Aero Leather Clothing trial update

[tropicalbob]

Yes, this was the first thing that KC noticed when he saw WL's ebay trades. As far as the Lewis litigation went, I believe Aero owned the rights to the name. The matter has been discussed in some detail on another thread in the past. As far as Ken's litigiousness goes, I can't imagine that a guy who's been dragged out of retirement in this manner would be actively seeking out more trouble.

 

[Superfluous]

Yes aeros jackets were copies of old originals but they put in the time and expense in making the patterns only to have that sob steal the patterns.

Exactly! If AL had created its own patterns from vintage jackets, no one would be complaining if the end products looked similar to Aero models based upon the same vintage jackets. Such similarities are inevitable. However, it is something entirely different to outright steal Aero's patterns -- patterns that Aero invested considerable time and money to create. To add insult to injury, WL tasked an Aero employee with replicating the Aero patterns for his theft, and thereby robbed Aero of that employee's salary during the six months that she spent copying the Aero patterns for WL rather than performing services for Aero.

One thing that baffles me is why WL sold the jackets, patches, etc. at so far under cost. I can well understand a "priced to move" philosophy (esp. under the circumstances), but the risk:reward ratio seems absurd.

WL's cost was zero, so it was pure profit. Moreover, he had essentially an unlimited supply of free product at his disposal (if Aero ran low, he could simply re-order and skim from the re-order). Therefore, he was able to maximize his profits through volume sales at prices well below market. Of course, volume sales = volume thievery, to Aero's further detriment.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

It really is a matter of Character. What more could one man do to undermine the company he was put in charge of and then influence others to follow him out of the self imposed eventual upcoming rubble.
Quite different than an ambitious (or even ruthless) determination to overcome the competition. As soon as the reigns were handed to him...he became the competition.

 

[Fanch]

Yes, this was the first thing that KC noticed when he saw WL's ebay trades. As far as the Lewis litigation went, I believe Aero owned the rights to the name. The matter has been discussed in some detail on another thread in the past. As far as Ken's litigiousness goes, I can't imagine that a guy who's been dragged out of retirement in this manner would be actively seeking out more trouble.

On the other hand he well might want to attempt to address what he perceives to be a great wrong done to him by someone other than WL. [huh]

 

[wdw]

To add insult to injury, WL tasked an Aero employee with replicating the Aero patterns for his theft, and thereby robbed Aero of that employee's salary during the six months that she spent copying the Aero patterns for WL rather than performing services for Aero.

Good point. It's even worse in that she could have been producing profit-making jackets in that time and reducing what was already a large backlog of orders. This thing just gets worse the more we hear.

 

[Otter]

Second guessing, but maybe opening bid on eBay and no reserve?

Edit: apologies , forgot to hit quote, this was in regard to the why the 99p patch.

 

[pawineguy]

Exactly! If AL had created its own patterns from vintage jackets, no one would be complaining if the end products looked similar to Aero models based upon the same vintage jackets. Such similarities are inevitable. However, it is something entirely different to outright steal Aero's patterns -- patterns that Aero invested considerable time and money to create. To add insult to injury, WL tasked an Aero employee with replicating the Aero patterns for his theft, and thereby robbed Aero of that employee's salary during the six months that she spent copying the Aero patterns for WL rather than performing services for Aero.



WL's cost was zero, so it was pure profit. Moreover, he had essentially an unlimited supply of free product at his disposal (if Aero ran low, he could simply re-order and skim from the re-order). Therefore, he was able to maximize his profits through volume sales at prices well below market. Of course, volume sales = volume thievery, to Aero's further detriment.

Yes, and the amount of overhead that WAS NOT incurred by AL in getting their business up and running as a direct competitor. Take the stolen time that was spent just copying patterns, it's already enormous. But that's just the loss to Aero. (plus the actual use of her time to do her proper job of cutting or sewing) The gain to AL is actually a multiple of that time, because it wouldn't have been a matter of just copying an existing pattern, it would have entailed creating the patterns from scratch, purchasing jackets to base them on, etc... it was decades worth of work and expense on KCs part.

 

[kyboots]

Edward, Does Aero not have a "civil" claim now against AL? My next one will be another Aero. I love my Bootlegger and always have why not another?

 

[Tedquinton]

Wow, I am new to the custom leather jacket world, having discovered this forum via my love of headwear.

I was just about to pull the trigger on an AL jacket as they seemed to offer such good value for money.

Now I know why...needless to say I'll save for longer and put my money elsewhere. It's really incomprehensible and reprehensible.

 

[the loco]

Not sure about the patterns, though. In example, the Aero Highwayman and Roadster from the other company are somewhat different, from what I read here. The Bootlegger and the AL equivalent look a bit different too.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Not sure about the patterns, though. In example, the Aero Highwayman and Roadster from the other company are somewhat different, from what I read here. The Bootlegger and the AL equivalent look a bit different too.

That's the point..'a bit different'..!! Such as a breast pocket at a slightly different angle...an adjustment strap in a slightly different position..etc. However..it remains obvious that the jackets appear quite Aero-ish..rather than anything else.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

...and it wasn't such a surprise..since the Aero models were just moved to a new facility with a different name by some of those who had been making them for years...
What was shocking was just how it was done.

 

[Superfluous]

Regardless of the slight differences in the final products -- which, as HD notes, were done out of necessity to give the appearance of differentiation -- the fact remains that WL had an Aero employee spend six months replicating Aero patterns, then WL took those replicated Aero patterns with him to AL, and implemented the patterns at AL (albeit with slight revisions). The mere fact that WL/AL made slight changes to the stolen patterns in an effort to conceal their theft of the patterns, and to create plausible deniability, does not mitigate the egregious nature of their wrongdoing.

 

[Monitor]

Note the difference...



...and let me know because I can't.

 

[tropicalbob]

I'll be interested in hearing Edward's take on this. Certain aspects of the case may have been dropped in consideration of expediancy, but we don't know at this point. Certainly, a number of people have profited from the design theft, so we'll have to wait and see. While reading the narrative, I noted LC's surprise that they hadn't gotten anything in writing from SA: it didn't surprise me.

 

[Sloan1874]

There is a second shoe to drop on the patterns, not to give anything away at this point...

 

[Otter]

Monitor, it is clearly the one on the right; it has slopier shoulders !

 

[Otter]

There is a second shoe to drop on the patterns, not to give anything away at this point...

You little tease !!

 

[Fanch]

There is a second shoe to drop on the patterns, not to give anything away at this point...

You mean this gets worse? :eeek:

 

[Sloan1874]

I think that's Sunday's episode.