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VadFarkas -> The Device formerly known as The Iron Maiden (2/2/2009 10:48:15 PM)
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The reason I'm posting this here is because "The Device" was mentioned here before
and I would like to clarify with the folowing disclaimer.
A very good customer requested I fabricate a Male Chastity Device for him
because he was not happy with the device he was currently wearing. Until
that time I had never even heard of a Male Chastity Device. I had heard of a
Female Chastity Belt however and upon doing some more research on torture,
I ran across "Die Eiserne Jungfrau" or "The Iron Maiden", in English. This
arguably authentic medieval torture device was housed in a museum in Nuremberg,
Germany. Although I can't remember seeing it back in 1965 when I was in Nuremberg,
I do remember hearing about the device even as far back as then.
While I was designing and building the chastity device for my customer,
I kept thinking that the name "The Iron Maiden" would also fit my device since
they have many similarities. They both are made of metal, they both restrict
movement, they both hint at virginity or no sex in the term Jungfrau or Maiden
and both are a sort of torture device, although mine is not intended
to be deadly or even used involuntarily.The more I thought about it, the
more I thought it was the perfect name to christen my latest product.
About one year after I started to make my chastity device, I was contacted
by my lawyer to inform me that a British band which had a registered
trademark for "Iron Maiden" was objecting to my use of their trademark and
threatening me with a lawsuit if I did not stop using their trademark or any
similar mark. It seems they thought my use somehow endangered their
trademark. I make my devices to order, by hand, one at a time and they are
very labor intensive and time consuming, unlike mass produced T-shirts or
posters for example. (which is what their trademark registrations are for) I
tried to explain, through my lawyer, where my decision for the name "The
Iron Maiden" came from and that my product in no way resembles or infringes
on the band or their profits and that my product is closer to the original Iron Maiden
than the band. They did not agree and insisted I stop using the name or
there was the possibility of legal action.
I have never made any references to the band in order to use their name to
promote my product for sales, publicity or any other kind of gain. But they
are the big guy and I'm the little guy with no money to fight, so I took the
High Road and will stop using the name "The Iron Maiden" for my product.
This is not as simple as it may sound. In order to stay in compliance with
the terms, I have to remove all references to Iron Maiden on all photos and
text on my website, I also have to contact other websites and forums that
use the term "The Iron Maiden" to describe my Male Chastity Device.
I can not believe anyone, even the band, can not see the difference between
a Medieval Torture Device, a Male Chastity Device or a British Rock Band,
no matter how famous any of them are or used to be. I wish the band luck in
that they may sell some records and T-Shirts. However, I can quite honestly
say, I will never buy either or even be a fan again.
I am under a time limit and forced to temporarily shut down the Chastity
section of my website until I have time to edit the name Iron Maiden out of
everything and come up with a new name that is not similar and can be
confused with the band's name. Also, I am posting this disclaimer on various
Internet sites that are using the name "Iron Maiden" to describe my Male
Chastity Device and asking them to please refrain from doing so in the future.
Thank you for understanding and please feel free to email me with any questions.
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