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Anyone else seen this, surprised it's taken so long for someone to go after them.
They sound so hard done by...
I’d imagine that is effecting a fair sized chunk of their trade
Slightly pathetic of Fox in my opinion. It’s not like Fox are losing trade because of Slik’s products.
Switch out the vowel. Make Fix, Fax or Fux decals.
I guess Fox are looking to get into tarty aftermarket stickers themselves, otherwise why bother.
In which case, it's a moot point.
It does sound a bit pathetic by fox but, if I remember correctly, to be able to enforce your trademark in real cases, you have to be able to demonstrate that you have defended it historically (I. E. Not showing bias) . Fox could have provided a free licence however, but may consider alternative colours etc a dilution of their "brand". Personally I think that they are being as bit douchey.
Does come across a bit "Roubaix" doesn't it.
Does make you wonder why now and to me as long as the graphics are correct then why not as it gets the brand name out there.
This is a PR disaster in the making. Giant corporation takes tiny business to court, to what end? Do you think their lawyers have heard of #roubaixgate or Backcountry?
I own Fox forks with Slik graphics on them, and I now think considerably less of Fox.
I've signed the petition, but I'm also about to email Fox and Silverfish to say how dumb this is.
I guess Fox are looking to get into tarty aftermarket stickers themselves, otherwise why bother.
They already do.
IP theft is IP theft. If slik didn’t consider this might happen, more fool them.
sadly most people commenting on here (see also: BrewDog threads) don’t get this fundamental point 😂if I remember correctly, to be able to enforce your trademark in real cases, you have to be able to demonstrate that you have defended it historically
At the end of the day, this company have made (part of) their business copying other trademarks without seeking permission. Is that on? Not the crime of the century obviously, don’t really buy the “hard done by” stuff though!
Fox sell their own decals. Slik are selling knock offs, they really don't have a leg to stand on. Which is a shame, they maKe great stuff.
Fox are preventing their own customers from customising their purchase with well-made decals, and thus engaging more with their brand.
By not taking action years ago, they've implied they're ok with it and Slik have grown a business on that premise.
It's dumb.
I understand the copying-without-permission point, but Fox could have taken a much more enlightened approach by allowing them to licence it at low cost/free, or pre-approve designs, or partnering with them in some way.
Just because you're right in law doesn't mean you're right in principle, or that by winning in court, you win. They need to see the bigger picture.
Do slik offer things that Fox don't?
E.g. precise colour matching
If so, I can see it's a shame to deprive the fannies who like that kind of thing - but I can still see there's a business case there.
Maybe Fox just want to save some people from themselves going by various Facebook posts I see. 😉
Meh, maybe a bit tight but it’s no great shock to see a big company protect its own brand and copywrite. I have had official Fox replacements and Slik would need to go some to match the quality.
Fox may want too have a quick look on eBay and see how many companies are copying their patented Kashima coating.
Fox aren't taking anyone to court, they issued a cease and desist and left it at that. I'm not sure how much more reasonable you could expect them to be. This isn't a similarly named drink or pub, this is full on IP infringement. Anyone in the graphics business should know full well what that means. They got off very very lightly, this petition is just going to end badly and erode any goodwill they have already been shown.
Sorry but I'm with Fox on this one.
Yep, totally understand why they might want to do it.
Also totally understand if some don't like it and decide to put their money elsewhere next time they're buying a fork.
Won't somebody think of you Santa Cruz owners. 🤣
I’d feel sorry for slik but they are lying shysters so karma eh !
Fox may want too have a quick look on eBay and see how many companies are copying their patented Kashima coating.
Don’t Fox license Kashima from someone else?
Miyaki?
And, surely, you can make things the same colour(s), but not use the process.
Anyway, torn on this… Fox are doing what they have to do, but it’s a shame for riders lose the means to get custom colours. In the end, it’s up to Fox.
they can still have any colours they want! Except no-one actually has any style or originality or imagination... they should be tearing off the Fox decals and replacing them with funky colours or original artwork, but instead they’re actually paying THEIR OWN money to reprint someone else’s advert, only in a different colour... it’s actually tragic 😂but it’s a shame for riders lose the means to get custom colours
Whats the Difference between a dodgey Seller selling fake Rolex out of a car boot and slik selling fake graphics online??
Poses some interesting questions though.
If you want to customise and colour match your forks, why do they still need to say "Fox" on then?
Who actually needs to know who made your forks?
I always thought that their graphics seemed pretty cheap for the quality you got. I can see fox’s argument so why not say stick a fiver on each order and we will let you print them. As long as they are good quality (which they are) I don’t see what negative impact it has on their brand
Who actually needs to know who made your forks?
The amount of advertising we all do with our bikes is pretty staggering. Think I’m doing my bit for at least a dozen brands (on one bike)
holland15h
MemberWhats the Difference between a dodgey Seller selling fake Rolex out of a car boot and slik selling fake graphics online??
That’s stretching things now. That makes it sound like they are making entire forks with ropey internals that last mere minutes longer than it takes to get them home
so why not say stick a fiver on each order and we will let you print them
If only Slik had that kind of foresight and had asked Fox about a licence / royalty model up front.
Instead, they got on knowingly copying trademarks and making decent money out of it and then act surprised when the trademark owner asks them to stop. Duh.
Reminds me of the time Hora talked about getting some pikey decals made up for his forks. At least there was a bit of originality there.
If you want to customise and colour match your forks, why do they still need to say “Fox” on then?
People don't want to pay £1k for a fork and not have others know about it.
Won’t somebody think of you Santa Cruz owners. 🤣
Enve rims? 😉
I often thought about getting the sign guys next door to cut ENVE Logos for my Fulcrum wheels.
And then I'd think "Saddo!" and not do it.
If you want to customise and colour match your forks, why do they still need to say “Fox” on then?
I have some custom colour fork and shock decals on my favourite bike so I can give you at least one answer. I fancied the matchy colours but to have a totally custom decal would require more money and for me to actually think of a design. Neither of those things was going to happen.
I did wonder if this may affect other suppliers and see that invisiframe don’t have them on their decals site, and I thought I recalled seeing they did Fox ones. Maybe they have just pulled them and not made a kufaffle.
How do companies like fat creations get by this then? They are printing companies logos and using them for stencils to make money? Or is the volume not enough for fox to care
How do companies like fat creations get by this then?
At this point, I’d say luck
It's just because fox are now offering decal kits in 15 different options, most other companies don't bother so are happy to let others do free eye catching advertising for them, but their bully boy tactics are a bit disappointing, turning down offers and not being open to discussion.
I always assumed they had permission though.
At this point, I’d say luck
Fox don’t do custom paint options.
Custom painters don’t sell stickers.
No sympathy here from someone with a small design business - this is blatant trademark infringement. Slik should have been more savvy, see if they could get a license / pay royalties. Alternatively, just rebrand them "Fux" 😉
They'd still be on dodgy ground for "passing off", probably.
Fox don’t do custom paint options.
He’s still selling the Fox logo. Doesn’t matter if he’s painting it or printing graphics
He’s still selling the Fox logo. Doesn’t matter if he’s painting it or printing graphics
Maybe he has permission?
Indeed, maybe everyone other than Slik and Invisframe has permission
, but their bully boy tactics are a bit disappointing, turning down offers and not being open to discussion
Bully boy? They sent a cease and desist for IP theft, if they were so inclined they could have taken them to the cleaners. They have been nothing but reasonable.
Maybe if Slik had approached them in the first place BEFORE profiting from their IP they may have arranged something. But as they never why should they?
There is some irony to a chunk of the Fox sponsored athletes in the past and present whom have all used Slik to have bespoke work done.
I love slik graphics, have them on every bike. One thing no one seems to mention though is what other damage could happen to fox. You buy a cheap fork from china/fox copy off wish, stick very genuine looking fox stickers from slik on it. Sell on ebay and rip some poor sod off and when they break photos of what look like snapped fox forks appear all over insta. Bad day for fox! Bad day for whoever buys them. Slik being such good quality helps this to happen.
You buy a cheap fork from china/fox copy off wish, stick very genuine looking fox stickers from slik on it.
You can buy actual genuine stickers from Fox. They can’t stop you sticking them on non Fox products.
'Faux'?
I got a couple of nice, cheap pairs of 34s a couple of years ago - so cheap I didn't have a choice of colour of sticker. So for the last couple of years, I've had a pair of black forks with orange stickers on my black and primer-red Kona Process. The orange and red really, really jar, but not enough that I felt compelled to actually do anything about it for a couple of years. But last week, I finally decided I should probably do something about it and ordered some replacement stickers from Slik to replace the now rather scuffed and scratched orange ones. I assumed - wrongly, it seems - that Slik was licensing from Fox and others.
If they turn up, I'll take the orange stickers off and replace them. If they don't I'll take the orange stickers off and not replace them, leaving a nice plain black fork.
I know this is a kit-heavy sport and all that, but have you noticed how everything has a fricking logo on it? It'd be quite nice not to be a mobile ad hoarding every now and again.
If Slik made some other type of fork sticker that didn't have the Fox logo I'd probably consider putting that on instead, to be honest. Maybe some nice flowers, or purple and green jersey cows shooting laser beams from their eyes and death rays from their nether parts? I reckon there's a market for that sort of thing, you know.
OK, I've skimmed the thread and can't see this has been asked. Who TF are they planning on delivering that petition to? Fox themselves? The government for a parliamentary debate?
Signing that is about as pointless as me asking this question here. 🤔😁
Fox I’d assume. The same way those 1000 people that couldn’t stand Yeti using the word ‘Tribe’ in its marketing.
There’s already a few sensitive souls on Pinkbike saying they’ll never ever ever buy a Fox product again over this. (They will of course, but that’s for another time)
There’s already a few sensitive souls on Pinkbike saying they’ll never ever ever buy a Fox product again over this.
Maybe they'd like to buy some of the Pinkbike T-shirts my mate's getting made? PB don't offer them in the colours some of us wanted so he's getting some done. Tenner each. PB should be cool with it.
As a punter, one of the big advantages Fox and Rockshox have is that they're big enough to have an aftermarket. Cosmetics aren't as value-adding as say an aftermarket coil or damper upgrade but they're still valuable to me- so frinstance my Boxxers have Slik stickers on which suit the frame colours better than anything Rockshox do. Also, the thicker Slik graphics protect the forks better.
(by pure luck, my 36s were available with stickers that look great on the bike. If Fox didn't make stickers that looked good to me, and if nobody else was able to offer alternatives, would it stop me buying the fork? Quite possibly. Performance is more important of course but all top end forks are good these days and I tend to go to the aftermarket to make forks work exactly how i want anyway)
I don't dispute that Fox have the right to do this, but I think they might find it's counterproductive. I certainly don't see it driving an avalanche of sales to their own sticker sets.
You rip off a companies trademark they're going to come after you.
I work for a big brand (not bike related) and they fiercely guard the brand markings as that is where a lot of the companies value is. You simply can't go off copying peoples IP.
Fox products will sell regardless of a few butt hurt bike owners who can't colour match their decals!
Maybe they’d like to buy some of the Pinkbike T-shirts my mate’s getting made? PB don’t offer them in the colours some of us wanted so he’s getting some done. Tenner each. PB should be cool with it.
If I see sticker packs for sale in Evans that feature purple and green cows shooting laser beams and death rays from their orifices, Jameso, you will be hearing from my lawyers. 😀
Clearly there's a market for replacement graphics, and frankly I'm surprised Fox hasn't already cornered it based on the fact they can probably out-produce, out-distribute and outprice competitors like Slik if they really wanted to. I do think there's a market for something more creative than simply redoing a brand in a nice colour. Maybe not, but yeah, ripping off IP - not great.
I'm just glad Fox haven't shut down the lad 3d printing volume spacers on EBAY, mine arrived today.
Is it just Slik Graphics that Fox are trying to sop doing this? If so, wonder why?
Silk should do a custom fork decal web-site where you choose the wording. Maybe Fox. Maybe Fux. They just print and post results. Same way Facebook isn’t a ‘publisher’...
Ride decals don't seem to have been threatened yet, get your orders in quick 😀
Is it just Slik Graphics that Fox are trying to sop doing this? If so, wonder why?
Slik are the only ones making a, very public, fuss about it.
Invisiframe aren’t listing Fox now, though I can’t remember if they ever did.
I’m surprised Fox hasn’t already cornered it based on the fact they can probably out-produce, out-distribute and outprice competitors like Slik if they really wanted to
Fox's OE custom color stickers are vastly out producing all of the aftermarket options.
Would presumably be a fairly easy to put these pantone/ral matched version out as a retail option through their supply chain. But, producing a known quantity run of decals for each brand as advanced order is simpler than case by case production.
Guess forgiveness really is easier to get than permission.
The team at Fox were incredibly sympathetic and expressed that their plan all along has been to partner with select aftermarket decal manufacturers and that Slik was always at the top of their list, however, an internal miscommunication on their part led to the unfortunate situation that occurred.
Had nothing at all to do with people getting all upset they couldn't colour co-ordinate their pants and fork stickers.
I find the whole thing odd - I take most of the stickers off my bikes 😀
A petition to make stickers on change.org.... now we’re talking.
They just need to put their stuff on ebay like all the other fake sellers.
change.org I ask ya.
If Slik made some other type of fork sticker that didn’t have the Fox logo I’d probably consider putting that on instead, to be honest. Maybe some nice flowers, or purple and green jersey cows shooting laser beams from their eyes and death rays from their nether parts? I reckon there’s a market for that sort of thing, you know.
Me too, But you go on Slik's website and it's just colour variations on the standard Logos. I'm not so bothered about the appearance of my bike to really worry about colour matched stickers...
Perhaps they need to start exploring alternatives to copying others work and changing the colours and actually, you know, develop their own IP?
TBH it's a fair cop from Slik's Point of view, they've made money from several other companies branding/IP for a while and apparently not paid for and/or had an agreement in place to do so.
Would Fox have had the option to go further than simply issuing a cease and desist?
The petition is a bit childish, I'm not sure what purpose it serves other than to try and help stir some shit with the PB kiddies. Are fox really going to Cave to a handful of angry "colourway whores"? I doubt it...
The petition is a bit childish, I’m not sure what purpose it serves other than to try and help stir some shit with the PB kiddies. Are fox really going to Cave to a handful of angry “colourway whores”? I doubt it…
They have...
MTBR have closed a thread, basically saying Slik did nothing wrong as Fox don’t do custom stickers.
(All but a couple of posters disagreed, but that’s their view)
I’m not so bothered about the appearance of my bike to really worry about colour matched stickers…
OTOH, like me, you could have colour matched graphics from new and want to swap them for something else as they look terrible
Me too, But you go on Slik’s website and it’s just colour variations on the standard Logos. I’m not so bothered about the appearance of my bike to really worry about colour matched stickers…
So that's two of us that want purple and green cows with death rays. Time for a Kickstarter!
Will Slik do me some EXT stickers for my Fox forks?