I guess I owe Ford Motor Company an apology

Last night I asked 'Has Ford Motor Company lost its mind?' This was in reference to its decision to sue Ferrari over the latter company's decision to name its 2011 Formula 1 race car the 'Model F150'.

A number of commenters to that thread pointed out that Ford had to protect its trademark. If it allowed Ferrari to use the 'F150' name without permission, it would set a legal precedent that would open the door to other companies doing likewise. That still seems very odd to me, given the total disparity between the vehicles in question, but in this litigious society, I guess they have a point.

So, perhaps Ford hasn't lost its mind. I still maintain they could have handled the situation a lot better, though. If they'd agreed to let Ferrari use the 'F150' label, but print in every press release and in every advertisement that this was with Ford's permission, the publicity value would still have been enormous - and their trademark would have been protected. However, my business background (as a senior manager and director, with an MBA equivalent) is in a foreign country, which had very different customs and laws to the USA. My approach may therefore be out of step with the way things are done here.

Peter