Jesse James a Logo Thief ???

Sheet Metal Workers Union claims West Coast Choppers titan ripped off its logo

OCTOBER 8th, 2007 -- A U.S. labor union claims that Jesse James, head of the West Coast Choppers motorcycle empire, ripped off its trademarked logo and is now using the image on the company's popular calendars.

In a federal lawsuit, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association alleges that the organization's logo has been appropriated by James for calendars that have been produced by Mead and sold at, among other places, Wal-Mart.

The union's trademark infringement complaint, filed October 4 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., includes reproductions of the two logos, which can be seen below.

The union, which represents 150,000 workers, is seeking the destruction of all calendars (and any other West Coast Chopper materials) bearing "a colorable imitation" of its logo, according to its complaint.

A comparison of the circular logos reveals that the West Coast version features identical work tools as the original union logo, though it is labeled the "Jesse James Union" and carries the slogan, "Less Talking More Working."

And where the union lists its founding date (January 25, 1888), the West Coast version carries James's birth year (1969) and the acronym "FTW."