Taipei First Look: Challenge Takes on the dirt with new Gravel Grinder Clincher and Tubular

Despite the nascent IP craziness. I really do like that tire.
Nice looking tread, 38 width means it should fit in a lot of cross frames.

Did they license the design from the Kenda Happy Medium?

So it’s the Chicane, wider?

Here’s a brief trademark primer:

One doesn’t “trademark” a brand or name. You register a trademark. A trademark is commonly understood as a “brand”, or, more broadly, any feature of a product or service that designates the source of the goods. This could mean a name, logo, color, design, shape, or any host of possible features. A “registered trademark” gives the registrant the exclusive use of a particular mark for a particular category of goods or services.

Challenge has submitted an application to register the trademark “GRAVEL GRINDER” for tires and other similar goods. It seems this article confuses trademark licensing, something done by the registrant of a trademark to allow others to use the trademark for a fee (think Fuji licensing “ROUBAIX” to Specialized), with an application to register a trademark, namely, the GRAVEL GRINDER mark for tires and similar goods. Either that, or the article means to say that Challenge is offering to license the name to intersted parties.

Notably, another entity, Gravel Grinder LLC of Lincoln, NE, has submitted an application to register the same trademark, GRAVEL GRINDER, for clothing. Since they are very different categories of products, both terms could become registered trademarks, but, there are a whole host of factors considered before the USPTO issues a registration.

@trademarklab
@trophiesorscars

http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86139296&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch

@VW Cycling and @Todd: Gravel Grinder is a cross between the 10-year-old Grifo XS file tread in the center and the 5-year-old, Stefan/Helen Wyman-designed Limus side knobs — we are not copying anyone else’s tread.

@Pilot and @Bill: The Gravel Grinder is a bigger version of the popular Chicane cyclocross tread but GG has a harder rubber compound for longer wear on more abrasive gravel roads, more tread coverage on the sidewalls to protect from cuts and double PPS for more puncture protection.

@Superstantial and @tath: Challenge has applied for a trademark for both Almanzo and Gravel Grinder in the category for Bike Products. If you would like to sub-license the Gravel Grinder name from Challenge we will indeed (probably) offer you the same deal we offered the guys at Niner bikes who have spent years developing their category of Gravel Grinder bikes and Guitar Ted at Gravel Grinder News – one dollar plus one (good) beer per year shared German-style (eye-to-eye across a table) preferably on a hot, sunny day after a long ride.

Challenge trademarks our product names so they are not trademarked later by companies seeking to block us from using a name we have invested heavily to promote. We also are happy to extend a sub-license to our friends in the industry who also have invested in a name and deserve the same protection.