There it was, big as life on a web page from NTNews.com.au. A headline only an Australian copy editor could love (and one I secretly wished I had a shot at).
"Butting Heads Over Sheep Nuts Balls-up"
Oh, those cheeky Aussies!
The July 13 story told the tale of George Mikhael, owner of NT Tyre Service in the northern town of Darwin who is literally butting heads with Goodyear Dunlop, the Australian subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
A few weeks ago, Mikhael leased the former Tom’s Tyres in Darwin, which had been something of a local institution, and moved his business into the space. Happens all the time, right? Best of all, Tom’s Tyres had been in place for 50 years, so the location was well-known. Far and wide.
All because of its sign.
Sporting the slogan “The black sheep of the tyre family,” the iconic sign features a black ram with large red testicles. Kinda hard to miss. In a “take a left when you see the giant red sheep…” sort of way.
Tom’s Tyres was owned by Goodyear Dunlop, and when he took the lease on the property, Mikhael was instructed to remove everything. But he doesn’t want to part with the sign, which has graced the city for half a century.
"It is an icon we don’t want to lose," the Darwin-born-and-bred tire dealer told the NT News. "It has got something to do with history. If you took that off a lot of people would arc up in Darwin."
Goodyear Dunlop, however, sees the sheep as intellectual property and claims Mikhael had no right to it. "The trademark to Tom’s Tyres, including the names, colors and images, is synonymous with the brand," said Goodyear Dunlop spokesman James Peate. "The new tenants aren’t part of Goodyear Dunlop and we have not approved for them to use the sign."
Complicating matters is the fact that Mikhael is not a Goodyear Dunlop dealer. This dust up is probably not going to help matters.
Peate suggested that Mikhael could buy the trademark and keep the sign, but named no figure. The tiremaker has warned Mikhael a number of times to remove the sign.
But Mikhael is standing firm. Backed by history and a giant ram with its dangling bits exposed. In red.
