Club Name Change

Hey guys,

The name's gonna have to change. Received the following PM today:

Hello Virginia Tech Airsoft. Just wanted to let you guys know before you get too far down the road with your club name and nickname, that "VTAC" is a registered trademarked name. As VTAC does have a market in airsoft and definitely an AR15 following, we wanted you to have the opportunity to be sure you are not infringing on our trademark. Your club looks really great and we wish you the best of luck, but do ask that you make the correction on your nick-name. Melynda Lamb, CEO Viking Tactics, Inc.

Sender e-mail address: Lamb@vikingtactics.com

Viking Tactics does in fact use VTAC on their website profusely, Melynda Lamb IS the actual CEO of Viking Tactics, Inc., and the email checks out. Also, VTAC is in fact a registered trademark.

So, yeah, start brainstorming fellas.

Ah well, it was good while it lasted. I will email her back that we will in fact change our name and will take all images that contain that trademark down.

Not really trying to be difficult, as I'm sure there's little we can do, but I thought someone did some research and determined that our club has been around longer than Viking Tactics. Granted, we have no copyright or trademark, but has this no bearing at all?

May not be a bad idea anyway, as we are officially "Airsoft Club at Virginia Tech", so maybe "ACVT" is in order...

Cleaver wrote:Not really trying to be difficult, as I'm sure there's little we can do, but I thought someone did some research and determined that our club has been around longer than Viking Tactics. Granted, we have no copyright or trademark, but has this no bearing at all?

May not be a bad idea anyway, as we are officially "Airsoft Club at Virginia Tech", so maybe "ACVT" is in order...

To my knowledge, regardless of whether or not we've been around longer, they filed for the trademark and received it. You'd be hard-pressed to say in a court of law that our club can be recognized on a national level compared to their products.

On top of that, there's no way in hell any of us could afford the lawyers necessary to even TRY to fight it.

And, finally, it was an incredibly polite email; that alone has me disinclined to fight in and just roll with it.

I was a lawyer once. Then I took an email to the...aw screw it. BRAINSTORM!

Airsoft Club Virginia Tech - ACVT, AC-VT, AC:VT
Virginia Tech Airsoft - VTA or VTAS
Virginia Tech Airsoft Team - VTAT

Gotta get all new patches and banners now... and change our forum name and Facebook. Sadly, as they have it trademarked, they own it, and we would be violating trademark law if we used it. Also, virginia tech would not back us up on this effort. Goodbye cool sounding acronym, hello ACVT.

Forum logo changed. Working on modifying other things. And yes, these are placeholders.

Is there a need for it to be Virginia tech? could it be Gobbler Airsoft Club (GAC) or Hokie Airsoft Club (HAC)? Or maybe we could dig something up from the old school, ya know back when it was an all military school for inspiration.

Edit: VPIAC: Virginia Polytechnic Institute Airsoft Club not quite as cool as VTAC but since it doesn have Virginia Tech in front in might fly with the university. Looking for other ideas still.

Pretty sure "Hokie" is trademarked as well...

It was the "Fighting Gobblers" back in the VPI days...

EDIT: Hokies is trademarked. Fighting Gobblers is not. Just looked it up.

Trademark Info

FGAC? in pronunciation... that will sound like faggot...

Virginia tech airsoft society.

VTAS

^I actually like that...a lot.

I was partial towards VTAS from my own list, but breaking "Airsoft" into AS is a bit awkward sometimes.

I like VTAS. Something with VPI might be kinda neat too, but hard to get it to roll of the tongue like VTAC did. VPAC?

the only thing with VPAS is that we well still have to be AS@VT with the university. I think the Goal here should be to create a new club name that will be accepted by the university as well as not infringe on any copy rights.

And last time I checked the definition of fagot was a bundle of sticks. Now where did I hear something about "Where one stick may break a bundle is strong"...

VTAS is not kosher. The VTAC trademark includes using any three of the letters of the VTAC acronym

I know it seems lame, but I do really like ACVT. It is exactly what we are and how we are recognized by the university...

It's simple, it's short, it's impossible to actually say it quickly and easily. It's okay, but if that's what it ends up being, I'm going to miss being able to say 'Veetack.'

Technically, VPAS Doesn't violate their trademark, but I suppose we'd best check and make sure any acronym we choose doesn't violate someone else's trademark.

It also doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but maybe that's just from familiarity.

The only reason we got in trouble with "VTAC" is because Viking Tactics and ourselves share similar industries.

Also, ACH VUTT!

AS-CAV, AirSoft Club At Virginia tech

MAC-VT, Milsim Airsoft Club at Virginia Tech

MAC-VT sounds nice and cool...and could just be shortened to MAC if needed too.

What Gene didn't tell you is he got the idea from MACV-SOG!

+1 internetz

...but I don't like Apple...

Besides, Apple's been suing companies that infringe on their design style of flat screens with round corners. Don't you dare think they won't come after us because WE TOO facilitate the use of electronics.

...people may get us confused.

For real though...MAC-VT, not bad. Also Milsim Airsoft Group (MAG)...though I bet we run into issue with that one...

EDIT: There's actually, like, a kajillion things for MAG, but nothing for MAG-VT

GAT - Gobbler Airsoft Team
GAS - Gobbler Airsoft Society
GATO - Cat, in Spanish (meow)
GMS - Gobbler Milsim Society
GAG - Gobbler Airsoft...actually, let's not do that one.

ACVT works for me.