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Volkswagen Originalteil Sausages

atlasobscura.com

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Re: Volkswagen Originalteil Sausages

#3

Post by est31 »

They do this to protect their brand. If you register for a brand, you must specify for which types of goods or services your brand should be valid. These types are categorized into so called nice classes [1], where each class has a number and covers a group of products. E.g. class 12 is for cars and class 29 is for meat products, including sausages. Your brand registration can include one or multiple nice classes, and different owners can own different nice classes for the same brand.

Volkswagen posesses a multitude of brands. First, one registered in 1956 [2] that's specific to cars, and another one registered in 1998 [3] that includes every single nice class not covered by the first brand registration.

Having a brand registered is not enough. You must actually place a product into the market, otherwise your government granted monopoly on the brand becomes invalid. They just don't want people to make Volkswagen sausages so they have to do their own.

[1]: https://www.wipo.int/classifications/nice/en/

[2]: https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/621252/...

[3]: https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/marke/register/3980018...

Re: Volkswagen Originalteil Sausages

#4

Post by brianberns »

> The finished product is shipped in packs of five to VW dealerships all over the country, who then gift it to customers after a successful sale.

> In 2017, Volkswagen sold nearly 7 million sausages

Wait, so are they sold or gifted?

Re: Volkswagen Originalteil Sausages

#5

Post by SlowRobotAhead »

brianberns wrote: post #4

> The finished product is shipped in packs of five to VW dealerships all over the country, who then gift it to customers after a successful sale. > In 2017, Volkswagen sold nearly 7 million sausages Wait, so are they sold or gifted?

Also in the article... company cafeteria and grocery stores.

Re: Volkswagen Originalteil Sausages

#6

Post by SlowRobotAhead »

est31 wrote: post #3

They do this to protect their brand. If you register for a brand, you must specify for which types of goods or services your brand should be valid. These types are categorized into so called nice classes [1], where each class has a number and covers a group of products. E.g. class 12 is for cars and class 29 is for meat products, including sausages. Your brand registration can include one or multiple nice classes, an…

I’m not sure they are selling almost 7 million sausages a year just to protect their brand and their ability to make other food products if they so choose. If it was Porchse novelty turkey jerky I would agree, this seems like a real business and tradition for VW.

Re: Volkswagen Originalteil Sausages

#7

Post by trhway »

rkagerer wrote: post #2

What's the reliability rating on that part? Have there been any recalls? Is it RoHS compliant? Will the US charge me a 25% tariff on import? Can I lubricate with part 199-398-500-B?

I wonder how they manage to detect when sausage is being eaten by a professional food taster/reviewer.

Re: Volkswagen Originalteil Sausages

#9

Post by Gibbon1 »

SlowRobotAhead wrote: post #6
est31 wrote: post #3

They do this to protect their brand. If you register for a brand, you must specify for which types of goods or services your brand should be valid. These types are categorized into so called nice classes [1], where each class has a number and covers a group of products. E.g. class 12 is for cars and class 29 is for meat products, including sausages. Your brand registration can include one or multiple nice classes, an…

I’m not sure they are selling almost 7 million sausages a year just to protect their brand and their ability to make other food products if they so choose. If it was Porchse novelty turkey jerky I would agree, this seems like a real business and tradition for VW.

I think if an oddball division makes money and doesn't require much oversight by the parent company they just toodle along. Especially if the hassle of selling off the division isn't worth managements time.
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