I first discovered this issue when I bought my Voyager 2.5 years ago. I was surprised to discover that my example looked different from all the web images I had seen - specifically, all references to Moog music and the Moog logo had been painstakingly removed from the synth - even to the extent of removing the Moog logo on the pocket of the padded Gig-bag which came with the Sig. edition, and blanking references to the name in the manual.
I emailed Moog music and Mike Adams responded with a breakdown and explanation of the whole sad story (the link in the Turnkey blowout post to the UK patent office gives the gruesome details). Moog had made a fair offer to the holder of the UK trademark in order to begin using it again in the UK, but were turned down. The bottom line was that Bob Moog was finally able to trade using his own name as a trademark all over the world - except the UK.
Moog Music then made a very unusual business decision. Because of the close historic association between Moog and the British music scene (think Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman etc.), Moog felt that it was important that his first new synth in 25 years should be available to musicians in a country which had done so much to advance the cause of electronic music and the Moog sound. In order for them to be able to import and sell the keyboards in the UK, Moog had to reemove all reference to Moog music and the Moog logo, as described above - even those on the cardboard shipping cartons. That all cost the company money, and the UK market really owes Moog and the UK importers, Arbiter (who own Turnkey), a big thanks for going to all the trouble - they could easily have decided not to bother, and just expect UK customers to import their machines from overseas, with all the support and warranty hassles that would entail.
I was therefore not that suprised to see my PRO had undergone the same treatment, although the shipping carton had been sealed with Moog music logo covered parcel tape !
Kind regards,
Simon
I emailed Moog music and Mike Adams responded with a breakdown and explanation of the whole sad story (the link in the Turnkey blowout post to the UK patent office gives the gruesome details). Moog had made a fair offer to the holder of the UK trademark in order to begin using it again in the UK, but were turned down. The bottom line was that Bob Moog was finally able to trade using his own name as a trademark all over the world - except the UK.
Moog Music then made a very unusual business decision. Because of the close historic association between Moog and the British music scene (think Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman etc.), Moog felt that it was important that his first new synth in 25 years should be available to musicians in a country which had done so much to advance the cause of electronic music and the Moog sound. In order for them to be able to import and sell the keyboards in the UK, Moog had to reemove all reference to Moog music and the Moog logo, as described above - even those on the cardboard shipping cartons. That all cost the company money, and the UK market really owes Moog and the UK importers, Arbiter (who own Turnkey), a big thanks for going to all the trouble - they could easily have decided not to bother, and just expect UK customers to import their machines from overseas, with all the support and warranty hassles that would entail.
I was therefore not that suprised to see my PRO had undergone the same treatment, although the shipping carton had been sealed with Moog music logo covered parcel tape !
Kind regards,
Simon
