Tinman (the OG) speaks - Official Statement: "Tinman, LLC and Tinman Endurance Coaching, LLC have resolved their business differences regarding use of the TINMAN trademark and have agreed to co-exist together in a way they believe does not create potential for customer confusion."
The following is a historical perspective to the above statement for those who prefer contextual background. In the spring of 2020, I formed the Tinman Junior Elite running team, so that my young, aspiring athletes would have a singular affiliation with their friends around the country who shared the same coach. During the previous two years, they, and their parents, had often requested that I form a team, like the older version (Tinman Elite) named after me, which coached. For those of you who are curious, I formed the Tinman Elite running team in June of 2016. The first team member was Morgan Pearson, who by the way is now the #2 ranked triathlete in the world. (Go Morgan!!!). By the spring of 2020, I realized it was time to form Tinman Junior Elite running team because several of the Tinman Junior Elite runners were asking me for a logo that they could put on their racing singlets (shirts). So, I asked my wife to design a logo, which she drew on a piece of paper. We sent it to my good friend (Tim Surface) who lives North Carolina. He forwarded it to his logo designer. Once the logo was created, we shared it with the Tinman Junior Elite runners who then screen-printed on their running shirts, which they wore in track races. By late summer, it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to file for a federal trademark for the logo, so that the young runners could be assured that they would have the logo on their running clothes without somebody co-opting it. (They were so proud of that logo and what it meant to them!) So, I hired Legal Zoom to help me file for a federal trademark. The application was submitted it in October 2020.
Fast-forward to three weeks ago, I received a letter from the TME lawyer stating that I needed to abandon the federal trademark because it could confuse the public about who is selling Tinman Elite merchandise and coaching services. Specifically, I was instructed to stop using "Tinman" or "Tinman Elite" in a trademark name. After discussing the matter with my legal counsel, I decided to sign the document and abandon the trademark because it was not worth a battle for either of us. I concluded, why stress about the little things in life? Right? After all, what matters most is the people we care about and who care about us. For me, the priorities are my family, friends, the athletes I coach, and my spiritual beliefs. Time moves ahead, and sometimes the best approach is let go of the reigns and go with the flow. All is well if you believe it is! Take care!
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Sounds like they sent in the lawyers to keep his name for themselves and figured most their fans won't notice. Shame.