Property, intangible

Some people like to geek out on skateboard paraphernalia, while others like to geek out on intellectual property rights. Our worlds have collided. If you know Zorlac you probably know it was sold some time in the late 80’s, with Jeff Newton remaining on in some capacity, but the company definitely had an altered vibe. Some time in the next decade the brand ceased to exist for all intents and purposes. Some time after the millennium Jeff started up Gringo skateboards, using some similar imagery and marketing, and then suddenly Zorlac reappeare, but with Newton at the helm again. I wondered how he gained control of the trademark, or if he was just barging it since no one else seemed to be using it. Back in 2000 Rob Mertz was quoted in Transworld Business (summarized here) about the apparent retiring of the Zorlac brand, right about the same time all the old school guys and collectors were coming out of the woodwork. The phrase “Smooth move Ex-Lax” seemed appropriate at the time, but eventually Syndrome wasn’t going to take it, ahem, sitting down. Property, intangible has an interesting piece on the battle for the Zorlac trademark that Newton apparently lost. It’s written from a skateboard-agnostic perspective and contains a bit of history as well. Worth reading if the name Zorlac holds any place in your head or heart. The image used for this post was from a Starkist Tuna promotional t-shirt featured in the May 2008 eBay Watch. If you look closely you can see a small Zorlac sticker on the ramp. It seemed fitting.

Update: Turns out Jeff Newton posted the link on Skull & Bones.