I have a dilemma. I try to run a very ethical business and focus on what we are doing and not what others are doing. I believe strongly in the philosophy of Coopetition. I think there are other amazing stores in our area and I often recommend them to our customers. There are enough customers to go around and no one will ever do exactly what we do. Here is the dilemma - another home decor store in town began carrying a paint line within the last year and now is teaching classes. That is great. I STRONGLY believe in the free market. Competition makes us all better. However, this store is calling their classes Chalk Paint 101. First - This is the name of one of our classes. Second - Chalk Paint® is a trademarked brand name. It is not a type of paint. We are trained extensively at great expense to be able to say that we are Chalk Paint® Stockist and Trainers. The trademarked name of Chalk Paint® was the subject of litigation last year where the distributor of Annie Sloan products prevailed that Chalk Paint® is a brand of paint that was invented by Annie Sloan. All other companies using the name were required to cease using it. I have never discussed any of this here on my page. I just kept my head down and kept doing my thing. I totally understand that when something is a hit, that everyone wants to be on the bandwagon. However, when others with inferior products try to cash in on the marketing and brand of what Annie Sloan has built internationally and what we have built locally, it offends me. But I honestly dont want to be a jerk. I know Annie Sloan. I have spent a lot of time with her. She is a real person and she used her knowledge, experience and money to develop and produce Chalk Paint®. I believe her brand and intellectual property deserve to be protected. I am thinking of contacting the store owner and letting her know that she is violating federal trademark law. (In a nice way. Maybe she doesnt know) And frankly Im hoping someone tells her about this post, so I wont have to. I am so very proud of carrying the Best Paint in the World. I am proud that I was chosen to be a Chalk Paint® Stockist and we try every single day to represent the brand well. Im willing to hear it all - even those that disagree with me. Should I let it go or should I do what my heart tells me - to defend our brand so that an unsuspecting public does not buy an inadequate product with inadequate training. Thanks for listening.
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 16:39:34 +0000
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