Rubik's Legal action?

[James Ludlow]

The low quantity of 3x3x3 cubes available on our website today is due to a legal action initiated by Seven Towns Ltd., owner of the Rubik trademark. The company is trying to force specialized cubes resellers worldwide to stop the sales of any cube brand and type, included 2x2x2, 4x4x4, 5x5x5 and most probably other types. This obviously includes any speed cube.If Seven Towns Ltd wins this battle, the whole speed cubing world will be thrown out of existence and there will be only Rubik brand cubes on the market. ICubiK and all the other cubeshops are fighting this battle to let the cube enthusiast enjoy their favorite hobby now and in the future. we will do our best to have the largest possible selection of items offered on sale, within the terms of this legal battle.

iCubiK.com staff

i received an email from icubik today, which in. a nutshell says that SevenTowns is trying to block the sale of any cube other than Rubik's.


Does anybody have any further info on this?



Also can we try to avoid the innevitable Verdes references please? No flaming, just useful info please?

James

 

[SweetSolver]

Oh no, this is extremely bad.

I did hear about this somewhere. When they say all cubing shops I'm guessing they just mean the major shops.

 

[tx789]

Rubik can't take it that we buy speed cubes

 

[Sillas]

It's sad. Rubik's brand can't monopolize the production of puzzles. Even being the inventor of 3x3, and have patents, must receive only their part of royalties and nothing more.
They are moving this action because can't competing with the quality of another brands.

 

[hcfong]

Yes, you will still be able to use your speedcubes at comps. WCA operates independently from Seventowns, and Seventowns doesn't have any say in what cubes can be used in competitions. The only thing they can do is to stop sponsoring competitions, which will mainly affect UK competitions.

 

[tx789]

If this happens would i be able to use my speed cubes in comp? If not what a waste of money

it might affect worlds since they sponser it.

 

[ottozing]

guys dont worry its not like seventowns is going to win this.

 

[cubecraze1]

guys dont worry its not like seventowns isnt going to win this.

I don't understand your saying that i shouldn't worry because seventowns will win this???
If they win this then that is something to worry about

 

[pi.cubed]

I don't get the point of this. What good is it going to do for Seventowns?
They are not losing any money from us buying Dayan cubes, for example, becuase speedcubers are pretty much the only people who buy them. If Dayan (and other speedcube brands) didn't exist then we wouldn't revert back to Rubik's, many people would just stop speedcubing.
All it is going to do is damage Seventowns' reputation. They will also lose a lot of advertising as speedcubers provide a lot of marketing for them.
One thing I found really annoying was in an article a couple of years (I think) back when Rubik's used the WRs to promote themselves, without saying anything about how they were on other brand cubes and that the records wouldn't be anywhere near as fast on a Rubik's brand.
Surely Rubik's wouldn't destroy the hobby (and livelihood in a way for some) of many people for pretty much no advantage to themselves?
:confused:

edit: Why are there only 9 replies to this massive issue?

 

[pdilla]

^ +1

Barring the sales of speedcubes won't make us buy your crappy Rubik's brand, Seventowns.

 

[SweetSolver]

I don't get the point of this. What good is it going to do for Seventowns?
They are not losing any money from us buying Dayan cubes, for example, becuase speedcubers are pretty much the only people who buy them. If Dayan (and other speedcube brands) didn't exist then we wouldn't revert back to Rubik's, many people would just stop speedcubing.
All it is going to do is damage Seventowns' reputation. They will also lose a lot of advertising as speedcubers provide a lot of marketing for them.
One thing I found really annoying was in an article a couple of years (I think) back when Rubik's used the WRs to promote themselves, without saying anything about how they were on other brand cubes and that the records wouldn't be anywhere near as fast on a Rubik's brand.
Surely Rubik's wouldn't destroy the hobby (and livelihood in a way for some) of many people for pretty much no advantage to themselves?
:confused:

edit: Why are there only 9 replies to this massive issue?

You have a very good point. I was just thinking about some of those things aswell. Anyway, the reason there is hardly any replies is because it was only started an hour ago any many people haven't been online since then (obviously.) In 48 hours I think pretty much all of the active members on this forum will be aware this stupid thing that SevenTowns is doing.

 

[aronpm]

edit: Why are there only 9 replies to this massive issue?

95% of posts in this thread are just going to be "baww I want my guhong"

if people don't have anything to contribute to the discussion (ie. information) there is no point posting

 

[Chrisalead]

I don't understand why Seventown and Dayan (and other good speedcube manufacturers) cannot get to a commercial deal ?!?
Ok, They invented the cube (well, Mr Rubik did), they want money from people who sell good speedcubes (ok again... money rules the world...), can't they simply take a percentage on their sales ?

 

[Godmil]

can't they simply take a percentage on their sales ?

That may be a possibility, but in many ways Seventowns doesn't have the right to demand a percentage. The mechanical design patent has long since expired (not that Dayan or V-cubes use it anyway). This whole image trademark thing is messy, Seventowns may not have a leg to stand on, but they certainly have the legal muscle to cause problems.

Can you imagine what it will be like if we can no longer buy speedcubes? We'll need to take good care of our current dayans, or we'll need some people with 3d printers to be making us spare parts.... agh, anyway that may not happen. Hopefully this will all blow over.

 

[Kirjava]

i received an email from icubik today, which in. a nutshell says that SevenTowns is trying to block the sale of any cube other than Rubik's.

This has been happening in various forms for a while now, and it has never really had an effect on the market.

China doesn't care, lightake et al will still send you cubes.

Also can we try to avoid the innevitable Verdes references please? No flaming, just useful info please?

Verdes will become relevant at some point. Could someone explain to me why VCubes can produce and sell a 3x3x3 legally when the trademark is for the cube's image and not the mech?

Rubik can't take it that we buy speed cubes

Rubik really doesn't care. We're not their target market and they've tolerated it for a long long time. They have videos on their official channel of people using non-branded cubes. They let people use non-branded cubes at official competitions that they sponsor. The KOs may even be helping boost their sales via advertising.

They are moving this action because can't competing with the quality of another brands.

Please don't make up claims that you do not know are true. Rubik's are likely just protecting their trademark, as is legally required of them.

The only thing they can do is to stop sponsoring competitions, which will mainly affect UK competitions.

This isn't the only thing they can do, and this will not be something they do.

edit: Why are there only 9 replies to this massive issue?

It's not a massive issue - this entire thread is fearmongering.

tl;dr

Seventowns contacted icubik and scared them a little and because this thread had been make everyone is going to panic about nothing.

 

[HelpCube]

Quick, everybody buy as many Zhanchis as you can!

Seriously though? I don't think anything will come out of this. If they actually end up going to court, there's no way Seven Towns will win.

 

[Ninja Storm]

Patents only last 20 years, right?

...Then what's the problem here?

 

[James Ludlow]

^ +1

Barring the sales of speedcubes won't make us buy your crappy Rubik's brand, Seventowns.

This is the type of reply that I asked to not have.

On subject - how long do patents last?

James

95% of posts in this thread are just going to be "baww I want my guhong"

if people don't have anything to contribute to the discussion (ie. information) there is no point posting

Given that potentially this is massive, let's keep on subject, and keep it constructive please.

James

 

[pi.cubed]

It's not a massive issue - this entire thread is fearmongering.
tl;dr
Seventowns contacted icubik and scared them a little and because this thread had been make everyone is going to panic about nothing.

I see.
So do you think that Rubik's will not even take it to court if this 'threat' doesn't work?

 

[tx789]

V cu es lasts to 2023 it say. Copyright 2012-2023 on there website so just over 20years