Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Welcome to the VeRO Profile page of Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HarleyDavidson).
Our goal on this page is twofold: (1) to help eBay sellers avoid having their auctions
terminated at Harley-Davidson’s request due to trademark infringement and (2) to help
buyers and resellers of goods avoid being victimized by counterfeiters. We feel we canbest accomplish this by making sure you:
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Know the Law;
Know Your Rights;
Know How Genuine Harley-Davidson® Goods are Distributed;
Know What to Look For; andKnow Whom to Ask

NOTE TO EBAY SELLERS: Due to the overwhelming volume of counterfeit andinfringing listings and the time involved in obtaining seller contact information, HarleyDavidson has had to discontinue the practice of communicating directly with sellers prior
to requesting a takedown of infringing listings. We regret the necessity of this action, but
the need to keep counterfeit products off of eBay must be given greater priority.
A Word About Trademarks
Trademarks – such as brand names and logos – sometimes are used in a decorative
manner, but they are not mere decorations. Among other things, they tell consumers thesource (i.e., the manufacturer) of the goods they buy and who they may be able to turnto if the goods don’t perform properly.
Generally, when we talk about Harley-Davidson’s trademarks on this page, we arereferring to HARLEY-DAVIDSON and our world-famous “Bar & Shield” logo (seenabove). However, Harley-Davidson also has trademark rights in many other trademarks
and logos, including HARLEY (by itself), HD, H-D, BUELL, MOTORCLOTHES, and allof our motorcycle model names, such as SOFTAIL, FAT BOY, ROAD KING, etc.
“Harley” and “Harley-Davidson” are company-specific brand names that are properly
used only in connection with products actually made or licensed by Harley-Davidson.
Use of these terms in connection with the products of others misleads consumers andinfringes Harley-Davidson’s valuable trademark rights.
Know the Law
It is illegal (and in most states a criminal act) for anyone to create trademark-bearing
goods intended for sale without written permission directly from the trademark owner.
There are no exceptions. It is also illegal to resell such goods, even when they havebeen purchased in good faith from someone else. Therefore, if you are purchasing
goods for resale, you should make sure that you can legally resell them, beyond merely
taking the word of the person you purchased them from. Your seller may not know thatthe goods are counterfeit, but even if the seller does know, he or she could have avested economic interest in misleading you.
Note that making minor changes to the shape of a logo or changing the words inside ofa logo does not change this. There is no “X% of change” that creates a safe harbor for
the unauthorized use of trademarks.
Know Your Rights
You do have the right to use word trademarks (such as HARLEY-DAVIDSON) intruthful, informational statements descriptive of what you are selling. So, if you sell parts
and accessories that fit Harley-Davidson® motorcycles but were not made by HarleyDavidson, you may call them “Parts for Harley-Davidson® motorcycles” (but not“Harley-Davidson Parts”).
You do have the right to resell, without the need for a license or other permission,
genuine, authorized goods obtained legally.
You don’t have the right to display Harley-Davidson’s logo for any purpose, including inauctions where genuine goods are being offered. Only Harley-Davidson’s authorized
motorcycle dealers and licensees have the right to use our logo in advertising. (Notethat this refers to the display of our logo other than it appears on product. Logos that arelegitimately part of product design can be shown in photos of the product).
You don’t have the right to apply Harley-Davidson® stickers, decals, patches, andscrapbooking materials to new goods made by someone else when you intend to sellthem. These items are sold solely so that enthusiasts can decorate their already-owned
personal property. The application of a patch or decal does not turn the entire item intoa “Harley-Davidson” item, and items so decorated may not be represented as such.
You don’t have the right to use genuine, licensed HARLEY-DAVIDSON products tocreate completely new and different items. Examples: You may not use a licensed
HARLEY-DAVIDSON tin sign as the face of a clock, use licensed HARLEY-DAVIDSON
guitar picks to create jewelry, or turn a HARLEY-DAVIDSON license plate into a lamp orwind chimes. The presence of our trademarks on any goods offered for sale tells
prospective purchasers – even if you don’t say so in so many words – that the entire
object came from Harley-Davidson. Disclaimers are not an acceptable way to avoid thisrule. NOTE: There is no such thing as "authorized Harley-Davidson fabric" fromwhich you are free to make articles of your own design intended for sale. HarleyDavidson does not sell and has never sold "fabric" (in the sense of sewing fabric,sold by the yard from a bolt). We sell only finished products with specificintended uses, some of which happen to be made of fabric, such as bed linens.
Be aware that any "fabric" you see offered is either counterfeit or merely a piececut from a bed sheet, none of which may be used to make things intended forsale.
You don’t have the right to alter licensed product when you intend to sell the result. For
example, you may not take a licensed T-shirt apart to create a completely new design(such as a halter top) or replace the sleeves or other parts of the shirt with fabric of yourown choice. Trademarks owners have a very basic right – and an obligation -- to control
what goods bearing their marks look like, what they’re made of, the quality of all thecomponent parts, and the labor practices employed in their manufacture. As long as ourtrademarks remain on the goods, they may only be resold in essentially the same form
in which they were originally licensed.
You don’t have the right to use Harley-Davidson’s trademarks (such as HARLEYDAVIDSON or HARLEY) in the title of your listing if the entire product offered does not
actually come from Harley-Davidson. Our trademarks may not be used to attract
potential customers to your listings merely because what you are selling can be worn
while on a motorcycle, is in the shape of a motorcycle, has a motorcycle image on it, orjust might be of interest to people who ride motorcycles.
You don’t have the right to reproduce HARLEY-DAVIDSON or BUELL technicalpublications for any purpose; reproduction for profit is especially problematic.
Know How Genuine HARLEY-DAVIDSON® Goods are Distributed
Harley-Davidson sells its motorcycles, motorcycles parts & accessories, andMOTORCLOTHES brand clothing and collectibles only through its authorized HarleyDavidson® motorcycle dealerships.
In addition, many of our licensees – including those for T-shirts, decals, and jewelry(except Franklin Mint) – are permitted to sell only to Harley-Davidson® motorcycle
dealers. Furthermore, our licensees who do sell outside the dealer network (such as ourfootwear provider) are not permitted to sell to jobbers, brokers, and other wholesale
sources, or to people who sell solely on the Internet. Genuine HARLEY-DAVIDSON
products are not generally available at trade shows and are rarely found in flea markets,
especially in any quantity greater than a handful. Therefore, there are very few products
available at wholesale to non-dealers, and you should be suspicious of an offer to sellso-called “Harley-Davidson” goods to you at wholesale. Before you invest a lot ofmoney in inventory you won’t be permitted to sell, investigate the source. Keep in mind
at all times that the people trying to sell you goods are highly motivated to make thesale and do not have your best interests foremost in their minds. Don’t merely take theirword that the goods are claimed to be authorized.
Know What to Look For
There is no single piece of information that will help you avoid being deceived bycounterfeit goods. A little common sense, however, will go a long way. First, visit aHarley-Davidson dealership and become familiar with the look and feel of our labels,
packaging, and hang tags. Genuine goods are rarely sold loose and without packaging
and/or hang tags of some sort. Look for our logo on labels inside garments. Keep inmind that something that appears too good to be true – such as “Harley-Davidson”
leather jackets for prices far less than those offered in dealerships – probably is toogood to be true. Since Harley-Davidson dealers are the only ones who can buy direct,
they’re also generally the only ones who can give you a true “bargain.”
Other points to keep in mind:
1. There is no source in Asia authorized to make HARLEY-DAVIDSON goods
for sale to anyone other than Harley-Davidson itself or one of its licensees.
If you are buying (or reselling) goods that will be “shipped direct from Asia” to you
or your customer, the goods are counterfeit, no matter what they look like or what
you are told.
2. No authorized HARLEY-DAVIDSON jewelry is made in Mexico.
3. The only companies authorized to make HARLEY-DAVIDSON body jewelry
and Italian charms are Stamper Black Hills and MOD Jewelry. You can see
Stamper’s officially-licensed jewelry at www.stamperbhg.com. and MOD's
products at www.modjewelry.com. All other body jewelry and Italian charms
bearing Harley-Davidson's trademark are counterfeit.
4. There is only one legitimate source for neon Harley-Davidson® Signs,
which is Ace Product Management Group. Their offerings can be seen atwww.roadhousecollection.com. Currently, there are only two authorized neonHarley-Davidson® signs, and both are relatively small wall decorations.
5. The purchase of a CD containing logos in a format suitable for driving
embroidery, engraving, and vinyl cutting machines does not give you theright to use those logos on goods intended for sale, irrespective of what
the seller of the CD tells you (or does not tell you). The only way to legally
apply trademarks to goods intended for sale is to get written permission directlyfrom the owner of the trademark.
6. The presence of a ® symbol next to our trademark is not a guarantee thatthe goods are genuine. Many counterfeiters go to great lengths to deceive, andthey commonly use this symbol to do that.
7. The appearance of any words other than “Harley-Davidson Motor Cycles”
inside our logo (such as the names of other motorcycle manufacturers,
rally and event names, or general sentiments) is a dead giveaway that thegoods are unauthorized.
The only way to be certain that the (new) goods you are purchasing are genuine
HARLEY-DAVIDSON goods is to purchase them from a Harley-Davidson dealership or
licensee. In almost any other situation, you are at risk.
Know Whom to AskHarley-Davidson is happy to answer questions concerning the use of its trademarks or
to assist you in determining whether something you’re interested in buying is genuine orcounterfeit. We can be reached by e-mail at TrademarkEnforcement@harleydavidson.com.
RIDE FREE and TRADE SAFE.