I'll have to change my name now North Kiteboarding is no more..

[Dirk]

I hope to something like ION KITEBOARDING or TRUE KITEBOARDING , that’s the best way i think and for sure sounds better than DUOTONE


I agree with that.

+1. From a marketing perspective I would use a brand out of the portfolio which already has equity. For me ION would be the closest as it feels interwoven with North already. Fanatic would be my second choice.

[Toby]

I think the success of ION is that it has no own kite relation.
Meaning that a Cabrinha rider can also ride ION.
Guess if it would be North accessories a Cab rider would rather not buy it...

Plus if they need to pay royalties for using the North name, they would even pay more to them...

[kite_hh]

B&M who manufactures North kites and windsurfing sails uses the name under a licence - it does not own the name. North Sails Group, which owns the name, wants to buy B&M and threatened to not renew the licence if B&M refuses the buyout. B&M did refuse. Simple.

Thank you! This was the single most informative post in this whole thread.
I finally (think I) got what is going on (and registered just to thank effisk for the valuable post).

[Liquidleisure]

and now let's see what's gonna happen' in June/july!

Duotone (like a Supercar or Guitar) or...... FINGER CROSSED!

[Da Yoda]

I think the success of ION is that it has no own kite relation.
Meaning that a Cabrinha rider can also ride ION.

I'm sorry, but I can't imagine that Neil Pryde (NP Surf) who owns Cabrinha would ever allow their athletes to ride/use products from a major competitor to NP Surf.
Please correct me if I'm wrong!

[Da Yoda]

I have a Duotone snowboard. It was a brand under F2 but it has been dead for some years now.

I'm really struggling with the idea that the long, dead snowboard brand Duotone would want to become a "zombie brand" that now identifies itself as a kiteboarding brand.
This would be equivalent to Mutiny Kites acquiring Burton Snowboards and then renaming them Mutiny Snowboards. It makes no sense!
The Zombie Apocalypse is truly upon us!

[K3rM1t]

B&M who manufactures North kites and windsurfing sails uses the name under a licence - it does not own the name. North Sails Group, which owns the name, wants to buy B&M and threatened to not renew the licence if B&M refuses the buyout. B&M did refuse. Simple.

Thank you! This was the single most informative post in this whole thread.
I finally (think I) got what is going on (and registered just to thank effisk for the valuable post).

I thought so too, but something isn't right. B&M (according to their website) claims that they own North Sails. So are all these brands under the same B&M umbrella fighting? Is B&M just distributing North Sails?

I'm so confused. Also a little confounded why companies make it so secret how they work/run. What are they trying to hide?

Personally bummed if they do go with Duotone as it's a terrible name.

(edit) This is interesting: https://ecf.ctd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/sh ... 8cv0160-16

[purdyd]

That court document puts another spin on the story.

North sails wants boards and more to continue using the north name so they can collect royalties.

Boards and more apparently wanted to create a new brand name and stop paying. Around the time duotone was registered was when the claim was made.

Tactic to renogotiate the royalty? Response to a north buyout proposal?

[Toby]

But can they sue if BM does not want to use the name anymore ?

[marlboroughman]

This sounds like a joke...almost as bad a joke as Donald Trump becoming president...

Or maybe it will grow on you.