Arsenal have applied to trademark the word 'Gooner'

bit of a rum do - as if the club don't screw enough money out of the fans already without copyrighting everything... surely it is the fans' intellectual property

today "gooner"... tomorrow annex Poland?

Our club is being taken away from us more and more each season, it is a slow and painful death!!!

The point is Norman, that the name of the club and the crest are things that the club can rightly protect as their own intellectual property.

The word 'gooner' is not owned by the club, it came from the fans and it's being hijacked by the club for their own commercial gain.

Interesting though... where doe this leave Gooner mag and Online Gooner?

Firstly I must say it is one of the most pathetic ideas Arsenal have ever come up with.

Secondly I am in shock that none of you have answered the big Q, Gooner was what the Arsenal hooligans were called in the 80"s purely a spoof from the word Gunner. Every firm from every team had a nickname and that was ours.

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Thought it was created by a Spud?

Oh well........money grabbing gits!

Very opportune, particularly as the origin is from northern pronunciation, as in 'fookin' gooners'

I always wanted an Official club pair of 'Gooner' emblazoned Galoshes...

We'll have th stadium paid off in no time at this rate...

Agreed - taking and copyrighting a word and phrase originated by fans is a teensy bit rich. If I were the Gooner Fanzine, i would make sure their name is protected doubletime... »»Arsene Knows««

Who's in charge at Highbury House? Hitler?

Sure, they could be seen to be money grabbers but I feel that they are tapping into AFC enormous marketing potential (Silent Stan anyone?). Its not just fans in the UK that want to have the name/crest on some item of clothing, sticker or den accessory. AFC is a business and its sole responsibility is to increase shareholder value. Thats all they are paving the way for (increased revenues from a worldwide fanbase). More power to 'em....

Just get over yourselves. You hark on about money situations at the club and then pull it apart for wanting to get the best out of it. A TM on a name is to protect it, not to extort it. How many people make money using the Arsenal name on merchandise, with the clubs knowledge? Plenty! Does the club work to shut these people down? No. And they wont do the same with the word Gooner. Its all about branding and if we as "Gooners" have branded ourselves as such then you should feel happy that the club are looking to protect that. It wont cost us a penny! And if the club decide to print official merchandise with the word Gooner on it then dont buy it and it wont cost you a penny, so stop bitching.

Despite what was said on this site I bought the white away kit. Not because of anything said here and there but simply because I love this football club with all my heart and if my little investment takes this club forward then I am proud of my contribution.

Stormin' Norman!

Norman, you are 100% spot on.

JP, you don't get it do you? Read Norman's post a few more times. It will sink in eventually...

I read and understood fine, MoW.

It's not about choosing not to buy but Arsenal trying to control more than is within their rights. How long before they decide to try and make life difficult for websites like this or any of the others because they're talking about Arsenal FC® or Gooners® or anything else?

Slippery slope. That's all. If people blindly go along with what the club want then your choice dwindles and it becomes a monopoly of mediocre shite.

Norman's right, get over yourselves. A TM on the name isnt gonna stop us being gooners or stop my spurs scum supporting mate calling me fookin gooner scum everytime football is mentioned.

I'm not sure about the white shirt though Norman? You bought it because you wanted to invest in the club? Money to burn springs to mind

Norman, what a prize cunt you are. I won't be able to print Gooner on my t-shirt, or write it up on my flag, because the Club wants me to pay for the priviledge? And you think that's good? No wonder you bought the white kit ...

There is obviously perceived value in the name, surely better that the club register rights than some dubious marketing organisation, potential takeover outfit or even an ex-director! If there is money to be made keep it close to home.

the club tried to trademark the name Arsenal and lost to the European Court Of Human Rights... that's why there are still T-Shirt stalls allowed outside the ground...

why don't the club try & do something about the ticket touts and the outrageous ticket prices instead?

Boz, who is the cunt?

Who calls a fellow GOONER a cunt, even though his point is valid?

And his only repsonse is:

"I won’t be able to print Gooner on my t-shirt, or write it up on my flag, because the Club wants me to pay for the priviledge?"

Total speculation.

An example of ignorant scaremongering. And why does everyone thesedays have to be a victim? Why can't people be satisfied until they they've proven to the world that they are the victim of something big. Pretty sad really.

You can object to the application of the trade mark by writing to the IP Officer, Trade Mark Dept, Concept House, Cardiff Rd., Newport, NP10 8QQ

Actually Boz....

You WILL be able to print Gooner on your T-shirt.

You only commit an offence if you're using the Trade Mark "in the course of a trade or business".

So basically, as long as you're not SELLING the t-shirt you'll be fine!

The Gooner magazine will be fine as the Trade Mark is only registered in classes 24 and 25 which don't cover magazines etc.

"why don’t the club try & do something about the ticket touts"

Well said. The most intelligent point made thus far.

Boz, I'm sure there's nothing to stop you writing it, though selling it, on inferior products, would be a different matter

I think fans should write in opposition to this move. It's always been an unofficial term created by the fans and now the business side of the club is trying to absorb one of the few non-commercial aspects of Arsenal fandom left.

I agree with JP, when you apply a TM to a word that doesnt originate from the club, then you are stepping into very dangerous territory. I know quite a bit about copyright law, simply because my job entails me to, one thing for certain, the Intellectual Property of the word "Gooner", doesnt belong to AFC as it didnt orginate from the club. If AFC say that it does, then it can argue that whatever the fans say on the terrace, the songs, or affiliated with the club, are their IP also.

Copyrighting a word as a brand is virtually impossible to do, unless there is a tangible material product to support it, ie Nokia. Also it is very difficult to prove, especially if other people or businesses have used the word in conversation or as a form of commercial gain, namely the fanzine "Gooner", which used the term prior to AFZC. The fanzine can argue to copyright or brand it, and should in theory, supercede AFC in acquiring the TM, as it has legal precedence, as it has proven structure that it has used the term before AFC has commercially.

Fans can object to any trademark give to AFC and can have such TM's revoked. I would strongly encourage this, based on principle and for commercial reasons. Its up to you, its your club, without the fans the club wouldnt exist.

So what? Am I supposed to ask for permission everytime I leave a post on this site?
O.K. thats going a bit too far, although i think they are trying to make money from the name and making it hard for the rest of us to do so. A club that bans banners from stands can do anything.

i bet all of you johnny come lately fans don't know how we got the 'gooner' tag?
the real history of the gooner name?

61&never again - stfu - Ive supported arsenal for 30 years and have no idea how the term came up.

this whole argument is dumb dumb dumb. as far as I'm concerned, the club are welcome to tm the term "for commercial use" the only people it will styop are dodgy shirt sellers etc and I have no problem with that

You really think that - even if the tm wasnt limited to commercial use - the club will sue any and everyone who writes it on their shirt? Jeez people, get a grip. This will ONLY stop anyone other than arsenal doing mass production non official merchandise. Fine by me.

Are Spurs gonna trademark the word 'Yids'? Don't think so!

this whole argument is dumb dumb dumb. as far as I’m concerned, the club are welcome to tm the term “for commercial use” the only people it will styop are dodgy shirt sellers etc and I have no problem with that

Why should the club be welcome to something that is essentially of the fans?

What if an Arsenal fan wanted to set up a merchandise business using the term 'Gooner'. Why should he be prevented from doing that? It is not the club's intellectual property and to exploit the fan base like that is wrong in my opinion.

There are Arsenal related businesses out there that use the term 'Gooner' for clothes and other things. They're not necessarily 'dodgy'. Get your head straight.

On a different angle let me just state what a loss Puerta is to la liga ....what an Arsenal player he would have been ...RIP Puerta!

JP knows the score. Loads of companies sell "Gooner" products .. Gooner Girl clotheswear being one that springs to mind. Why should the club get a cut of this?

61&never again = cock
Norman = cock

There really are a bunch of Arsenal fans, who really are fuckwits, and I wouldnt piss on, even if they were on fire

These are the morons, who at the first sniff would slate Arsene or the team when not doing well or performing to their standards, then say the are true diehard supporters when we win.

Fuck off you cunts