A fellow fan that remembers !  

 

I'd rather not get too much into the details here, because it's off-topic, but nothing I've found about KFC supports Tigtron's suggestions of a brand ownership split. Any changes of ownership/company name changes/etc. do not match together the way he suggests. All signs are that the move to "KFC" branding was internally motivated simply to avoid using the word "Fried" so prominently, and that the company (now "Yum! Brands") still uses "Kentucky Fried Chicken" branding on occasion. The only reason they didn't for a time was simply they didn't want to.

Re: Kassoff's involvement in buying old names, I do find it interesting that he seems to have acquired both "Robinson's" and "May Co." as separate marks, rather than the more recent "Robinsons-May." That said, I again note that he's been using "KB" frequently in his recent press releases.

Re: that last link, I wonder how much time has to pass before a trademark can said to have been abandoned in this case. "Robinsons-May" isn't mentioned in the article (nor is either of its former components), but Robinsons-May only closed down in 2006, which in this area of commerce (unlike, say, the Transformers character names we're usually talking about when discussing trademarks) may not be so long ago (but perhaps the individual "Robinson's" and "May Co.," referencing entities that stopped existing separately in 1993, are a different story?).

 

Good to know about the kfc stuff, like I said, it’s just the story I had heard back when and as a dumb kid I just rolled with it  

 

It's probably better to not compete with Wal-Mart/Target on price anyway, because they would lose. Every time. Even with a million stores a KB could never take a huge loss on toys like a Wal-Mart can.

The best bet is to still offer the same toys as those places at MSRP, but also offer everything a Wal-Mart/Target toy aisle can't. That's where Toys R Us was succeeding: By being a physical retail space for companies that can't get more than maybe two feet at best from other retailers, as well as simply offering items that can only be found at TRU.

 

No offense intended, but you probably should have avoided sharing it in a news thread. I mean reading comprehension in this thread is alteady attrocious with tons of questions repeatedly asked and answered. The KFC anecdote only fueled the confusion already going on in here. Just a suggestion.

 

Fair point   thanks for the correction though

 

You know if KB toys manages to do exclusive toys again I do hope they'll be able to do Machine Wars repaints of existing TF figures as a fun tribute 20 years ago.

 

That's Toys R Us look at the TRU exclusives

 

Someone earlier suggested that TRU still owned the KB marks, specifically to suggest that the claim by Strategic Marks wasn't any good. While I pushed back at the time (I simply didn't, and still don't, know enough to say definitively who owns what), this would suggest that TRU hasn't fully abandoned it.

Apparently, neither had Macy's re: those department store marks, if that link above (Judge: Macy’s Still Has A “Protected Interest” In Trademarks Of Retired Stores Like Marshall Field’s) is any indication.

 

Yes, because the United States Patent and Trademark Office suggests you're wrong:
Trademark Status & Document Retrieval

 

I remember entering a KB Toys to find some of the small Zoids figures, and that was quite enjoyable. I even saw TF toys, namely RID2001. Never bought one though. In fact, my first real TF toy was an Armada Hot Shot, but I don't know what store it came from.  

 

So they got the mark about 2 years ago. I wonder if TRU gave it up, or lost it due to non-use?

 

Small stores, focused products, it's crazy enough to work. Location, location, location... and a whole lot of location just opened up, now that Claire's is in trouble...

 

YES! An official tweet should be a good starting point for the hype.   

 

I worked for yum for a long time. This is not true. I know it’s been pretty much addressed, but I can say for sure instead of guessing.

 

Pretty sure that's not how it worked at all. It wasn't "sold off" but spun off (along with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) from PepsiCo into it's own business. The "KFC" change was (as I remember it, so it could be wrong) was the desire to move away from "Fried" in the name, as there was a health push at the time.

 

I used to believe that too. But apparently the name change was due to the word 'Kentucky' becoming trademarked, and they didn't want to have to pay the licensing fees.

FACT CHECK: KFC and Fried

 

I'd heard that one too in recent years, I just wasn't sure how true it was. Especially as I've recently seen a couple stores that went back to the full "Kentucky Fried Chicken" logo - it stood out because I've become used to the KFC logo.

 

Sure as hell didn't see that coming. Best wishes to them.