[CR]Re:Faliero Masi, US and Italy saga continues...

(Example: Framebuilders:Alberto Masi)

Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2001 14:44:50 -0800
From: "Jim Allen" <jimallen@nctimes.net>
To: Jerry Moos <moos@penn.com>
Cc: Bob Reid <bob.reid@btconnect.com>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
References: <B6CD7A07.5BC1%bob.reid@btconnect.com> <3AA7DA4F.50784052@penn.com>
Subject: [CR]Re:Faliero Masi, US and Italy saga continues...

1. I changed the subject line

2. I am aware of at least three times that Faliero returned to California I still have a stack of 5x7's that he signed when he was here the last time.

3. Alberto does have the same shop beneath the Vigorelli. I visited there in 1984. They are not setup to do mass production there. At that time they had someone in Bergamo producing most of the frames If they said that Alberto was producing all the frames there I think that was hype.

4. As related to me by others, the contract that transferred rights to Roland Sahm transferred rights to the world except for Italy. It is difficult enough enforcing the trademarks and copyrights in the US.

5. The Italian frames were imported and distributed by the California folks for a short time. Difficulty in dealing with Alberto prevented that from being profitable.

6. Jim Allen born elsewhere, moved to California in '55. As they say, "Welcome to California, now go home"

Jerry Moos wrote:
> I'm sure some of the guys who related the California side of the saga know what
> happened on the Italian side shortly thereafter. It's well known Faliero Masi
> returned to Italy after a breif time in California, and I presume contunued to
> produce frames there. Recent articles in VeloNews or Cycle Sport state that his
> son Alberto Masi is still producing frames, supposedly still at a shop under the
> Vigorelli, though maybe that part is hype. Alberto's frames include the 3V model,
> but in the US they are sold as the "Milano 3V" because the US rights to the Masi
> name belong to someone else (just who was mentioned somewhere in the previous
> thread, I think). I have also read that Alberto DOES use the Masi name on bikes
> sold in Italy. So what I would like to know is, did Falerio ever sell the
> world-wide rights to the name, or only the US rights, or maybe the rights
> everywhere except Italy? And did this take place at the time the California
> operation was set up or later? Was Faliero involved in framebuilding after
> returning form California, or did Alberto take that over? And were the
> Italian-made frames sold only in Italy, or all of Europe or even distributed in the
> US by the owners of the US rights? I obviously have a lot of questions and very
> few answers, but someone here probably knows most of this. At least I think this
> part will be less controversial that the California side of the saga - it should
> involve cool, logical Italians versus those hot-blooded, emotional Californians :-)
> (warning, joke.)
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
>
> Bob Reid wrote:
>
> > Come on guys give me a break and take a reality check here - I never gave
> > any opinion on art or engineering anyway - it was boring two years ago and
> > it still is - you'll all argue till dawn.....
> >
> > just please answer my question (repeated below for clarity). Surely someone
> > knows ? because Masi wasn't one man with the initials MC and I don't know
> > the answer.
> >
> > > How about someone out there explaining for the benefit of those of us who
> > > don't know, just where the real Italian Masi company (founded in 1953 ?) fits
> > > into all this diatribe rather than those produced by those individuals etc,
> > > who were licensed to use the name. Remember the real Masi company still
> > > exists.
> >
> > That is what this list is about.....
> >
> > Best Regards
> >
> > Bob Reid