Do tracks own their design layout or unique obstacles?

Mr. Info wrote:

Glen Helen uses a NASCAR track for their banked first turn out of respect for Taladega but we don’t own it. The names we use are...

Glen Helen uses a NASCAR track for their banked first turn out of respect for Taladega but we don’t own it. The names we use are there to represent a person or place out of respect.

disbanded wrote:

I have a patent pending on QUAD jumps

disbanded wrote:

I have a patent pending on QUAD jumps

cbarber wrote:

Is said quad four individual singles or you got tabletops involved? asking for a friend...

kkawboy14 wrote:

No, For example the F1 track here in Austin took a corner or say “section” from a bunch of tracks and made 1 track out of...

No, For example the F1 track here in Austin took a corner or say “section” from a bunch of tracks and made 1 track out of connecting it all together.

Alex.434 wrote:

Ugh. Yeah, and that track (COTA) is pretty awful to ride as a result. It's a disjointed mess. Just as you start to flow in one...

Ugh. Yeah, and that track (COTA) is pretty awful to ride as a result. It's a disjointed mess. Just as you start to flow in one section... it clashes with the next. Don't get me started on the whole infield full of slow, stupid, boring corners.

Hermann Tilke should never be allowed to design another circuit. He keeps designing these awful F1 tracks which are designed to 'stop and go' the cars because F1 'only passes on the brakes'.

I remember when one of my buddies (multi time US #1) rode COTA for the first time and I was all excited to hear his opinion. He was like 'meh' and I just couldn't believe it... until I rode it... (pic below at a tire test on a stock 600RR press bike)

What a damn shame.

Jeremy Macbeth wrote:

You can trademark the name of a track feature. The F1 track Spa-Francorchamps has trademarked numerous named track features like "Eau Rouge." You can't prevent someone...

You can trademark the name of a track feature. The F1 track Spa-Francorchamps has trademarked numerous named track features like "Eau Rouge."

You can't prevent someone from making a paved corner exactly like Eau Rouge but you can prevent someone from using the name "Eau Rouge" in a manner that might conflict with said trademark.

The owners of RedBud could probably trademark the name "LaRocco's Leap" but doubt they have any financial interest to do so. They can't trademark or "patent" two large mounds of dirt separated by a distance of 120', however.

Jbulz wrote:

Mike Larocco gets a nickel anytime someone mentions the leap

aeffertz wrote:

I was thinking about this before as well. If I wanted to print and sell a T Shirt of, for example, the Glen Helen layout and...

I was thinking about this before as well. If I wanted to print and sell a T Shirt of, for example, the Glen Helen layout and have it say Glen Helen underneath it, is that legal? No logos or anything but I wasn’t sure if the track layout is protected under a copyright law or something.

aeffertz wrote:

I was thinking about this before as well. If I wanted to print and sell a T Shirt of, for example, the Glen Helen layout and...

I was thinking about this before as well. If I wanted to print and sell a T Shirt of, for example, the Glen Helen layout and have it say Glen Helen underneath it, is that legal? No logos or anything but I wasn’t sure if the track layout is protected under a copyright law or something.

RalphS wrote:

Likely not registered but technically you still need their approval to print that shirt as they could easily claim the rights and go after you however...

Likely not registered but technically you still need their approval to print that shirt as they could easily claim the rights and go after you however there is no money in a handful of shirts so you could print yours and get away.

You could also print massive amounts and they maybe don't care but if at some point they do you'll need a lawyer and so forth

disbanded wrote:

I have a patent pending on QUAD jumps

cbarber wrote:

Is said quad four individual singles or you got tabletops involved? asking for a friend...

aeffertz wrote:

Well that goes back to the original question. Do the tracks own the layout design or not? Why would I have to ask for permission if...

Well that goes back to the original question. Do the tracks own the layout design or not? Why would I have to ask for permission if they didn't? I don't know if you're guessing or not but that was kinda what I assumed... Could I sell this on a poster or t-shirt? Or is this a protected design?



I have a few cool ideas around this premise, not quite that basic but like I said I don't want to get sued over a couple hundred bucks if the track layouts are a protected thing.

disbanded wrote:

I have a patent pending on QUAD jumps

disbanded wrote:

I have a patent pending on QUAD jumps

kage173 wrote:

Do your claims include or exclude table tops in counting toward the 4 mounds required to be a Quad?

aeffertz wrote:

I was thinking about this before as well. If I wanted to print and sell a T Shirt of, for example, the Glen Helen layout and...

I was thinking about this before as well. If I wanted to print and sell a T Shirt of, for example, the Glen Helen layout and have it say Glen Helen underneath it, is that legal? No logos or anything but I wasn’t sure if the track layout is protected under a copyright law or something.

RalphS wrote:

Likely not registered but technically you still need their approval to print that shirt as they could easily claim the rights and go after you however...

Likely not registered but technically you still need their approval to print that shirt as they could easily claim the rights and go after you however there is no money in a handful of shirts so you could print yours and get away.

You could also print massive amounts and they maybe don't care but if at some point they do you'll need a lawyer and so forth

aeffertz wrote:

Well that goes back to the original question. Do the tracks own the layout design or not? Why would I have to ask for permission if...

Well that goes back to the original question. Do the tracks own the layout design or not? Why would I have to ask for permission if they didn't? I don't know if you're guessing or not but that was kinda what I assumed... Could I sell this on a poster or t-shirt? Or is this a protected design?



I have a few cool ideas around this premise, not quite that basic but like I said I don't want to get sued over a couple hundred bucks if the track layouts are a protected thing.

zookrider62! wrote:

Not my area of expertise at all, but this seems pretty straight forward to me the layout would not be trademarked and if your design was...

Not my area of expertise at all, but this seems pretty straight forward to me
the layout would not be trademarked and if your design was only the layout, it would not matter at all.
Adding the name "glen helen" is where it seems like you might get into trouble.

byke wrote:

I was kind of picturing something like a track copying Loretta's layout five miles away and then taking paid riders a week/month before the actual Loretta's...

I was kind of picturing something like a track copying Loretta's layout five miles away and then taking paid riders a week/month before the actual Loretta's event as a method of "training"(i.e. cheating). I suspect that would become a legal issue at some point. The layout design on a shirt/sticker like they do for all the road courses is an interesting take on the question. Note that the profits are so small on shirts/stickers that a cease and desist would always be the first step in legal action, so you kind of have a get-out-f-jail-free card, as long as you actually cease and desist.

Alex.434 wrote:

Ugh. Yeah, and that track (COTA) is pretty awful to ride as a result. It's a disjointed mess. Just as you start to flow in one...

Ugh. Yeah, and that track (COTA) is pretty awful to ride as a result. It's a disjointed mess. Just as you start to flow in one section... it clashes with the next. Don't get me started on the whole infield full of slow, stupid, boring corners.

Hermann Tilke should never be allowed to design another circuit. He keeps designing these awful F1 tracks which are designed to 'stop and go' the cars because F1 'only passes on the brakes'.

I remember when one of my buddies (multi time US #1) rode COTA for the first time and I was all excited to hear his opinion. He was like 'meh' and I just couldn't believe it... until I rode it... (pic below at a tire test on a stock 600RR press bike)

What a damn shame.