My Boards - Brand and License Protection by Larry Bertlemann
The boards I produce are prefect gems. I have a major issue with rogue shapers who are happily abusing me and my shaping friends intellectual property by ripping off or copying our shapes for their own gain.
It wouldn’t be prudent for me to say who these people are but they are all well known by all of us and must be stopped.
I think it is safe to say, over the past thirty years to date I have produced thousands of fantastic boards.
My livelihood is all about my surfing, and the sole in my shapes.
My boards carry extremely high standards of quality and finish. I can guarantee every LB board is 100 % but how do I prove it.
I can issue certificates, but these can be reproduced, I can use other product marking methods that is fine, providing you have a system to support it, there was nothing out there.
Ever since the early eighties I have been aware of the risk of having my boards copied without me knowing.
I have been pondering for years for a method that could control and keep my intellectual property intact.
In the advent of modern machinery, technology and computers my insecurities are further exasperated.
I have searched high and low until recently I came across a brand new protection system that claimed to be the answer of all my insecurities and make my life a whole lot easier adding greater value to my shapes.
The system is known as Surfboard-tracker, SBT for short.
The system was designed by a surfer called Andrew Smith from Wales..
Based in the United Kingdom, Andrew started his company a few years back then tackling theft and focused on many of the other issues within the industry.
The company is known as SBT and is supported by Lloyds of London, one of the biggest Insurance syndicates in the world and its product is endorsed by the International Surfing Association.
As soon as I saw SBT, I got it straight away. I guess it's independence of any surfing brand, and its online presence makes it attractive the whole system is really secure and very easy to use.
SBT is complimentary to all types of action boards sports equipment wind, surf, SUP, Snow, Wake, and Kiteboards.
I contacted Andrew directly via the SBT contact page on the website they were in touch inside 24 hours, really helpful and understanding. SBT was like music to my ears. .
I got it hand it to Andrew he’s cracked the whole issue, I’ve even invited him over from the cold shores of the UK to make a board w me in my shaping bay, here on the islands of Hawaii. I think he was stoked..
Andrew fully understands the shapers psyche and has achieved a massive understanding of the surfing industry from top to bottom.
The SBT system cleverly takes care of all my brand protection, license management, product authenticity, marketing, theft protection and even board insurance for surfers who buy my boards.
SBT has taken surfboard ownership onto a whole new level. This can only be good to the industry With SBT they can be sure about the product they purchase. If a board is stolen it can actually lsit the board as stolen so that shops, e-bayers or anyone can potentially check it out before buying a new or used board.
.I examined and tested SBT system thoroughly, I tried to find a single point of failure,
I couldn’t find one.
Quite frankly, I don’t see any issues with SBT, and I believe the system will revolutionise the industry for shapers, retailers and surfers for years to come.
My immediate reaction after checking the SBT system was to let my friends most of which are shapers know. They were completely stoked.
With SBT in my shapes, I can now be sure.
Written by Larry Bertlemann Oct 09.
