two groups with the same name

[SAEalumnus]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

It shouldn't be more difficult. Many of our organizations have international chapters. I don't know if SAE does.

We do have one international chapter at the University of Western Ontario, but the copyright issue is a question of our national officers deciding to enforce them as only they or the Fraternity Convention have the authority to act as the owner of the rights.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

We do have one international chapter at the University of Western Ontario, but the copyright issue is a question of our national officers deciding to enforce them as only they or the Fraternity Convention have the authority to act as the owner of the rights.

I was looking at Youtube and saw that this SAE issue has been going on for yeeeeeeears.

Your NHQ may be doing a cost-benefit analysis and finding that it is not worth all of the trouble. Maybe they believe that people with an ounce of investigative ability can figure out that the Philipine SAE isn't associated with the real SAE. Even if they are using all of the symbols.

This is tough. Pardon me if this is none of our business but has your NHQ not issued a formal statement about this? Ever?

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

I was looking at Youtube and saw that this SAE issue has been going on for yeeeeeeears.

Your NHQ may be doing a cost-benefit analysis and finding that it is not worth all of the trouble. Maybe they believe that people with an ounce of investigative ability can figure out that the Philipine SAE isn't associated with the real SAE. Even if they are using all of the symbols.

This is tough. Pardon me if this is none of our business but has your NHQ not issued a formal statement about this? Ever?

Yeah, honestly, I can see where the cost/benefit math would come in to play.

As soon as I saw what was obviously their home-made flag, I could tell they were "playing" SAE. And frankly, they seem like pretty decent, clean-cut kids, if they were a bunch of hooligans doing questionable things, I could see your HQ being a lot more concerned. Their choice of SAE to "claim" could be seen as being somewhat flattering; they even give themselves chapter names.

Anyone familiar with the greek system will know they're not "real" SAEs. And I think anyone who otherwise wouldn't have a clue wouldn't get a bad image of SAE from what's up there (in fact, they might be impressed that SAE's reach is so big), so until or unless they cross the tasteful line, maybe they're thinking, what's the harm?

[SAEalumnus]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

I was looking at Youtube and saw that this SAE issue has been going on for yeeeeeeears.

Your NHQ may be doing a cost-benefit analysis and finding that it is not worth all of the trouble. Maybe they believe that people with an ounce of investigative ability can figure out that the Philipine SAE isn't associated with the real SAE. Even if they are using all of the symbols.

This is tough. Pardon me if this is none of our business but has your NHQ not issued a formal statement about this? Ever?

Ya this has been going on for about four decades now. You're probably right on the money (literally) with your the cost-benefit analysis theory. I'm sure it'd cost a fair bit of change to pursue a copyright infringement case across international borders. Our national laws used to contain official position statements with respect to certain specific topics, but those were removed beginning with the 2005 edition of the Fraternity Laws. I don't recall any of those statements pertaining to the Philippine organization, so I'd venture to say NHQ has probably never made any formal, official statement one way or another. I do know they've been commented upon in our quarterly magazine, The Record, and in private conversations between brothers, but that's about it.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

Ya this has been going on for about four decades now. You're probably right on the money (literally) with your the cost-benefit analysis theory. I'm sure it'd cost a fair bit of change to pursue a copyright infringement case across international borders. Our national laws used to contain official position statements with respect to certain specific topics, but those were removed beginning with the 2005 edition of the Fraternity Laws. I don't recall any of those statements pertaining to the Philippine organization, so I'd venture to say NHQ has probably never made any formal, official statement one way or another. I do know they've been commented upon in our quarterly magazine, The Record, and in private conversations between brothers, but that's about it.

There just maybe a cost-benefit analysis going on.
Just found this on the open side of our National site:
Fraternities File for Infringement

SAN DIEGO, CA – More than 30 national and international Greek-letter organizations today filed a joint lawsuit in Southern Florida Federal Court against Greek product manufacturers and marketers Paddle Tramps Mfg. Co, The Brown Bag, joeToga, Taymark, Inc., Tervis Tumbler Company and Rah Rah Company, on charges of trademark infringement and both federal- and common-law unfair competition. The lawsuit was filed as a result of continued, unauthorized use of the Greek organizations’ protected trademarks by the six defendants. Stites & Harbison’s intellectual property group in Louisville, Kentucky, has been retained as legal counsel by the Greek organizations...........
http://www.sae.net/index.asp?r=newsr...=147&art_cat=2