Backcountry.com not playing nice

While this behavior is certainly not unique in American business, nor is it new to the outdoor industry (I've heard of similar antics by other large SLC based climbing gear companies), I was disappointed to hear that the gear retailer backcountry dot com has sued many small companies with the word "Backcountry" in their names. Companies include Backcountry Jeans, Marquette Backcountry, and, most egregiously in my opinion, Backcountry Babes (I mean, c'mon, who in the outdoor industry sues a women's backcountry skiing education group?).

Links:
https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/31/backcountry-com-sues-anyone-who-uses-its-namesake-is-it-bullying-or-just-business/
https://www.kunr.org/post/backcountrycom-sues-protect-backcountry-trademark#stream/0
http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pnam=Backcountry.com,%20LLC%20%20&page=1
https://wintrymix.podbean.com/ - Podcast with the owner of Marquette Backcountry

Now, I'm usually the last one to jump on a boycott bandwagon, but I have to say that I can't find it in me to support backcountry dot com. I've let them know that. I hope that the outdoor community would agree that to try to trademark all uses of the word "Backcountry" sounds excessive.

Thoughts? (If I know MP, there will be some...)

Do they take Indigenous people climbing?
Do they sell to all races?
Do they sell everything in a "womens" version?
Do they make their stuff in china?
Do they close on SUNDAY!?!?!

Now I have to check if the oppressive corporations I loathe and #hashtagboycott but pour half my paycheck into anyway have SUED SOMEONE!?!

I can't keep up in 2019

It was with extreme pleasure that I messaged them and told them to go fuck themselves.

5.Seven Kevin wrote:
I can't keep up in 2019

bruh ... you never could ;)

Thanks for posting this info. This all seems shitty, especially suing an outdoor education group. That really grinds my gears...

Who stands up for the proper wild Backcountry, and sues backcountry.com?  I mean, free money, right?  I can buy a shit-ton off shiny totems and a specific outer-shell for every day of the month with free money.

I reckon the actual Backcountry would spend its money picking up trash and cleaning up behind surface-shitters

They've lost my business. F them. Thanks for letting us know.

That is really disappointing! Yes - that is enough for me to shape elsewhere ... 

Ford lost the names of some iconic cars (gt40, futura, cobra?) because they weren't activity trying to stop other businesses from using the name. Once they lost like all their cases they started going after companies using their names.
Understandable.
The word Backcountry seems like a name so ubiquitous that I'm surprised that this is working.

I won't buy from them again and will let them know as well (and spread the word). That's real bush-league shit.

Here's hoping that backcountrygear.com fights this and wins.

Very bad PR move. I wonder what overpaid idiot thought this would be a good idea. They will not gain a single customer through this, but they will lose some.

Don't forget Steep & Cheap is also theirs. 

Tim Stich wrote: It was with extreme pleasure that I messaged them and told them to go fuck themselves.

Right on.  While browsing their site, Jaclyn popped up and asked how she could help.  I told her to tell her bosses to quit being a bunch of dickheads.

It's almost like all of us are responsible for some kind of corporatization of the outdoor gearscape.   Almost.  Meh.  So Creeksgiving (TM) y'all?

They are pretty much forced to do this to maintain the trademark on their name. But I'm not a lawyer so...

Generally not a fan of cancel culture, but this seems a rather clear cut case where it's perfectly acceptable to boycott them. I prefer to engage in "buycotts," rather than boycotts, but I think both might be appropriate in this case. Looked into those jeans but I'm afraid I'll just have to offer them moral support, at $160/pair, haha. I'll certainly be happy to order more often from backcountrygear in the future.

Our great little gear store in Boise became Boise Gear Collective, from Backcountry Pursuit. Add that to your list of small businesses.

EDIT to add: Ah! They're on page two.

They've already got a form response to folks wanting to discuss the issue in their live sell, sell sell SELL chat.  

Hilarious.

Mikey Wally wrote: where's the list of REI lawsuits? BAN MP!

Show me the list of businesses they have sued for using Recreational or Equipment or Incorporated, and I'll support the ban.  Until then, Backcountry deserves every ounce of bad publicity for suing legitimate businesses over a term they appropriated in the first place.  

Skout Organic has filings from Backcountry AND Boy Scouts of America.

Monster Cable did the same thing and sued many companies who used the word Monster in their products including Monster Energy drink, Monster Garage, the film Monsters, Inc, Monster Mini Golf and Monster.com    I stopped buying Monster Cable crap a long time ago because of the suits.  I also met the owner of Monster Mini Golf on a flight back from a climbing trip at Red Rock Canyon.  He told me of all the nasty stuff the lawyers did to try and win the case.   Radio Shack tried the same thing and went after companies that used the word Shack.    In a twist they got sued for using PowerZone in their stores by AutoZone.  

Once companies get big enough they think they can own a word.  Monster Energy likes to sue companies that use the letter M prominently in their logos.  With deep pockets larger companies can "bully" lots of smaller ones who can't afford the legal fees.  

Pathetic for a company of their size, especially the backcountry babes thing.....I've never ordered from them but now certainly won't plan to