able to make a 100% claim and include it in their mainsite jacket descriptions, but I'm just guessing here and honestly have no idea what hole card the good Sgt has.

Whatever the case, they apparently have enough goods and weight to make the claim, and they're selling thousands of jackets on what little they're doing, so it's never affected their bottom line what so ever. They almost have more base jacket business than they can handle as it is!

Regards! Michaelson

[FLATHEAD]

I suppose.

It just seems odd to put the claim out in a paper advertisement
that is seen by maybe a few thousand people, versus putting it
on the website that can be seen by millions of people.

I guess from a making money stand point, it does not make sense
to me to limit yourself and your possible sales, when thats what
you go into business for. To make as much money as you can,
and then retire to a nice island somewhere, where all you need
to worry about is what type of bait you will be putting on your
hook today...

Flathead

[T.E. Lawrence]

I do not mean to dig up old bones but in the small print part of the article to the right the state clearly and boldly that they designed and supplied the original for ROTLA. Is this true or not....BTW I recieved the flyer from USW yesterday.

[Michaelson]

Yep, and it's more than possible that was the case, as they were in the trenches working with Western before Wested was approached. It's also the case the Lucasfilm and co. came through pre-CS and went through absolutely every scrap of proof/information that they had in support of what they advertised regarding the IJ franchise....and that statement was left intact and unscathed. It's been printed in newspaper interviews, as well as televised interviews with Sgt. Hack, so there's something hardcore in terms of proof in their vaults...but as you say, those are VERY 'old bones', and it's all here and all those bones picked clean.

FLATHEAD, you and I are on the same page, but keep in mind, David IS already retired.....but a work-o-holic. He just loves the jacket business, and can't stay away, but he's already in that position of retiring to any place on earth and live comfortably for the rest of his life. It just isn't in his gene makeup to do so.

Regards! Michaelson

[FLATHEAD]

David IS already retired.....but a work-o-holic. He just loves the jacket business, and can't stay away

Yikes!!

If I could retire today, I would!

God bless him for wanting to work on something that he gets enjoyment out of, and doing
so until he physically can't anymore.

But then again, thats why I want to retire. So I can enjoy all the other things in life besides
deadlines, keeping other people happy and keeping a business afloat before I am dead, or
can't actaully enjoy them anymore.

Flathead

[Michaelson]

Old friend, I couldn't have said that better myself.

HIGH regards !Michaelson

[T.E. Lawrence]

Well Michaelson - I certainly trust and respect your knowledge base - so in case any bones went missing I guess my lack of research have brought them back to the museum.

[Michaelson]

Hey, we can always make soup!

HIGH regards !Michaelson

[T.E. Lawrence]

Someone Please pass the salt.

[Michaelson]

You got it!

Regards! Michaelson

[T.E. Lawrence]

No wait.....that's a preservative We want this thing DEAD -- Mustard?

[Michaelson]

I've heard a stake through the heart or a silver bullet works well....but that's another topic for yet another time.....

Regards! Michaelson

[Tibor]

It makes sense that they could make the claim, but not use the full "Indiana Jones" name in advertising. That would be a very reasonable middle-ground for two legal teams to reach as they found a compromise.

[T.E. Lawrence]

Ugggggh It lives..... Actually they are using the full name in their ads

[Tibor]

didn't mean to release the zombie lawyers...

[bigrex]

don't you believe it, or at least the part about it looking the same, but we know you don't believe it, ok, I'll give them provenance for some of the non-raiders films, and that's what they should put in their advertising, but of course it would not have the same "ring" to it.