Friday 23rd March 2012

Mercedes has Gullwing replica crushed

Mercedes 300 SL replica obliterated for breaking copyright law

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Makers of reps everywhere beware, particularly those interested in replicas of Mercedes products. Daimler has used a case of an illegally manufactured replica of a W198 300 SL body, confiscated by German customs and now destroyed, to make clear how seriously it takes infringements of its trademarks.

Not merely content with getting the illegal rep destroyed, it has issued a statement to the press, saying, "The body shape of the legendary Gullwing model has been trademarked by Daimler AG. Anyone building, offering or selling replicas of the vehicle is in breach of the Company's rights. This even applies if the replicas do not incorporate any logos or trademarks of the Company. Daimler AG has long taken a tough approach to vehicle replicas.

"As a work of applied art, the body of the 300 SL has been under copyright protection for a number of decades. The employees who designed the famous gullwing model in the 1950s granted Daimler AG comprehensive exploitation rights. The body shape has also been trademarked by Daimler AG, as recently confirmed by the Stuttgart regional court (case no. 17 O 304/10, final and binding judgment dated 9 December 2010, following withdrawal of an appeal)."

The press release then goes on to describe, with apparent relish it has to be said, the replica's destruction:

"The first step in destroying the replica was to separate the chassis from the body. The Mercedes-Benz used-parts centre, which is also responsible for scrapping all Mercedes-Benz prototypes from the development units, then destroyed the body on behalf of Daimler AG. The certified equipment used in the centre includes two presses, each applying over 30 tonnes of pressure. The replica sports car had a fibreglass body weighing precisely 148 kilograms, which the compressor smashed into small pieces. This dramatic end to the unlawful body was officially documented with a signed and stamped 'confirmation of scrappage'.

Don't mess with Daimler AG, in other words...

[The Danimal]

Blimey... they're not messing about.