Detroit News: WMU would consider selling 'RTB' to Fleck, Minnesota

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BleedGopher

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per the Detroit News:

P.J. Fleck will have plenty of lakes to park his oars in, as the new football coach at Minnesota.

Problem is, "Row the Boat" stays at Western Michigan. At least, for now.

Western Michigan's Board of Regents owns the trademark and licensing rights to Fleck's uplifting, never-give-up mantra, and has since 2013, his first year on the job.

It's since turned into a sensational marketing tool — not just for Western Michigan and the city of Kalamazoo, but for Fleck. And if Fleck and Minnesota want it, they're going to have to pay.

"I do expect conversations to come up," Beauregard said Friday.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...onsider-selling-rtb-fleck-minnesota/96254918/

Go Gophers!!
 

Keep that for WMU. Sounds like P.J. is just fine with Ski-U-Mah.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 

Personally, I think we should come up with something new. I know there is a genuine origin story with it, but it I think if we use it there is always going to be an element of "Western Michigan did it first." Will it ever really feel like ours?

Unrelated, he's already said it about 50 times in media that I have heard. It must be more of a licensing thing, because I would think he's already broken copyright said number of times.
 

With the sting of losing Fleck, some of his coaches, some of his recruits... I knew that this would come up. I guess he thought that WMU wouldn't mind him using it, but if I was him, I'd come up with something new.
 




You just can't sell mugs and t-shirts. He can give all the speeches he wants.
 


While I understand the meaning RTB has to Fleck, I absolutely hate it as a slogan for MN. It had its place in WMU where they had to build traditions from scratch and create a gameday atmosphere, but we have our own traditions here. I hope Fleck embraces Ski-U-Mah as it seems he has, and leaves RTB behind in Michigan where it means more to those fans than it ever would to the people here.
 



Yawn...bricks, boats, chili...what does it matter. Results...that is what matters.

I don't care if Fleck is khaki wearing, nose picking, cliche spewing dip****...just as long as he wins and keeps us off the pages of the Inquirer.
 


From a legal standpoint, it would be interesting if we didn't buy it. I am sure we will (they have little use for it now and we will probably want to see some shirts with it on there). However, from the law school exam question point of view, I would love to see how a court would enforce the trademark against the person who came up with it (like, how could it not be his intellectual property?). I know way more about patents than I do trademarks, but it would be interesting.

That said, we'll likely just buy it from them.

We could trade them "Better get your daggum chili hot". . . straight up.
 

WMU will never use the slogan. It is Fleck's. However, we legally own the rights and will do what is financially in the best interest of the University moving forward. I expect a settlement do be made by spring.

His touching story of what it is all about can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaAnElqNNrQ
 



I normally don't get into slogans and in any other situation I really wouldn't care. This is interesting, because Row the Boat is PJ Fleck. It is hard for me to say start our new thing because when you hired PJ Fleck you know Row the Boat is apart of him. I am fine with adopting Row the Boat, it is going to be around either way so we might as well welcome it.

I think the other popular slogans such as "Roll Tide" are tied to the University. Coaches come and go, but "Roll Tide" stays. "Row the Boat" is tied to the coach, not the University.
 

Broncofan1 said:
WMU will never use the slogan. It is Fleck's. However, we legally own the rights and will do what is financially in the best interest of the University moving forward. I expect a settlement do be made by spring.

His touching story of what it is all about can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaAnElqNNrQ
Click to expand...

You WMU fans aren't going to be like Tubby fans who came here after we hired him to Tubbysplain everything to us and remind us how lucky we are? Because it was lame.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
You WMU fans aren't going to be like Tubby fans who came here after we hired him to Tubbysplain everything to us and remind us how lucky we are? Because it was lame.
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So do you have to be a rude a$$hat?


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Oregon Gopher said:
So do you have to be a rude a$$hat?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Sure it is one of my most endearing qualities. And no, I am not sad if Bronkobilly takes a hike. After listening to Tubbyfiles spend years on this board tubbysplaining everything to us I can do without the wmu fans for the next two years. Feel free to visit their board whenever you want...
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Sure it is one of my most endearing qualities. And no, I am not sad if Bronkobilly takes a hike. After listening to Tubbyfiles spend years on this board tubbysplaining everything to us I can do without the wmu fans for the next two years. Feel free to visit their board whenever you want...
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Well, if that's the case, I'll assume that every poster with Philly in their name is a total asshole rather than pay attention to what they wrote.

And frankly, you've been a general asshole to everyone recently, like you're looking for a fight in a bar.
 

Broncofan1 said:
WMU will never use the slogan. It is Fleck's. However, we legally own the rights and will do what is financially in the best interest of the University moving forward. I expect a settlement do be made by spring.

His touching story of what it is all about can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaAnElqNNrQ
Click to expand...

From a legal standpoint WMU hasn't protected their copyright. They've been publishing it all over the place without using the required copyright marking. Getting a copyright is part 1 of claiming a slogan; part 2 is to continue to protect that slogan by always adding the copyright marking (the little "C" or "TM") whenever it's used. Protected names (such as "escalator") become public domain names when this rule isn't followed.
 

I would prefer he sticks with SkiUMah. Get the fans chanting that.
 

Unregistered User said:
Well, if that's the case, I'll assume that every poster with Philly in their name is a total asshole rather than pay attention to what they wrote.

And frankly, you've been a general asshole to everyone recently, like you're looking for a fight in a bar.
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That's not fair...the other philly guy is really nice.
 

Broncofan1 said:
OK. Peace out.
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Feel free to stick around. The vast majority of us don't mind hearing your perspective.

Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk.
 

Livingat45north said:
From a legal standpoint WMU hasn't protected their copyright. They've been publishing it all over the place without using the required copyright marking. Getting a copyright is part 1 of claiming a slogan; part 2 is to continue to protect that slogan by always adding the copyright marking (the little "C" or "TM") whenever it's used. Protected names (such as "escalator") become public domain names when this rule isn't followed.
Click to expand...

He was an employee of WMU when he came up with slogan. Sure, it is absolutely more about him than the WMU football team, but employers would be weary to let their employees keep the IP of stuff they incorporate into their work, and really, they don't have to "let him have it". They own it.

If was advising Fleck, I would tell him that HE should buy out WMU rights to RTB and then in his U contract expressly have it stated that Fleck owns RTB and it's derivatives. He'd then have a separate licensing agreement with the U for the mixed use of things like Ski U Mah and goldy gopher on anything they are selling. He could license the free use of RTB to the U to make it simple, but he owns it.

I am on the board of a non-profit, and our CEO has created a ton of very valuable IP for our entity and the industry in which they operate. But if that CEO leaves, the IP stays behind with the org. Even IP that has personal origins, is still IP that your employer owns, when you use that IP within your employment, as Fleck as clearly done. My 2cents anyway.
 

Taji34 said:
I would prefer he sticks with SkiUMah. Get the fans chanting that.
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Does the band/cheerleaders still say "Go Big Gold" after the short songs in the stands? I always thought that was such a weird generic thing to yell when we have a unique three syllable chant.
 

Ski U Master said:
Does the band/cheerleaders still say "Go Big Gold" after the short songs in the stands? I always thought that was such a weird generic thing to yell when we have a unique three syllable chant.
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+1. My high school used "Go Big Blue" in the 70's. It's generic, and we have a unique three syllable chant. He should encourage Ski-U-Mah to be used as much as possible. I'd like to see Ski-U-Mah used as a third down chant.
 

Is it me, or did he end his interview during the basketball telecast last night with "Row Gophers" ?

Is that lame? Or a clever way to get around the copyright and keep the original intent of the mantra while adapting it to his new team?

My wife was on the first rowing team at the U, and she said that was their saying, but whateves.
 

Ski U Master said:
Does the band/cheerleaders still say "Go Big Gold" after the short songs in the stands? I always thought that was such a weird generic thing to yell when we have a unique three syllable chant.
Click to expand...

We do, but I don't know who controls that, and there is some benefit to having variety in the cheers.
 

SadlyOptimistic said:
Is it me, or did he end his interview during the basketball telecast last night with "Row Gophers" ?

Is that lame? Or a clever way to get around the copyright and keep the original intent of the mantra while adapting it to his new team?

My wife was on the first rowing team at the U, and she said that was their saying, but whateves.
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The rowing team should sue P.J. If they copyrighted the saying, that would be elite.
Just funnin', but all of these catch phrases and slogans remind me of my own work. Ski-U-Mah works. I don't think we need to worry that Boise State owns it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 


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