Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> From: Isaac Crawford <isaac@visi.net> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Bessa-T - let me get this straight... > They have bought the rights to the name, get over it... No, it is not > the original German company, who cares? The same thing has happened to > numerous companies' names all in the name of capitalism. You're on the money there Isaac. It's something that made me stew for years. I live about a hundred yards from the old, original Seagrams plant, the company was started in town by a local guy. Of course, neither Joe Seagram or his offspring own the company any more, it was sold to the Bronfmans who kept the Seagram name. It's since been sold to a French company. The plant was closed down ages ago, but go to your liquor cabinet and check the Crown Royal label (or else check a magazine advert) -- it *still* says Waterloo, Ontario on the bottle, making it seem like it came from here. Bacardi still says Habana on the label, but of course they hightailed it when the longhairs came down from the eastern mountains. It doesn't seem ethical, but it's been a business reality for a long time, you can get away with that stuff if you own the trademark. And y'know, even though I know it's a fanciful lie, I'd be saddened if Crown Royal lost the "Waterloo, Ontario" tag on their label and threw up "Crown Royal, Passaic, New Jersey" or wherever-it-is they distil the stuff these days.