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PC Association slams firm for logo misuse

What's in a name?

The PC Association is warning the public of the misuse of its logo by the firm which bought the names of two troubled PC builders, Carrera Technology and Sight & Sound Computers.

Despite requests from the Association not to use the PCA Member logo in its advertisements, the company, Digital Network plc, trading as Carrera SSC, has persisted in doing so. To make matters worse the Association believes that the company had previously been warned by Trading Standards about the misuse of the PCA logo.

"The PCA logo has considerable value in the eyes of consumers. They want to buy from PCA members because they know our members conform to the Association's Code of Practice, and that we are there to help if things go wrong. The Association and its members have spent time, effort and money promoting the logo, and to see it shamelessly ripped off like this is particularly galling," said Keith Warburton, Executive Director of the PC Association.

Warburton is particularly angry over a full-page ad for the PCA in PC Plus appeared alongside one for Carrera SSC.

The advert implies that Carrera SSC has been in business for many years "supplying a large percentage of the trade and corporate sector," and hints at "why we have seen others going by the wayside". Which, if nothing else, show some balls.

Sight and Sound Computers, trading as SSC, was a member of the PC Association until June this year, at which time it was being investigated by the Association regarding alleged breaches of the Code of Practice; but it suddenly went out of business with substantial liabilities before any action could be taken. Digital Network plc purchased the company name.

When Carrera got into difficulties, its kit and name were bought by Digital Network plc but the firm itself remained in administration because no one wanted to take over the maintenance agreements the company had signed.

These were described by Steve Goderski, of Carrera's administrators Pannell Kerr Forster, as a "potentially massive black hole".

Despite this, Carrera SSC is chasing invoices from former customers who had received kit prior to Carrera's move into administration. Some have contacted The Register upset at being billed for systems they thought they were getting for free and confused about the legal situation.

We can only sympathise. ®

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