The subject of the KGBA trademark has come up a few times lately on the Kinder Folks Facebook group and other internet groups. There are many benefits to the Kinder name being trademarked. There are also some misunderstandings that should be cleared up for the sake of the breed and KGBA members.

Who trademarked the “Kinder” name?

The trademark was registered by the Kinder Goat Breeders Association. Trademarking the Kinder name prevents it from being used for multiple registries or being used in ways that misrepresent the breed. Having one official breed registry means owners and breeders can be assured that the breed has one set of standards to follow and one source of registration information. As the breed expands in size and quality, all breeders should be focused on creating Kinders as close to the breed standard as possible. This trademark helps all of us do that by requiring that all first generation goats come from registered stock and that goats sold as Kinders are truly Kinder goats.

Who benefits from the Kinder name being trademarked?

The trademark benefits everyone who cares about this breed. From those that breed and sell Kinders to those that have businesses based on the milk or meat that Kinders provide, anyone selling a true Kinder has the same standards and guidelines to follow. The trademark means that all future Kinder owners should expect a goat that meets the breed standard and is actually what it is said to be. Buyers can purchase a true Kinder with the expectation that their new goat will not have disqualifying faults. All goats sold as Kinders will affect the reputation of the breed and ethical breeders are committed to ensuring that their goats show the breed well. Legally reserving the Kinder name for goats that were originally bred from a registered Nubian and a registered Pygmy protects those buying Kinders from buying a goat that is actually a cross of unregistered parents or other breeds.   

Why is it important that the Kinder name is trademarked?

If the name was not legally protected it could be used on any cross of goats that resemble Kinders. If any goat that is similar to a Kinder could be sold as a Kinder, there would be no incentive to breed the best examples of Kinders that we can. It would also mean that there would be little reason to invest in strong genetics and it would reduce the market price for goats that are bred to meet the standards. As a seller, there would be little to no market for well bred registered Kinders and no reason to improve your herd. As a buyer, there would be no guarantee that your new goats came from registered parents and are truly purebred Kinders. Without a trademark, the name could also be used by multiple registries, as some other breeds have done. That would add to the expense of raising goats by having to pay for multiple registrations to meet the requirements of different regional shows. In all aspects, the trademark protects the breed and Kinder owners.

How does that affect my and my goats?

If your goats are registered with the KGBA, or were born to a registered Nubian and a registered Pygmy and can be registered with the KGBA, you have Kinders. You can sell, breed, and show them as Kinders. If your goats are not from registered parents and can not be registered with the KGBA, you have “kinder-type” Nubian/Pygmy crossed goats. You can not legally sell or show unregisterable goats as Kinders.

Is my goat trademarked?

Individual goats are not trademarked. Only the use of the name Kinder is legally protected by trademark.

Do I need permission to use the name “Kinder”?

Per the KGBA, there is no licensing requirement to use the Kinder name on marketing or promotional materials. Although membership has many benefits, you are not required to be a member of the KGBA in order to complete a registration on your goat.

By Amy Weatherby-Johnson

The newsletter committee is working on the next newsletter, and would like to feature a few candid photos of our member’s goats to share and be appreciated. Photos that are not used may be featured in the Kinder® Communique as well. Please submit your candid photos to mgbfarms0211@gmail.com

We also need photos for the upcoming KGBA calendar! Lisa LaRose is hard at work creating another beautiful calendar for 2015, and is still looking for Kinder goat photos to include. The calendar will be available in December, but must be preordered. To submit your photos or preorder a calendar, please email Lisa at lisalarose77@yahoo.com

*** Please be sure to submit your name, your subject’s name and farm information so we can give you credit.

Well, we asked and you responded!!!

It is with a great deal of excitement that we announce our new Newsletter and Website Committees.

Paul Jones, Carla Durham and Kelsee Gibbs have volunteered to join our Website Committee. They will be working with the president to update and maintain our website and all associated media. They bring with them some great ideas and expertise, so please stay tuned for exciting changes to our website and the Communique!

Kathrin Bateman, Kim Evans, Simone Smith, Elizabeth Sweet, Chris Tuhy and Kay Spencer have volunteered for our newly created Newsletter Committee. Moving forward, they will be designing and distributing the KGBA newsletter. We have lacked the help needed to put out a newsletter this year, so this is especially good ‘news!’

Contact info for committee members will be listed on the website shortly. We welcome the donation of ideas, articles, artwork, newsletters and photos to be used in future newsletters and online publications, so please don’t hesitate to contact any of our new committee members with comments and ideas. These members are volunteering their time, knowledge and experience to make the KGBA great, and for that we thank you!!!

As you may have noticed, we have not put out a KGBA newsletter this year.

We have had a number of amazing members take on the responsibility of editing the newsletter over the last few years, and owe them each a huge debt of gratitude. They worked hard and created beautiful, informative pieces that everyone enjoyed. However, working alone on the newsletter takes a great deal of time and effort. Not many of our members have a lot of either to spare, so instead of having a single KGBA newsletter editor as we have done in the past, we would like to try something new – we would like to form a newsletter committee that works as a team to produce future newsletters, but we need your help! We need volunteers to:

– Collect articles, artwork and photos for future newsletters
– Write editorial pieces
– Create artwork for newsletters and other promotional material
– Work on newsletter layout and design
– Print and mail quarterly newsletters to members

If you are organized, detail oriented and have a way with words, please consider volunteering for our newsgroup! For more information or to volunteer, please contact Sue Beck at sue@jabeck.com.