PSE in Trademark dispute with NWHL of use of Beauts

[SabresBaltimore]

I thought this was interesting for those following the whole Woman's pro hockey news.

 

Personally I think the Beauts are a terrible name and if PSE buys/creates a new team for a "WNHL" or whatever in partnership with the NHL, I'd have liked to see them come up with a new name. The logo is fine, since it's a Buffalo like most other logos but it does include the team name as part of it, so it would have to be tweaked at a minimum.

 

I wonder if this will lead to issues with the team using Harbor Center next season to play/practice/workout etc.

 

https://www.theicegarden.com/2019/7/2/20604347/buffalo-beauts-trademark-dispute-developing-nwhl

[...]

In our modern, highly sensitive society, I propose they are renamed "The Buffalo Persons".  

[SabresBaltimore]

I don't think it's a matter of being sensitive. I'd think calling the Sabres "The Buffalo Men" equally terrible.

 

It's also the only team in the league with a name like that. The other names:

• Minnesota Whitecaps
• Metropolitan Riveters
• Connecitcut Whale
• Boston Pride

Personally I'd like to see them resurect the Blizzard or Charge names.

[#freejame]

Beauts has far more to do with hockey lingo than women. 

[darksabre]

Fixing the name is less important than fixing the logo and graphics. Amateur hour stuff. 

A total rebrand would be for the best. 

[...]

4 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Fixing the name is less important than fixing the logo and graphics. Amateur hour stuff. 

A total rebrand would be for the best. 

I suggest non-gender specific silhouettes and earth tones. 

[darksabre]

Just now, ... said:

I suggest non-gender specific silhouettes and earth tones. 

You're not funny.

[SabresBaltimore]

8 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Fixing the name is less important than fixing the logo and graphics. Amateur hour stuff. 

A total rebrand would be for the best. 

 

Yeah. This is why I don't get why PSE is fighting with the NWHL about it. Just let them have it back.

 

The only thing I can think of is they are worried their past association with the brand will lead to confusion by consumers or something. Like if the NWHL has as terrible of a season as I'm expecting with most of the top players sitting out, they don't want people to think they fielded yet another terrible team.

 

People already are pissed off at the ***** teams they've been fielding for the teams they DO own to also get dragged down for one they don't.

[...]

4 minutes ago, darksabre said:

You're not funny.

At least you didn't say "your not funny."  That'd be upsetting.

Edited July 2, 2019 by ...
the not funny guy.

[shrader]

45 minutes ago, ... said:

In our modern, highly sensitive society, I propose they are renamed "The Buffalo Persons".  

Does that imply that they're fat?

[erickompositör72]

The first thing I thought of when I heard the name was that it should be changed.

Of course, it's harder to understand if you don't live your life with superficial expectations of beauty placed on your sex, even if that is not the attribute you take the most pride in.

But it's your right to not care!

[Taro T]

24 minutes ago, SabresBaltimore said:

 

Yeah. This is why I don't get why PSE is fighting with the NWHL about it. Just let them have it back.

 

The only thing I can think of is they are worried their past association with the brand will lead to confusion by consumers or something. Like if the NWHL has as terrible of a season as I'm expecting with most of the top players sitting out, they don't want people to think they fielded yet another terrible team.

 

People already are pissed off at the ***** teams they've been fielding for the teams they DO own to also get dragged down for one they don't.

Probably because they plan on icing a team in whatever league the renegade members of the PA (which seems to be the majority of them) & the NHL put together and would like to have the distinction that this new NWHL team IS NOT related to their old team nor their next team in any way.

Basically they want to use their trademark in the manner trademarks are supposed to be used - to minimize consumer confusion about the source of a product.  The team that might play this year isn't the Beauts; they shouldn't bill themselves as the Beauts.

(Though not sure how they'd be entitled to get them to destroy merchandise that was already created and procured under the existing license unless they were to buy it back or there was an expiration date on that license.)

Edited July 2, 2019 by Taro T

[Doohicksie]

19 hours ago, darksabre said:

Fixing the name is less important than fixing the logo and graphics. Amateur hour stuff. 

A total rebrand would be for the best. 

See, and I was seriously considering buying one of their jerseys cuz I thought they looked cool (before the league imploded on itself).

[LGR4GM]

The Beauts name is dumb and has been. You wouldn't call a men's team the Houston Handsomes. Blizzard, Blast, whatever other B word you want to use. 

[Pimlach]

Well, a female Bison is a Cow  but I doubt they will like that, and the Buffalo Beautiful Cows are definitely out. 

What a world.  

In other news I saw protesting at Niagara on The Lake yesterday.  People carrying signs protesting the horse and buggy rides around town.  This is cruelty to horses as they were not put on this earth to be rode by men.  

[josie]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

See, and I was seriously considering buying one of their jerseys cuz I thought they looked cool (before the league imploded on itself).

I have a Szabados jersey- and I legit love the design- the blue is great. Still not a huge fan of the logo and crown and such, but it could be worse. I'll wear it proudly because Szabados is effing awesome and the games were always a lot of fun. But when I buy shirts, I usually buy NWHL ones over Beauts- that stuffed animal lookin' logo grinds my gears haha 

 

Never liked "Beauts". Learned to deal with it. Could've gone with something more interesting/badass in my opinion- beauts is a little close to cellys apples and such in hockey lingo (ferdaaa wheel snipe celly) but honestly, my stupid brain always thought of buttes and I'd think of western rock formations rather than good hockey players. It just always felt "meh" compared to other team names cited above. Like, what kinda imagery comes to mind? They didn't even own up the badass pinup girl image like a roller derby team could've. Meh meh meh.

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Well, a female Bison is a Cow  but I doubt they will like that, and the Buffalo Beautiful Cows are definitely out. 

What a world.  

In other news I saw protesting at Niagara on The Lake yesterday.  People carrying signs protesting the horse and buggy rides around town.  This is cruelty to horses as they were not put on this earth to be rode by men.  

It's probably more to do with inhumane treatment of overheating/overworking the horses/improperly shoeing them on concrete than a super PETA stance (which go too far and give other animal lovers a pretty bad name). Some carriage companies are great about it, others neglect and outright abuse the animals. I don't know anything about the ones in this area- we never had a public carriage horse arrive at our rescue- just lots of racehorses and Amish carriage horses. 

[#freejame]

Da Beauty League is played in by men. Again, because this needs hammering home, beauts is more associated with hockey lingo than women. 

[LTS]

1 minute ago, #freejame said:

Da Beauty League is played in by men. Again, because this needs hammering home, beauts is more associated with hockey lingo than women. 

I think what beauts is associated with most is going to vary from person to person and also relative to the context in which its used.

For me, when used in the context of a women's hockey league team, I did not think hockey first.  I thought it of it first as a reference to beauty/appearance.

If it were to be used, as in the Da Beauty League, I would think it of it as being more descriptive of the play.

If there were a men's team with the same name, I would think of it more in terms of how they play the game.

How people associate words is not something we can dictate.  It's purely subjective and highly variable.  

[josie]

5 minutes ago, LTS said:

I think what beauts is associated with most is going to vary from person to person and also relative to the context in which its used.

For me, when used in the context of a women's hockey league team, I did not think hockey first.  I thought it of it first as a reference to beauty/appearance.

If it were to be used, as in the Da Beauty League, I would think it of it as being more descriptive of the play.

If there were a men's team with the same name, I would think of it more in terms of how they play the game.

How people associate words is not something we can dictate.  It's purely subjective and highly variable.  

Yup. You can't wrestle the association back once the public's made it, no matter how different the initial intention. I thought it was very much a 50/50 hockey lingo/gender specific play on words. And I personally don't like it for neither of those reasons, but because I just think there were cooler (heh, blizzard?) options to choose from.

[LTS]

1 minute ago, josie said:

Yup. You can't wrestle the association back once the public's made it, no matter how different the initial intention. I thought it was very much a 50/50 hockey lingo/gender specific play on words. And I personally don't like it for neither of those reasons, but because I just think there were cooler (heh, blizzard?) options to choose from.

I never considered it as a hockey term.  I only considered it as a term associated with women and used because they were a women's hockey team.  I disliked the name from the moment it was put out there.

[Taro T]

17 minutes ago, josie said:

Yup. You can't wrestle the association back once the public's made it, no matter how different the initial intention. I thought it was very much a 50/50 hockey lingo/gender specific play on words. And I personally don't like it for neither of those reasons, but because I just think there were cooler (heh, blizzard?) options to choose from.

People keep suggesting the use of the term "Blizzard" for the team name.  That was used by the indoor soccer team and still has at least 1 active trademark.  Really doubt that was / is an option.  (Especially before Pegulabucks became available.)

[josie]

4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

People keep suggesting the use of the term "Blizzard" for the team name.  That was used by the indoor soccer team and still has at least 1 active trademark.  Really doubt that was / is an option.  (Especially before Pegulabucks became available.)

Eh, that's fine, I'm just of the opinion there are a lot of other options out there that would've been better than what they ended up with. 

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, josie said:

Eh, that's fine, I'm just of the opinion there are a lot of other options out there that would've been better than what they ended up with. 

Fair enough. 

And wasn't singling you out there; yours was just the most recent post hinting that the team should've called itself the Blizzard.  Really don't believe that one at least was an option.

[...]

36 minutes ago, LTS said:

How people associate words is not something we can dictate.  It's purely subjective and highly variable.  

Yet, here we are.

[josie]

13 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Fair enough. 

And wasn't singling you out there; yours was just the most recent post hinting that the team should've called itself the Blizzard.  Really don't believe that one at least was an option.

No worries!

 

The name never had to be controversial. But they chose something that could be. Which just further underlines an issue I have across the pegula creative/design nation- they don't really seem to focus group or think things through too well.

Though I see more people upset that people are offended than actual offended people in the first place. The sensitive folks y'all like to poke fun at were still happy to cheer for the team, buy merch, and support its players, potentially problematic name and league issues aside.