BMW sues Freestyle Music Park for Mini trademark infringement

"The suit claims the owners of Freestyle are using the Mini trademarks on their motorcar roller coaster and have ignored a cease and desist letter dated Nov. 3, 2009."

Uh, the park's closed for the season, so how is it currently infringing? Those trains are probably sitting in a maintenance shop.

And considering it would have been licensed originally when it was HRP, wouldn't those licenses have carried over to Freestyle, as said in the article?

This poor park just can't seem to catch a break!

Why do they care about keeping the mini logo when they already lost every decent license they had? Not to mention they changed the 'ok' name of Maximum RPM! to a name worse than Flight Deck and Backlot Stunt Coaster combined- Round About?

Yet while they do not care that they are in debt and that everything in the park has silly names and no real licenses they want to hang on to the Mini license? It's fairly odd.

"Poor park" my ass. They're not victims, they just suck at running a business.

Damn, give me some time and I could probably find something to sue them for...

^^By the way, Round About is the name of a song by the band Yes, so it can be argued that it works with the theme at least. Granted, I never heard the song played on, during, or anywhere near the ride, but I guess it's no surprise considering how loose the theme became when the park changed owners.

I always thought Round About was meant to be a play on words that worked because the ride features 'car' vehicles and is in the UK section of the park and because of the ferris wheel lift.

I think it was intended to work on both levels....just another piece of evidence that the original owners really did have good IP (just at the worst time/place imaginable - in addition to the economy nosediving, Myrtle just isn't what it once was).

As far as the cars, I assume CF is keeping whatever agreement they have? Kinda curious after the licensing, ummm, fiasco, that's resulting in the kids' section upheavals....

P.S. It's a really good song. Not their best, but really good.

Well, it does sound better than "Traffic Circle."

And don't forget, there's also mention of a roundabout in "Penny Lane." "Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout, a pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray..." Any nurses, poppies or trays spotted near the ride?

I must have been out of it the first time I read the headline, because I was reading "BMI" and thought it had something to do with music copyrights, not trademarks on cars.

Vater said:
I guess it's no surprise considering how loose the theme became when the park changed owners.

The same company that themed the park the first time and gave the ride names, did so again the second time. So I think they were able to maintain the theme very well seeing how prominent Round Abouts are in the UK.

Point taken, but I was more implying that, while the park is still visually impressive, it's not nearly as strongly-themed as it was as HRP. No one's fault really, given the little time they had to make the changes. But there's a certain...sterility there that wasn't prevalent (at least according to every account I've heard) the year before.

I always thought "Roundabout" referred to the song by Yes.

Same here! Oh wait, I already said that... :)

Maybe they should retheme the cars to Chevys..... GM could use the free advertisement.

Same here! Oh wait, I already said that...

Ooops. Busted!