How much should you protect your brand?

The value of a brand can be huge. Especially when you own an historic, storied high-end name. Like  Ferrari.

The Italian sportscar maker is fiercely protective of its identity, and understandably so. Having to deal with fakes built in back street garages in Thailand is bound to make you a bit touchy. Even so, the legal threats against a British Ferrari owner seem a little heavy-handed.

Dan Cawley of Manchester, England, is coming under pressure from the manufacturer for customizing his 360 Modena into a stretch limo. Apparently the inclusion of an additional centre section means the car no longer has the right to wear Ferrari badges. The company has given him 14 days to remove them, or face the consequences in court.

Brand identity matters, but is this really such an infringement? Swelledhead thinks the negative publicity this story will generate isn't worth the brand protection it seeks to gain.

More details here.