Goodbye Ravens24x7.com

[vinny600]

Yes, it really is. Companies can't ignore copyright infringement once it is brought to their attention. Tony is a victim of his own success. Yes, their are thousands of other websites out there with other team names in their domains, but how many of them dominate their target market like 24x7 does? Nearly 4000 members, additional thousands of unique non member visits daily, a practical monopoly on quality Ravens blogging outside of the team's actual website?

You get that big, you get noticed. He got noticed and the team has no choice but to act.

This would be my guess as to what happened. Since this site blows away the official ravens message board (at least I think it does) it probably gets more traffic than their message board. Hence you got noticed because of your success, as another post stated.

Usually Trademark issues are not raised by sports teams until someone is making too much money off the name....

[Mista T]

We do have RaveOn247 and RaveOn24x7 and the Ravens are ok with both. This actually allows us to keep the logo in tact. But we aren't married to it.

If you do it, how about provide a link to an MP3 of the song!

[Captain Silver]

Sorry, if it was the fact of defending a copyright, then Ravyn's should sue the team. Sometimes, it is a head scratcher how a team with so much class can behave so poorly.

Take the guy who's logo they stole. That was about as classless a thing I have seen in the history of business in sports. This just smacks of hypocracy to the max.

I've met Bisciotti, and he is a class guy, but it doesn't mean the team is above criticism.

This is just more and more how the NFL is turning from a league that cares about fans to a careless monster that puts dollars far above the fans. I understand them moving training camp, but there go any chance for the fans who have little money to see the team they love. This is just another PR black eye.

I'd say there is a 50/50, chance the rest of the teams in the NFL follow this disastrous decision to alienate fans. Now we give Steeler or Patriot fans more reason to gloat if their teams don't follow suit. Steeler logo's are plastered EVERYWHERE on the myriad of forums out there. They let it go on, because it builds the fan base. Same for the Patriots. I'm not buying the protect your copyright argument unless the copyright is being abused.

Why do the Raven fans travel well? Because of places like this, who build a fan community.

Can't wait until the NFL starts selling add space on their Jerseys. I hope we get Trojan condoms to reflect the way we're being screwed.

[vinny600]

TL24x7:

I must say that I am very much impressed that this site was started by one individual who just wanted more Ravens news....that is awesome considering what it has grown to today. To actually be noticed by an NFL franchise because you draw so much traffic is a testimony to your great success. Kudos to you and I wish you the very best. I am a Steelers fan by the way and I come here to keep up with what the "competition" is up to.

[The Fanatic]

Yes, their are thousands of other websites out there with other team names in their domains, but how many of them dominate their target market like 24x7 does? Nearly 4000 members, additional thousands of unique non member visits daily, a practical monopoly on quality Ravens blogging outside of the team's actual website?

Patriots Planet

Over 7300 members


Steeler Nation

Over 5600 members

Jetnation

Over 11,000 members

Raiderfans.net

Over 31,000 members

Saints Report

Over 22,000 members

There are just a few examples suggesting that this is a load of BS

I'm a thinking this is more a case of sour grapes at the castle more so then the NFL feeling violated or the Ravens feeling a copy right is being stolen, etc.

Whatever it is, I highly suggest some form of Baltimore or Ravens be tied in, and definitely the 24x7 needs to remain as that was part of the hallmark from the very beginning before this place was recognized the way it is now.

Tony,
Somebody on your facebook page I believe suggested Ravenz24x7

Maybe pushing the envelope I suppose, but it isn't the copy righted name or whatever the hell else it is that has somebodys feathers ruffled.

[jaydee414]

FlockYouNFL24X7

[ActualSpamBot]

Two things wrong with your list fanatic. 1. We don't know if those teams are aware of the copyright infringement being done by those sites, and 2. We don't know if those sites have paid for the use of the team name in exchange for some sort of oversight by a team pr official. If either of those conditions are true than there is no reason to compare the inaction of those teams to the decision by the Ravens.

We do know that Tony did not pay to use the name Ravens, and we know that no one affiliated with the team is supervising the content of this site.

All this nonsense about how unfair it is to Tony is silly. The team does not have a choice here. They are legally required to protect their copyright if they want to keep it. Period. Stop blaming the big bad company.

Tony, god bless him and keep him, has done an amazing job turning this blog into a huge success. But he made a pretty big error by using a copyrighted name when he came up with it.

It's excusable because I doubt he ever expected the site to become so big that the team would even be aware of it, but he still has been profiting off someone else's intellectual property with this web domain. The team and Tony have clearly come to an amicable solution, but believe me, the team did not have to be this accommodating.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.369058,-76.761063

[arnie_uk]

awh that made laugh out loud for real

FlockYouNFL24X7

[Captain Silver]

Two things wrong with your list fanatic. 1. We don't know if those teams are aware of the copyright infringement being done by those sites, and 2. We don't know if those sites have paid for the use of the team name in exchange for some sort of oversight by a team pr official. If either of those conditions are true than there is no reason to compare the inaction of those teams to the decision by the Ravens.

We do know that Tony did not pay to use the name Ravens, and we know that no one affiliated with the team is supervising the content of this site.

All this nonsense about how unfair it is to Tony is silly. The team does not have a choice here. They are legally required to protect their copyright if they want to keep it. Period. Stop blaming the big bad company.

Tony, god bless him and keep him, has done an amazing job turning this blog into a huge success. But he made a pretty big error by using a copyrighted name when he came up with it.

It's excusable because I doubt he ever expected the site to become so big that the team would even be aware of it, but he still has been profiting off someone else's intellectual property with this web domain. The team and Tony have clearly come to an amicable solution, but believe me, the team did not have to be this accommodating.

Are you a spin doctor for the team?

We don't know those teams are aware? Give me a break! Plus, they would never sanction more than one official site, common sense would dictate this. And to pay the team? Come on...

Yeah, the big bad company that stole someone else's logo. That same big bad company fought tooth and nail when they could have just settled for a couple grand. Even to this day they cannot wear the old helmet's because of stupid decisions like this one.

Accommodating? I don't see how change your name or else is accommodating.

[The Fanatic]

Two things wrong with your list fanatic. 1. We don't know if those teams are aware of the copyright infringement being done by those sites, and 2. We don't know if those sites have paid for the use of the team name in exchange for some sort of oversight by a team pr official. If either of those conditions are true than there is no reason to compare the inaction of those teams to the decision by the Ravens.

We do know that Tony did not pay to use the name Ravens, and we know that no one affiliated with the team is supervising the content of this site.

All this nonsense about how unfair it is to Tony is silly. The team does not have a choice here. They are legally required to protect their copyright if they want to keep it. Period. Stop blaming the big bad company.

I have no idea whether or not other teams' fan sites that use the team name in their site name payed for that right.
my guess would be highly doubtful or I would think that registering to use it would be a fee to help them pay for that right.
Nobody on here has had to pay, and I personally have never had to pay on any of those sites that I have registered on to read or participate in discussions.

With that being said, I'd be floored beyond belief to find out that officials, front office staff, whoever it may be are not aware of sites on the web that are designed around their business, logos, employees, etc., and aren't educated enough to know whether or not a copyright is being violated.
The freakin' NFL itself monitors this type of stuff right down to a Joe Schmoe selling T-shirts on the street.

I suppose if Tony wanted to look into all these other sites involving team names, etc. to find out if he's the only one in violation I suppose he could.

And yes, it is "The Big Bad Company" syndrome at work here whether that be the team itself or the NFL.

Now I'm sure the team probably has told Tony about all this legal crap to back it's decision, doesn't mean that that is the true basis behind its decision.

[Ravens27Girl]

TL24x7:

I must say that I am very much impressed that this site was started by one individual who just wanted more Ravens news....that is awesome considering what it has grown to today. To actually be noticed by an NFL franchise because you draw so much traffic is a testimony to your great success. Kudos to you and I wish you the very best. I am a Steelers fan by the way and I come here to keep up with what the "competition" is up to.

Classy post Vinny This really is the best Ravens forum out there!

[GOTA]

This would be my guess as to what happened. Since this site blows away the official ravens message board (at least I think it does) it probably gets more traffic than their message board. Hence you got noticed because of your success, as another post stated.

Usually Trademark issues are not raised by sports teams until someone is making too much money off the name....

There's an official Ravens message board? Who knew

[GOTA]

I'd just go with

R24x7

Simple sells. RaveOn is too cute.

[arnie_uk]

i like that one, or even BR24x7... On a side note, do you guys not use the officail sites forum at all?

I'd just go with

R24x7

Simple sells. RaveOn is too cute.

[ActualSpamBot]

I don't know what you guys don't understand about this. I'm not giving my opinion, I'm stating facts.

Fact 1. Tony is profiting from this site.

Fact 2. The domain of this site contains the name Ravens.

Fact 3. The use of the Ravens name is being done to draw connection between this site, and the football team The Baltimore Ravens. (By this I mean Tony is using Ravens to reference the football team not the bird, or the poem, or the DC Superhero.)

Fact 4. The above facts mean that Tony is violating The Baltimore Ravens copyright and profiting off their intellectual property.

Fact 5. Once the Ravens legal representatives were made aware of Facts 1 through 4, they are legally obligated to defend their copyright. Failure to do this will leave the team open to lawsuits from companies who did pay for the licensing rights (Papa Johns for example profits off the fact that they are "the official pizza sponsor of the Baltimore Ravens and certainly pays a hefty licensing fee for that right) as well as open the legal possibility of losing control of their copyright. (Allowing literally anyone to legally claim to be the "Official BLANK of the Baltimore Ravens. The losses from such lawsuits as well as the loss of control of their copyright would conservatively total in the hundreds of millions of dollars range.

Fact 6. They could have chosen to sue Tony for damages by claiming that any revenue this site generated should rightfully be theirs. They could also have him charged criminally under the "No Electronic Theft" Act of 1997 which specifically deals with large scale copyright infringement without financial motive.

Fact 7. They didn't' do any of that. They apparently asked Tony to change the name while allowing him to continue to control the old domain so as to make a transition easier.

Those are all facts. Mull on them before you bitch about the big evil company.

[lovefootball]

Caw24x7caw would do it. Only raven fans would understand.

[The Fanatic]

I don't know what you guys don't understand about this. I'm not giving my opinion, I'm stating facts.

Fact 1. Tony is profiting from this site.

Fact 2. The domain of this site contains the name Ravens.

Fact 3. The use of the Ravens name is being done to draw connection between this site, and the football team The Baltimore Ravens. (By this I mean Tony is using Ravens to reference the football team not the bird, or the poem, or the DC Superhero.)

Fact 4. The above facts mean that Tony is violating The Baltimore Ravens copyright and profiting off their intellectual property.

Fact 5. Once the Ravens legal representatives were made aware of Facts 1 through 4, they are legally obligated to defend their copyright. Failure to do this will leave the team open to lawsuits from companies who did pay for the licensing rights (Papa Johns for example profits off the fact that they are "the official pizza sponsor of the Baltimore Ravens and certainly pays a hefty licensing fee for that right) as well as open the legal possibility of losing control of their copyright. (Allowing literally anyone to legally claim to be the "Official BLANK of the Baltimore Ravens. The losses from such lawsuits as well as the loss of control of their copyright would conservatively total in the hundreds of millions of dollars range.

Fact 6. They could have chosen to sue Tony for damages by claiming that any revenue this site generated should rightfully be theirs. They could also have him charged criminally under the "No Electronic Theft" Act of 1997 which specifically deals with large scale copyright infringement without financial motive.

Fact 7. They didn't' do any of that. They apparently asked Tony to change the name while allowing him to continue to control the old domain so as to make a transition easier.

Those are all facts. Mull on them before you bitch about the big evil company.

Here is a list of the Official Saints Sponsorships

Nobody is arguing the stuff you're talking about above regarding the legal use of the name etc.

What we are disagreeing with is your defense of the Ravens having to defend themselves and their copyright and infringment use as if they don't have a choice.

Look at some of the names on that list of Saints "official sponsors"

There's some pretty damn big named companys on there that I'd like to think have enough forces within their ranks to decide on whether their rights as a paying sponsor of the Saints are being violated or taken away for free because some fans created a web-site to discuss their team has blown up to the point that they're making money off it and aren't paying like they are.

As already pointed out, there is only one official fan site for an NFL team that is authorized by the team and/or league.

I've pointed out several examples of sites that aren't those but are obviously highly visited and used.

Do you have a point that Maybe these sites are paying to use the name?

Maybe so, but I highly doubt it as there are many sites that do this type of thing that eventually take off.

[Raven Maniac]

Probably because it uses the word "Ravens" in it and the content is directly related to the Baltimore Ravens, but the site itself is not an "official" Baltimore Ravens site.

This isn't an official site, but it probably has more to do with the fact that the site is turning a profit through the advertisers that banner the page more than anything else. The loose connection to the Raven Org. by name only, wouldn't mean squat if the site wasn't earning a profit of sorts... I would imagine. Just a guess on my part, but it makes sense.

[TL24x7]

First and foremost I am flattered by the support and I thank you all.

Secondly, this didn't become this (fka Ravens24x7.com ) without a ton of support starting with the writers (many of which were discovered here), Admin Steve, the moderators and all of you. I thank you all again.

Lastly, I don't have an axe to grind with the team. I get it. Our biggest concern is migrating to something easily remembered which can be used to inspire a cool logo; comes off the tongue easily; and captures in a few syllables what we do. That's our challenge.

I have some ideas as do others on the staff and obviously many of you. In fact a few of those mentioned are in the discussion with our staff but of course we are open to more suggestions.

We'll get there, I have no doubt. And the fact that all of your bookmarks will still work, that's a good thing too. We can keep our urls. I wanted to just put out there why we need to change because everyone here has an attachment to what we do. I both dig that and mostly respect that -- and you.

I thank those who have come to our defense. It's all good. Please don't sweat it.

I thank those who have provided solid reasoning that might be driving the team's decision.

I hope you understand I can't go too far into it but at the end of the day we just want to host a place that you enjoy while not only preserving our relationship with the team, but strengthening it.

So on that note, here's to the future and by all means, keep those suggestions coming.

Thanks so much,

TL

[Raven Maniac]

There's an official Ravens message board? Who knew

That would be The Baltimore Sun, you have to pay to play there!