Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: jerussel on July 14, 2010, 09:12:06 AM
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Is there any interest out there for a new club plaque?
I am about to commission a new plaque, substituting the word International for the word National.
I've sent an email to the club pres. to see if their is any objection to my commissioning this new plaque.
I'd like to know if any of you are interested in purchasing one at a reasonable cost
($50 or so - I really don't know the final cost yet, but it will be in this neighborhood)
It will be approx. 5X9, made of 1/4" aluminum, raised lettering, black background.
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Interesting, Does that mean we would call the Club KFOCN? Seems that would alienate our Canadian members. What is your motivation for this suggestion?? Jim
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When the original plaques were made, it was the KFOC.
It was known as the Kaiser-Frazer National Owners Club and the word National was part of the plaque.
Now that it's the KFOCI, I replaced the word National with the word International.
If I could figure out how to insert a pic, I'd do so.
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The two variations of the original plaques still show up on eBay for from $10.00 to $20.00. A new variation should be approved by the club and they might want to control the distribution of it. I doubt that you would get an immediate approval.
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Interesting on the price. I was told at the National that IF you could find one, it would be expensive.
I've never seen one for sale so I don't know.
I did send an email to the presidents email address asking about permission.
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I remember seeing for years the items "plaques" on financial reports at the National. I finally asked what the deal was and it turned out the Club still had some (at that time) so I bought one. Your inquiry reminds me that I need to look it. I thought I had it underneath my copy of "Last Onslaught..."
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Generally speaking, as long as the item being produced is not already part of the manufacturing fund inventory, or an item being made to benefit a club division or region, members are free to do as they please. That being said, the plaques that exist today were done many years ago by both the club and a member so there's mixed signals there.
The plaque in question does specifically name the club, as opposed to just a car (1954 Kaiser Manhattan, for example) so I think the club should own the right to sell the plaques and should do so thru the manufacturing fund. This is my, and only my, opinion...that of the other officers may differ.
The last plaque I saw on ebay was some time ago and it brought at or over $50. I found one at a garage sale, of all places, about 5 years ago and I paid $25 for it.
I'm not sure there's a big market for the plaques, but I could be surprised!
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Does anyone happen to have a good picture of one of the plaques?
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I have one that I picked up at the annual auction that is part of the National meets some years ago. I will sell it to the first person responding to this post for $35 PLUS postage.
email me at: thatben at hughes.net with the at replaced by @
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The club name and logos belong to the club and can not be reproduced by anyone but the club and anything new using the club name would have to be approved by the club board of directors. That would take a little time. A new plaque could be a popular item at around $25.00 but much over that and I think there would be a very limited market. Attractive license plate frames and license plates with the different car models are now available thru our chapters. I think that the old plaques are attractive and I have one of each but they belong with the many other souvenirs made by the club and its chapters over the years.
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I have one that I bought from a club member at least 10 years ago for maybe $15. I do not know whether it's the first plaque or the second. I didn't know there were two. Can someone tell me the difference or send pics of each? Like all things club, I will collect them if possible.
P.S. I still need some quarterlies from the 1960's if anyone wants to part with some.
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There is a picture of one of these plaques on the home page of kfclub.com, top right corner. It runs thru a few pics first, just wait for it.
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Here are pictures of the one I have
(http://www.chameleoncrazy.com/junk/clubplaque1.jpg)
(http://www.chameleoncrazy.com/junk/clubplaque2.jpg)
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I believe that this is the first version of the plaque and the second version does not have the KF in the center circle but has a keystone shaped emblem in the center instead.
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Some info on the club plaque...
1. The original version (as I recall) has the keystone state (PA) emblem on it. Up until 1973 it was not known if using the round KF logo would be possible owing to trade marks and copy rights. According to information released to the stockholders of Kaiser Motors Corporation (which got another name change in 1955 to Kaiser Industries Corporation), certain intangable items--such as Kaiser-Frazer trademarks, etc--were NOT turned over to Willys Motors, Incorporated. The club began using the original logos from Kaiser-Frazer and nothing happened so the precedent was established.
2. Unless the club filed the appropriate paperwork with the government's copyright office, the club does NOT own the design of the emblem, and does not own the logos, etc used on it. However, if someone would produce the items on their own, it would be within the club's rights to publically disavow the project and officially state they do not endorse, support or have any other involvement in the item, including receiving of any sale proceeds or profits.
3. Given Item #2, it should also be noted that "gentlemen's agreements" are not unusual in the hobby where as a courtesy to an established car club, nobody or company wilfully uses their logos and marks without written permission, be the material be officially copyrighted and registered as trade or service marks or not.
Note that I am not an attorney but have had some exposure to this kind of thing in the past.