Ontario Knife Company MIGHT BE Suing RAT Cutlery

[Splat]

Didn't know where to post this so mods do your thang if ya need to.  I just read this over at BF in the RAT Cutlery forum and feel bad for the guys so I wanted to get the word out..... This was posted by Jeff/RAT Cutlery:

"I'm sort of reluctant to add this thread but I've received several phone calls from customers and also one from someone in NY saying the rumor is Ontario Knife Co. is planning on suing RAT Cutlery. The bottom line to all of this is we like Ontario. They're a good company. They have done well with the Ontario RAT line and we wish them continued success in what they do. Our contract with Ontario was over a long time ago. We are no under any contract with Ontario in any fashion. I do know that they filed paperwork with the Patent and Trademark Office on February 28, 2008 claiming ownership of the name "TAK 1" and "RTAK" As you all know the name RTAK goes back to the Newt Livesay Wicked Knife Co. days...long before Ontario. But that's really not an issue to us even though it is our intellectual property - in the same way we retained ownership of all our designs.

Mike and I both have tried to call Ontario and email them asking them what's going on and what's up with the rumor but no one will speak to us or email us. With that said, we haven't been served any papers either so I'm thinking that this whole business of getting sued is simply rumor since I'm not sure what they could even sue us for. Anyway, just know that RAT Cutlery is forging ahead and plan to be in this game for a long time to come. I know one of the dealers who emailed me was sort of worried since he planned on doing some advertising on RAT Cutlery. We have too much invested to quit now

One last thing, since Ontario refuses to communicate with us in any fashion, any Ontario RAT warranty work will have to go directly to them and not through us until things change and everyone gets happy again.


Well, Nick Trbovich Jr., CEO of Ontario just called me right after I posted this. They do have letters headed our way from their attorneys. What Nick told me on the phone is he wanted us to quit using the name RAT Cutlery and basically design for them since they had "so much time" invested in us. I thought we were going to be able to reach an agreement on the phone without having lawyers get involved but when he said we had to quit using the name RAT Cutlery, I told him no way. We have been known as RAT since our beginnings in 1997. I asked him how he felt going after a small company like this and he told me that he had to worry about his stock holders and employees. I'm pissed right now. I friggin' can't believe that a huge company like Ontario is going to sue a little piss-ant company like RAT Cutlery just when it's getting started. There is no way RAT Cutlery has the funding to defend against a long, drawn-out court battle such as this may be. Nick knows that and knows he can crush us with such frivolous suits."

To me this smells of greed, pure and simple. If this goes all the way I won't be buying an OKC product in the future.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's what the knife industry is all about.  One pile of bs piled on top of another, and this is why I like the tool industry, and have concerns about the direction the multitool industry is going.

Def

[ducktapehero]

I'm in the process of emailing them and letting them know I will boycott them until they stop this.

[Tsquare]

     Post how we can send them an email and let them know what we think.  He may have to answer to shareholders but if we the consumer do not buy their products they will have bigger problems.  For those like myself who have spent literally thousands maybe even ten thousand plus in knives that may provide a substantial loss in income.  I let my wallet talk loud and clear for me on subjects such as this. 

[ducktapehero]

I just used this link from their homepage. It may not be the "right " place but I figure it'll be seen. knifesales@ontarioknife.com

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That's bloody disgusting behaviour, and typical of big business these days

Right I'll compose a smurfty email and send it too the addy DTH used, if anyone finds a different email addy could they make it known in this thread please.

[Splat]

knifesales@ontarioknife.com  appears to be the only email addy I can find on their site so that's the one to use. They have received many complaints/emails about this so hopefully these idiots will smarten up and drop this crap.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Lets remember a couple of important things here- so far we only have one side of the story, and there is also no legal action being taken as of yet.  Who knows, there may be much more to the story that could make a huge difference in how we see the situation. 

Best to perhaps do a little more digging before writing nasty messages.

Def

[Tsquare]

     Well said lets see what comes out.  Get both sides of the story and then see what to do.

[ducktapehero]

Lets remember a couple of important things here- so far we only have one side of the story,

I think from his post it's obvious what is happening. Big company is trying to have its way with small company. There's very little that the little company can do to the big company, OTOH the big company just seems to be trying to get rid of any competition and sometimes dragging them to court is cheaper than other methods.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yeah, I agree it looks like a good old fashioned butt humping, but again, there certainly could be something more to the story.  I just figure if we want to crucify and roast a company, we should know all the details and crucify and roast them for what they di, not just a blanket dislike.

Some time ago I worked a similar case where a big company seemed like it was reaming a little company.  The little company certainly spun it that way, but in fact, the big company had been floating loans to the little company, to the tune of two and a half times what the little company was worth.  In the end, the only way for the big company to recover their losses and keep the little company in business was to absorb them.  I'm not saying that's happening here, just pointing out that in a potentially legal matter, there's always more to the story than what one side is letting on.

Def

[jock1]

Yeah, I agree it looks like a good old fashioned butt humping, but again, there certainly could be something more to the story.  I just figure if we want to crucify and roast a company, we should know all the details and crucify and roast them for what they di, not just a blanket dislike.

Some time ago I worked a similar case where a big company seemed like it was reaming a little company.  The little company certainly spun it that way, but in fact, the big company had been floating loans to the little company, to the tune of two and a half times what the little company was worth.  In the end, the only way for the big company to recover their losses and keep the little company in business was to absorb them.  I'm not saying that's happening here, just pointing out that in a potentially legal matter, there's always more to the story than what one side is letting on.

Def

You have a point my tutor constable told me "Remember nobody tells the whole truth"

[parnass]

You have a point my tutor constable told me "Remember nobody tells the whole truth"

There are 3 sides to every story.

[cgk]

This is just great.  I was hoping to get a Rat knife but will now have to wait to see who they will be producing under...I will not give my money to Ontario, if like Def points out, its true.

[Splat]

Here's the link to the BladeForums thread started by Jeff, owner of RAT Cutlery: http://www.bladeforums.co...s/showthread.php?t=540826  or TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/2sun3p