The Story Behind the Cachuro & Gonzalo

Back in 2009, I was the only U.S. vendor to carry Vie-Long brushes. The brushes all had model numbers such as the 04312 and 04102 which did not sound catchy at all. It seemed to me that they would be much more likely to be discussed if they had a name associated with them. Since my company name is Bullgoose and because Vie-Long is in Spain, I decided to name all of the Vie-Long brushes after Spanish Bulls -at least that was the general theme.

The Cachurro and Gonzalo were named after bulls that actually defeated the matador. There were others as well such as the Toro Ganso (loosely translated as Bull Goose), the Paleon (another victorious Bull) and others than I can no longer recall.

In 2013 or so, a Canadian distributor started importing the brushes and supplying all of the U.S. and Canadian vendors. The funny thing is, they did not realize that all of these brushes were named by me for my shop. I should have copyrighted the names.

A columnist for a gourmet magazine vacationed in Spain and attended the bullfights. Later his party went to a restaurant. The owner, recognizing his distinguished guest , offered one of a few 'Bullfight Especials'. The waiter proudly brought out two large meatballs. They were a version of our
own Rocky Mountain Oysters and delightfull. He later wrote a glowing review with references to Hemingway's DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON.
Several years later he was in Tijuana and attended the bullfights. Pushing through crowds of summer break college kids his party entered another
new restaurant to review. He thought to impress his party and requested a Bullfight Especial. The owner's eyes grew wide at his knowledge and soon a Mexican version; bedded in tortilla chips, covered in rice, beans and salsa appeared. After the plates were removed for Flan the owner
nervously approached to check on his famous guest. 'Was everything satisfactory, senor'? Oh, Mui bueno, but it WAS a small portion. Oh patron, it
is so sad ( crossing himself with a tear) today, the bullfighter? he lost.

This happens at Taco Bell all the time.

Interesting story Phil.

Phil should have. Then all those people discovering Vie Longs on forums and spending money on Amazon to save a few dollars would still give back something.

Enjoyed the story, Phil.

Interesting little tidbit there, Phil... I wonder if an individual / business can even copyright a name for a numbered product made by another party? What was Vie-Long's reaction to your naming of their products?

I used a Gonzalo on and off for a year. Great feeling handle, weight, balance, etc. The knot however was not my cup of tea.

I think we need a naming scheme for Thäter brushes.

'The Karl' would be a  mistake.

(07-10-2016, 11:58 AM)Nero Wrote: I think we need a naming scheme for Thäter brushes.

haha...I actually did name the Thater and Omega brushes several years ago (2009 or 2010). I had a series of Omega synthetic brushes and I named them all after Italian Opera singers. Not only did the names not catch on, Omega discontinued the brushes.

A couple of my names for the Thater brushes were Stout and Plexi...I was running low on ideas at the time.

(07-10-2016, 11:25 AM)chazt Wrote: Interesting little tidbit there, Phil... I wonder if an individual / business can even copyright a name for a numbered product made by another party? What was Vie-Long's reaction to your naming of their products?

I used a Gonzalo on and off for a year. Great feeling handle, weight, balance, etc. The knot however was not my cup of tea.

Oscar was supportive of it.

Oscar esta mui sympatico amigo!

(07-10-2016, 01:09 PM)bullgoose Wrote:

(07-10-2016, 11:58 AM)Nero Wrote: I think we need a naming scheme for Thäter brushes.

haha...I actually did name the Thater and Omega brushes several years ago (2009 or 2010). I had a series of Omega synthetic brushes and I named them all after Italian Opera singers. Not only did the names not catch on, Omega discontinued the brushes.

Ouch. 

(07-10-2016, 07:32 AM)bullgoose Wrote: Back in 2009, I was the only U.S. vendor to carry Vie-Long brushes. The brushes all had model numbers such as the 04312 and 04102 which did not sound catchy at all. It seemed to me that they would be much more likely to be discussed if they had a name associated with them. Since my company name is Bullgoose and because Vie-Long is in Spain, I decided to name all of the Vie-Long brushes after Spanish Bulls -at least that was the general theme.

The Cachurro and Gonzalo were named after bulls that actually defeated the matador. There were others as well such as the Toro Ganso (loosely translated as Bull Goose), the Paleon (another victorious Bull) and others than I can no longer recall.

In 2013 or so, a Canadian distributor started importing the brushes and supplying all of the U.S. and Canadian vendors. The funny thing is, they did not realize that all of these brushes were named by me for my shop. I should have copyrighted the names.

What is your favorite Vie-Long brush?

(07-10-2016, 02:12 PM)Asafiev Wrote:

(07-10-2016, 07:32 AM)bullgoose Wrote: Back in 2009, I was the only U.S. vendor to carry Vie-Long brushes. The brushes all had model numbers such as the 04312 and 04102 which did not sound catchy at all. It seemed to me that they would be much more likely to be discussed if they had a name associated with them. Since my company name is Bullgoose and because Vie-Long is in Spain, I decided to name all of the Vie-Long brushes after Spanish Bulls -at least that was the general theme.

The Cachurro and Gonzalo were named after bulls that actually defeated the matador. There were others as well such as the Toro Ganso (loosely translated as Bull Goose), the Paleon (another victorious Bull) and others than I can no longer recall.

In 2013 or so, a Canadian distributor started importing the brushes and supplying all of the U.S. and Canadian vendors. The funny thing is, they did not realize that all of these brushes were named by me for my shop. I should have copyrighted the names.

What is your favorite Vie-Long brush?

Probably either the silvertip Butterscotch Beehive or the silvertip Lord Randal.

(07-10-2016, 02:16 PM)bullgoose Wrote:

(07-10-2016, 02:12 PM)Asafiev Wrote:

(07-10-2016, 07:32 AM)bullgoose Wrote: Back in 2009, I was the only U.S. vendor to carry Vie-Long brushes. The brushes all had model numbers such as the 04312 and 04102 which did not sound catchy at all. It seemed to me that they would be much more likely to be discussed if they had a name associated with them. Since my company name is Bullgoose and because Vie-Long is in Spain, I decided to name all of the Vie-Long brushes after Spanish Bulls -at least that was the general theme.

The Cachurro and Gonzalo were named after bulls that actually defeated the matador. There were others as well such as the Toro Ganso (loosely translated as Bull Goose), the Paleon (another victorious Bull) and others than I can no longer recall.

In 2013 or so, a Canadian distributor started importing the brushes and supplying all of the U.S. and Canadian vendors. The funny thing is, they did not realize that all of these brushes were named by me for my shop. I should have copyrighted the names.

What is your favorite Vie-Long brush?

Probably either the silvertip Butterscotch Beehive or the silvertip Lord Randal.

I use the butterscotch Vie-Long as part of my rotation. Love the backbone of this brush and the way it handles hard soaps.

(07-10-2016, 07:32 AM)bullgoose Wrote: In 2013 or so, a Canadian distributor started importing the brushes and supplying all of the U.S. and Canadian vendors. The funny thing is, they did not realize that all of these brushes were named by me for my shop. I should have copyrighted the names.

(Didactics = On)  For future reference:  copyright (in the Constitution of the United States, Congress is required to protect copyrights) is very different from trademark, which is a common law outgrowth of the law of unfair competition.  Generally speaking, names, as such, are not regarded to be among “all the works of an author,” de minimis, and therefore are ineligible for copyright protection.  The only rights that can be acquired in a trademark at common law derive from actual use in commerce, and in the United States registration of a trademark creates procedural and evidentiary advantages for the registrant, but does not create rights in the trademark itself.  Registration of a copyright is not a necessary action  to acquire a right in the copyrighted work; the international treaties in respect of copyrights recognize that a copyright arises from the actual act of creation of an original work, not from registration in any jurisdicton.  Registration of a trademark, likewise, is separate from the creation of rights in a trademark through actual use; and more than 90 percent, probably more than 95 percent, probably more than 99 percent, of the valid and enforceable trademarks in the world never have been registered.  

Aside from the aspects of law, a good rule of thumb is that when a layman (laywoman, layperson) uses either of the nouns “copyright” or “trademark” as a verb, the sentence that contains that verb usually is false.  Similarly, when a lawyer uses a word such as “certainly” or “obviously” in the support of a proposition, the proposition almost invariably turns out to be anything but certain or obvious. 

(Quietly stepping back down from didactic soapbox.)