SBT News
My Boards - Brand and License Protection by Larry Bertlemann
The board I produce are prefect gems. I have a major issue with rogue shapers who are happily abusing me and my shaping friends intellectual property by ripping off or copying our shapes for their own gain.
It wouldn't be prudent for me to say who these people are but they are all well known by all of us and must be stopped. I think it is safe to say, over the past thirty years to date I have produced thousands of fantastic boards. My livelihood is all about my surfing, and the sole in my shapes.
My boards carry extremely high standards of quality and finish. I can guarantee every LB board is 100 % but how do I prove it. I can issue certificates, but these can be reproduced, I can use other product marking methods that is fine, providing you have a system to support it, there was nothing out there. Ever since the early eighties I have been aware of the risk of having my boards copied without me knowing.
I have been pondering for years for a method that could control and keep my intellectual property intact. In the advent of modern machinery, technology and computers my insecurities are further exasperated. I have searched high and low until recently I came across a brand new protection system that claimed to rectify all my insecurities and make my life a whole lot easier adding greater value to my shapes.
The system is called or known as Surfboard-tracker, SBT for short.
The system was designed by a free surfer, Andrew Smith from Wales..
Based in the United Kingdom Andrew started his company a few years back tackling theft and focused on may other issues within the industry. The company is known as SBT and is supported by Lloyds of London the one of the biggest Insurance syndicates in the world and its product is endorsed by the International Surfing Association.
As soon as I saw SBT, I got it straight away. I guess it's independence of any surfing brand, and its online presence makes is accessible but the whole system is really secure. SBT is complimentary to all types of boards action sports equipment wind, surf, SUP, Snow, Wake, and Kiteboards.
I contacted Andrew directly via his contact page on the website they were in touch inside 24 hours, really helpful and understanding. SBT was like music to my ears. I loved SBT. I got it hand it to this guy, Andrew hes cracked the whole issue, I even invited him over from the cold shores of the UK to make a board in my shaping bay, here on the islands of Hawaii. I Andrew was stoked..
Andrew fully understands the shapers psyche and has achieved a massive understanding of the surfing industry. The SBT cleverly takes care of brand protection, license management, product authenticity, marketing, theft protection and even board warranty. Taking surfboard ownership onto a whole new level. This can only be good to the industry. I examined and tested SBT system fully, I tried to find a point of failure. I couldn't find any.
Quite frankly, I don't see any issues with SBT, and I believe the system will revolutionise the industry for us shapers, retailers and surfers. My immediate reaction after checking the SBT system was to let my friends most of who are shapers know. They were completely stoked. Something at last! With SBT in my shapes, I can now be sure. Any one found to exploiting my boards they will show up as fakes.
My boards have a hidden identity, with real sole. They have SBT.
