Callsign usage on customizable personalized merchandise (Denied by merchant over licensing)

[TexTAC]

Has anyone else ever had a merchant refuse to put your call sign (either the call sign itself or the Phenetic version of the call sign) on a piece of customizable personalized merchandise? I ordered a Zippo lighter with the Phenetic version of my call sign on it (like Alpha Bravo Five Charlie Delta Echo, for example) and they cancelled my order saying, "the design you submitted is licensed, and we do not have the licensing needed to produce this design". I responded that (1) my FCC license is a callsign and not the phonetic version of my call sign and (2) the FCC license is in my name and I approve using it. I am still awaiting a response.

Just curious if this has ever happened to anyone else. I see callsigns on coffee mugs, hats, T-shirts, etc. all the time Just trying to figure out if I am missing something. I read their guidelines and it doesn't specifically mention FCC callsigns - only military logos, insignia, musicians, artists, companies, brands, TV/movie characters, celebrities, sports teams, fraternity/sororities, colleges, and insignia of government agencies, organizations, or flags of certain countries and of course images that appeal to young children and inappropriate/offensive material.

 

[a417]

if they misunderstood the NATO phonetic alphabet as a licensed item , I would appeal casually to the highest person you can at that company and try to explain to them in the most basic terms what you are asking - and then ask them why they think a internationally recognized spelling of words is trademarked. If they see the errors of their ways, you win. If they dig their heels in and tell you that it's trademarked and no way no how - how much effort do want to put into a zippo lighter?

Buy a blank one and bring it to Things Remembered at the Mall and I'm sure they'll do it.

 

[TexTAC]

I’m not too concerned about having the lighter. I didn’t think they would consider NATO phonetics licensed but maybe that is it. Almost impossible to enforce because NATO phonetics are also every day common words and how many Charlies, Juliets, and Romeos are out there who would be excluded from personalizing items?

 

[a417]

I’m not too concerned about having the lighter. I didn’t think they would consider NATO phonetics licensed but maybe that is it. Almost impossible to enforce because NATO phonetics are also every day common words and how many Charlies, Juliets, and Romeos are out there who would be excluded from personalizing items?

You would think that.

Probably some low level mouth breathing underling saw something that "looked" like it should be trademarked, and ended it by clicking deny on the scary transaction. How much effort goes into this beyond that, is up to you.

 

[wtp]

What The Puck
We The People
my real initials.
i missed that F thing by = much
i think even if i got it on an item, people would just see the other initial.
WTP

 

[wwhitby]

Yes. My son tried to get his callsign embroidered on a Mickey Mouse ears hat at Disneyworld years ago. They refused to do so, per company policy.

 

[GlobalNorth]

When in doubt, deny. It is the new American default legal posture.

 

[a417]

When in doubt, deny sue. It is the new American default legal posture norm.

ftfy.

 

[GlobalNorth]

A norm is an authoritative standard. Companies deciding to defer making something for someone because of a lack of a qualified legal opinion does not qualify as a norm.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Almost impossible to enforce because NATO phonetics are also every day common words and how many Charlies, Juliets, and Romeos are out there who would be excluded from personalizing items?

Oh I thought merchants these days were all about "inclusion". In reality it's nothing but a buzz word, what charlatan hacks, don't get me started

 

[ecps92]

When in doubt, deny. It is the new American default legal posture.

if from any of the web/on line vendors, 95% are not even US or North American vendors - China Resellers

 

[a417]

A norm is an authoritative standard. Companies deciding to defer making something for someone because of a lack of a qualified legal opinion does not qualify as a norm.

I can google things, too.

 

[AB5ID]

A norm is

 

[TexTAC]

So here is the timeline of what I think happened…

1972-1987 - Some Australian musician, John Williamson, took a flight to Weipa on a C47 Aircraft with a tail number of UH-PWN. Apparently he had one hell of a time in Weipa.

1991 - The musician writes a song based on that trip and calls it “Papa Whiskey November” from the planes UH-PWN tail number.

2021 - I get licensed by the FCC and the government assigns me a callsign ending in PWN.

2023 - I try to get the Phonetic version of my callsign imprinted on a Zippo lighter, but it gets rejected because the musician already named a song containing “Papa Whiskey November” which he took off an airplane’s registered tail number over 30 years ago.

I don’t have a confirmation that is the issue, but I am pretty sure it is after doing a quick google search.

 

[AK9R]

So, the solution seems simple. Find a vendor who will pay more attention to their customers than they do their lawyers.

 

[TexTAC]

Actually, this turned out ok. They asked me to verify I was the license holder for my call sign and then it was approved. Not a huge deal, but I actually respect they took the time to do that.

 

[k6cpo]

Yes. My son tried to get his callsign embroidered on a Mickey Mouse ears hat at Disneyworld years ago. They refused to do so, per company policy.

We tried to get our dog's name put on a key chain at Disneyland and they refused to do it. We finally told them that "Buddy" was my wife's brother's name... Disney has some really stupid policies.

 

[wtp]

south park problems...

 

[RU55]

When you get it, I would like to see a photo of your Zippo lighter!

 

[TexTAC]

Not much to it, RU55 but I like it and it’s unique to me. Classic Black Matte Zippo with a butane insert.