Feel the difference with the new SPIRIT VA www.spiritvirtual

[Ruben Font Lopez 1053578]

Hi folks we´re really glad to introduce our brand new Virtual Airline .... SPIRIT VA.. Months of hard work makes our dream come true..

 

We operate the real schedules of Spirit and their real fleet: Airbus A319 - A320 -A321 and the historical MD-82..

 

Our website has a new and fresh image like the real spirit with the Yellow logo..

 

web hope you can be part of this airline, because if you´re a Airbus or MD lover this is your place to be

 

Our intention is to get the Vatsim Certification.. Thats the reason why we´re looking for pilots.

 

Thanks for your attention and we hope you join us....

 

http://www.spiritvirtual.com

 

Ruben Font

Spirit Virtual CEO

[Mark Wolpert]

Not sure I am looking for a new VA but I will say that your website is very good.

[Christopher Liu]

Whilst it is a nice website, are Spirit aware and comfortable with how closely your site resembles theirs?

[Mark Wolpert]

I am sure he did not check but my advice is don't....as soon as you ask expect a lawyers letter....just fly under the radar for as long as possible.

[Christopher Liu]

Well there have been Spirit VAs before (such as spiritva.org) but none are open now, I wonder if that's because they got a lawyer's letter?

 

my advice is don't [check]...as soon as you ask expect a lawyers letter....just fly under the radar...

My advice is to obtain permission before starting any serious work (flying under the radar just postpones the inevitable, although having said that if you're already underway there's no point in rattling the cage); I am amazed how much time and effort people are willing to invest in making a virtual airline, without having permission, knowing that it's quite likely they could get shutdown within 3 to 6 months so all their investment was for nothing! Edited December 19, 2014 at 09:48 AM by Guest

[Bradley Grafelman]

just fly under the radar for as long as possible.

And that's likely the type of dishonesty and underhandedness that encourages companies to send out cease & desist letters rather than "let's make a deal" letters.

[Mark Wolpert]

just fly under the radar for as long as possible.

And that's likely the type of dishonesty and underhandedness that encourages companies to send out cease & desist letters rather than "let's make a deal" letters.

 

It has nothing to do with dishonesty. When companies find out they see it as "confusing for the consumer" and an infringement on their copyright. Most VA's are not affiliated with the real world airline and most operate for many years without issue. The best defence is actually in the website address and leaving the airline name out of it so that internet searches do not pick it up. I have been a member of 3 VA's (still active in 2 of them). In all cases the lawyers eventually got involved and effectively shut them down.....even though one of them had a written agreement of affiiation with the airline for over a decade.....they just pulled it one day. All are still running, just under a more cloak and dagger arrangement.

[Christopher Liu]

Most VA's are not affiliated with the real world airline and most operate for many years without issue.

Affiliation is a step above simple permission to use their trademark. In my experience most VA's based on a larger real world airlines are shutdown within 3 to 12 months, basically as soon as they start coming up on Google for that airline's name. After that period it's much less likely they'll be shut, because the copyright holder is likely already aware but has decided to tolerate the infringement, and I think those are the VAs you're noticing.

 

Also, given the mentality of many people, you can almost guarantee that if you don't ask for permission yourself then someone jealous will "ask for you".

 

Of course there is always the exception to the 12 month rule, Delta (6) and United (5) spring to mind since there seems to be a new VA based on them every month.