# Bride and Groom Unity Cross



## NDakota (Mar 2, 2014)

I was just volunteered,by my wife, to build a unity cross for freinds wedding. after seeing what it looked like I really need help making the inside cross! any help will be appreciated


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## PaulMaurer (Feb 22, 2014)

From a board, cut to fit inside, Drill the holes, lay out a pattern, cut it out on the band saw or scroll saw. Carve that and carefully sand. 
If you are short on tools or time, I would buy one.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Wives are great for volunteering us for projects. What happens if we volunteer them for something?
I'm looking forward to seeing the final project.


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## PatentInfringement (Oct 9, 2014)

Greetings NDakota and other wood workers,

Please let it be known that making any type of cross assembly for a wedding or other ceremony is a direct infringement on our protected Patented rights and using any name resembling "Unity Cross" is a direct violation of our protected Trademarks, issued by the USPTO. You are now on notice to cease and desist making, manufacturing, selling, and our promoting any said likeness immediately. (10-09-2014) Any further infringement WILL be prosecuted (at your expense) to the fullest extent of the law. Ignorance of said laws and protections is not a defense and we recommend that you seek legal counsel for proper understanding of your actions. Not only will you Liable yourselves but you will also Liable those that you sell it to. For questions about your infringements we recommend seeking qualified legal advice.

Thank you,
Michael Letney
Unity Cross Inc.
cc- HJK Law Assoc.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Dakota, OLd wrangler recently did one and it's in his projects,
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/106453
You'll also notice that "Patentinfringment" has posted there because his knickers are in a twist. I REALLY don't think that you can patent the cross unless your initials are JC, but whatever

Wrangler's is WAY nicer than the machine stamped items at unity cross inc. that's prolly what pissed of the other guy, go for it and do a nice one, BUT, don't post any pics of it to give the troll any fodder.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

I think we should ALL make one and ALL post them as projects with pictures…

Give Mister PatentInfringement so much to do he'll never dig out from under it all…

Herb


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I made a post on their Facebook page asking if this guy is for real. It's so absurd I'm wondering if it's some disgruntled employee (or a competitor that lost a case to them?) trying to smear their reputation. I'd have to consult my legal advisor but I don't think patent law does anything to regulate private crafts and hobbies. It would protect the trademark and also prevent others from selling similar items under the same name. If that's the case, it makes no sense for a company to spend resources going after such individuals.

Perhaps we'll hear some clarification from the company soon.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Please let it be known that making any type of cross assembly for a wedding or other ceremony is a direct infringement on our protected Patented rights

That is ridiculous, they can't stop you from making your own cross. It's the symbol of Christianity for gosh sake! Are they going to sue every church w/ cross on the steeple for performing a wedding?


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

any type of cross assembly for a wedding or ceremony?

Really?

I think that is absurd.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I got an answer from my Facebook response. They said their response is applicable towards people who intend to take orders and sell Unity Crosses. That is of course reasonable but they really do need to learn a lot about online interaction. If I were in the same place I'd have made sure to avoid miscommunications by doing some interaction with the forum rather than cut and paste and run.

They did delete my Facebook posts so I guess they're savvy enough to realize that this episode wouldn't go over well with their customer base.

I've yet to see any major company issue a public cease and desist order in this manner. The PR teams of experienced firms probably know better ways to deal with those matters.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

JAAune, Well said!


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Call it something else with slight modifications. Chinese have perfected the ripoff.


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## NikkiLaRue (May 5, 2014)

Bunch of BS


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

Speaking of Chinese, those Unity Crosses start at $115 for what appears to be a composite cross with a generic wood base. If the Chinese enter the market, those people are doomed and it won't be the odd woodworker that cost them their business.

Hopefully they spent the money to get international patents. A nation-wide patent is not much protection these days.


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## OldWrangler (Jan 13, 2014)

Had these people just nicely asked me to respect their patent or copyright, I would have been much more receptive to their request. However a direct threat gets my hackles up and now it is not about the cross but their company's integrity and my next "wedding rood" will be even more different.

Don't these people know better to mess with old guys. Who's for putting a bug in the Chinese ear about these items. They will flood the market and WalMart will have them for $9.99.

I ain't scared of no stinking lawyers.


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## mudflap4869 (May 28, 2014)

This post did not come from a lawyer. It is from some company jerk who thinks that he can bully you with threats. A copy was sent to a supposed lawyer, but just because they did that did not give it any legal force. The phrase "unity cross" might be copyrighted, and their particular design might very well be patented. But as long as you don't call it by their protected name or copy their design, you have every legal right in the world to build a cross for any purpose that you wish. Just the same as I may not call my hamburgers Big Mac, Whopper or any other trademarked name I have the right to produce all the burgers I wish. These people do not have the right to stop you from creating anything that you wish as long as you do not infringe upon their LIMITED protected line. Produce all the generic crosses you want and tell the bullies to pound sand.


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## OldWrangler (Jan 13, 2014)

Mudflap, you are a gem. I can understand not calling your burgers Big Macs (who would let their burgers be called that anyways?) but whopper is just a synonym for something big. I can have a whopper of a headache to a whopper of a problem with chinch bugs in my lawn. Maybe just don't capitalize the word.

And thanks for all the other support from friends on LJ. We somehow got to band together to keep from being gobbled up. We are endangered of losing most if not all of our amendments. If free speech and religion and guns go, the country is headed for the third world ash can.

Piss on these guys, let's get back to wood. Take a look at Monte's new design for stools. This guy is an artist and has the wood to make it so. I love his work.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Jim, Amen to that!


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Hear Hear!!!

And it's looking like a 3 day weekend too, it's sawdust time!


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## OldWrangler (Jan 13, 2014)

Aren't they all 3 day weekends. Around here one day is like the next. In the shop several hours everyday and don't break for weekends or holidays. All Columbus Day means is that we won't get any bills for 2 days.

AND IT'S ALWAYS SAW DUST TIME.


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## Racer2007 (Jan 13, 2011)

From what I saw at thier Website they don't even have one with a Cross in the center just a cross for the outside . So go Patent your design with a different name and use the Cross in the center instead of what they use. 
And if anyone asked me to make one I would use your Design ( With your permission of course  ) instead of thiers which I think is kind of Ugly anyway.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Ah Wrangler, one day, one day, maybe, but until then I need to get time away from the "Real" job to get time in the shop.


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

You can just call it's OldWood cross and say "compare to Unity Cross". That's the way it's done.


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

His unity cross is a very specific design. I don't think I understand the entire concept, but there is a lot of latitude to avoid his look.


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## NDakota (Mar 2, 2014)

i am starting to build a "Forever" cross in the near future. I hope that a-hole doesnt have forever patented! I have a niece who is paid to fight things like this. Ever since she could talk all she did was argue,so she naturaly became a lawyer!! I mentioned this matter to her and she got all in a tizzie because some corp. is picking on her favorite uncle.I will let you guys know what she finds out. Keep safe, Jim


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

I am pretty sure you no longer can patent things nationally any more, thanks to Clinton ears. An international patent cost a lot of money and statistically, once you come up with a concept, 4 other people have had the same thought almost at the same time. However, nationally, when you post a story, a picture, a program and so on it will have a copyright protection from the time it was posted. If what you make resembles closely to what someone else has posted previously, then they can ask you to remove it or have you make reference to their product. I am pretty sure of this. I have made several programs in excel to help people with disability and it is copyrighted even though it is not, in a traditional sense. Because it took me two years to develop, companies much rather offer me money to buy and use the program than to pay developers $40/hour to create one like it that does not closely resemble mine and chance a lawsuit on top of development coasts. In his case, I see absolutely no issues with copyright infringements.


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## InstantSiv (Jan 12, 2014)

The way some companies copy popular colognes is to name it "our version of (cologne name)". If you used that as the title you'd be included in the search results at least 

edit: Copy is the wrong word… Don't copy their design… it would be your take on the design.


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## Rick79 (Jan 22, 2016)

Unity Cross Infringement guy, lower your prices and then some of us can actually afford them. I'm nearly %100 out of pocket on this wedding and now I'm looking at $114+ crosses? Is that a Christian thing to do to young couples?

Old Wrangler, I can't message you until I have 5 posts here. That won't happen because my carpentry skills rank right up with my blacksmith skills. 
Please send your info to [email protected]


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I just checked the US patent office, looks like someone with the initials JC beat "Unity Cross Inc." to that particular design.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

It ain't no big thing. If you want to make one as a gift or for personal use, they can't do a thing and you can call it whatever you like.  If you want to sell them, just don't make them look exactly like this:










A couple small changes and there is no infringement to their patent.

What a load of crap that patentfool person is. 3 posts in a little over a year and all threats - even to something that doesn't even remotely look like the patented design, but simply because of what they were calling it.

Cheers,
Brad


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Do I smell a Unity Cross swap in the near future?


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## NDakota (Mar 2, 2014)

LOL!! Now that is funny! Count me in, I'm sure we can find a bride that would love one for her big day.


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