Backcountry.com Apologizes After Trademark Disputes
Online outdoor gear retailer Backcountry.com issued a formal apology yesterday after headlines mentioned that they were suing companies that had the word ‘backcountry’ in their name. The articles mentioned that the lawsuits bordered on bullying but of course by the same token companies with a trademark have to do what they can to prevent the trademark from being invalidated.
This caused quite an uproar including the formation of a Facebook online group Boycott BackcountryDOTcom which has already amassed over 14,000 members, a website launching at boycottbackcountry.com, and hashtags #boycottbackcountry, #backcountryboycott and #scrapethegoat (which refers to scraping off the Backcountry.com goat stickers off any products people own).
Backcountry.com CEO Jonathan Nielsen issued a formal apology...
“Dear Backcountry Community,
We have heard your feedback and concerns, and understand we fumbled in how we pursued trademark claims recently. We made a mistake.
In an attempt to protect the brand we have been building for nearly 25 years, we took certain actions that we now recognize were not consistent with our values, and we truly apologize.
It’s important to note that we tried to resolve these trademark situations amicably and respectfully, and we only took legal action as a last resort. That said, we know we mishandled this, and we are withdrawing the Marquette Backcountry action. We will also reexamine our broader approach to trademarks to ensure we are treating others in a way that is consistent with the culture and values envisioned by our founders and embraced by our community.
We only want what’s best for the whole community and we want every person and business in it to thrive. Backcountry has never been interested in owning the word “backcountry” or completely preventing anyone else from using it. But we clearly misjudged the impact of our actions.
We understand that this step we’ve taken may not be enough for some of you. The hope is that we can ultimately win back your trust, even if it takes time. We are grateful to be a part of your lives, providing you with great gear for your outdoor adventures, and all we want is to go back to doing what we do best. We intend to learn from this and become a better company.”
