Manitoba to become Caribou

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Dan Snaith, who released the albums Up In Flames (2003) and Start Breaking My Heart (2001) under the name Manitoba, has changed his name to Caribou following a lawsuit in the US. Frontman for punk band The Dictators, Handsome Dick Manitoba, sued Snaith for trademark infringement, despite never having released music under the names "Manitoba" or "Handsome Dick Manitoba".

"My immediate reaction was total disbelief," says Snaith. "Most of the people I've talked to about it see this case as being utterly nonsensical. Unfortunately, US legal precedent didn't agree and faced with a court case that I couldn't afford to lose, I had no choice but to change the name."

Having spent the last year touring Up in Flames throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Australia with bands such as Stereolab, Four Tet, Broadcast and Prefuse 73, Dan is back in the studio working on the first Caribou album. Tentatively entitled The Milk of Human Kindness.

"This whole thing is an irritating distraction at a time when I'm more excited about the music I'm working on than ever before. I'm half way through finishing this new album and I can already tell that it's the best and most focused music I've ever made.

"I'm of the opinion that every second I spend talking about this Dick guy is a waste of my time."

Asked about why he chose Caribou (a large reindeer native to northern North America) as the new name, Canadian Snaith offers "We were just about to start a Canadian tour when we found out about this and it made sense to look there for the new name. We‚d heard hippy friends of ours going on 'vision quests'. I'm not sure we really understood the idea correctly but by the time we'd soaked our proverbial bandanas in the brown-acid dunk-tank and strapped ourselves to crucifixes on the back of a flatbed truck for a few weeks it became painfully obvious that the new name had to be Caribou. Talking caribou were central to our hallucinations." Ironically, news of the lawsuit came just before Snaith performed his first concert in Manitoba, the Canadian province from whence he took the name.

Snaith's previous albums will be re-released worldwide under the new name. The Special Edition version of Up In Flames will be withdrawn, with the original single CD version taking its place. So catch that one while you can!

The new album will be released worldwide under the name Caribou, through Domino in North America and The Leaf Label for the rest of the world.

"At the end of the day, nothing's going to change other than the name. I'm still attacking making music with the same fanatical vigour that I was before, and the music's only getting better."

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

he sounds like a ceo!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm sure this will lead to some quality product and that Mr Snaith's public offering will soar as a result of some agressive marketing.

― My Dinner With Little Lord Travolta (nordicskilla), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:50 (5 years ago) Permalink

"I'm of the opinion that every second I spend talking about this Dick guy is a waste of my time."

fuck you!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

i just blogged this:

Manitoba changes name to Caribou

Launch music report Manitoba becomes Caribou due to a wacky US judge and a stoopid poxy 70s yanky punk artist.

Snaith is currently working on what will be the first Caribou album, tentatively entitled "The Milk of Human Kindness".

His previous albums "Up In Flames" and "Start Breaking My Heart" will be withdrawn and re-released worldwide under the new name.

Surely if Snaith was smart, he could be carried in the US with a name: The Maple Leaf Manitoba - with the rest world unchanged.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:54 (5 years ago) Permalink

CARIBOU, CARIBOOOOOO

REPENT!!!!!, REPENT!!!!!

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

"stupid poxy 70s yanky punk artist"????? have you heard the dictators? an infinitely better band than the unbelievably boring manitoba!

(this is me as alex in nyc but i totally agree with him, so i'm serving as his unoffical emissary)

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

no - fook off US judge and plank punk !

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

plank punk does not record under said name and does not record electronic/psychedelic rock.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 16:57 (5 years ago) Permalink

Next lawsuit to be filed by Sir Elton John.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

i mean, i like that first dictators album, but whatta stupid-ass lawsuit. its the name of a province! i guess i see snaith's point, in refusing to waste time when his creative energy seems so high, but boy, if i were his publicist or worked for domino/leaf, i would never let this go through...

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:01 (5 years ago) Permalink

agreed. i hate hate hate up in flames but i do feel for the guy.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:02 (5 years ago) Permalink

this fooking punk should be totally ashamed of himself for using corporate and legal power to bully another artist who is making totally distinct and different music.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

From AMG:

"Biography by Leon Jackson
Prior to their breakup in the early 1990s, Carabou were one of the most popular pop groups in Thailand. Their 1987 album, Made in Thailand, was laced with hidden attacks on the Capitalist status quo."

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:04 (5 years ago) Permalink

In related news, Saskatchewan still available.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:04 (5 years ago) Permalink

Snaith is Canadian so this US judge and plank punk should fook off.

Snaith should have used The Maple Leaf Manitoba - in the US and verbally attacked in both judge and plank punk on a track on the next album.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:10 (5 years ago) Permalink

i think i said this the first time we talked about this, but he should release an album as "the dictator" or something.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:11 (5 years ago) Permalink

Canadian Dictator

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:12 (5 years ago) Permalink

punk should be against abusing corporate/legal power.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:12 (5 years ago) Permalink

he should change his name to manitoba x!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

womanitoba

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

isn't handsome Dick Manitoba the corpse in the coffin in the worst Jackass sketch?

― Porkpie (porkpie), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:19 (5 years ago) Permalink

Manitoba Jr.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

The guy has no grounds to go on. You don't just have a trademark, you are required to actively enforce it. Manitoba has been using the trademark of "Manitoba" for years, pushing albums and shows and such without notification of the infringement.

This is the case whether the trademark is registered or not. And to be honest, it sounds like Handsome Dick Manitoba probably wasn't even declared publicly as a trademark, let alone registered.

I mean what the f*&^? The guy was a punk artist and now he's drawing up cease and desist letters and law suits with no basis, just to scare folks into giving him money/stop what they're doing.

But also it looks like Dan got the letter, talked some smack to his friends, but in the end chickened out of defending himself. A simple letter from a reputable Legal Firm would have probably cleared this up right away. The chance of this ever entering a court room is slim to none. Even if Dick was abstinent a judge would toss this out pronto.

― Mike Salmo (salmo), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm surprised that the record label (who has to, you know, repress thousands of copies of records with a different name and artwork) didn't look into it further.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:44 (5 years ago) Permalink

That may be the case, mike, but this is all publicity for Snaith now, isn't it? Handsome Dick has no product to push, no profile to speak of, whereas loads more people are gonna become aware of Snaith via this, and it's likely that most of his current fans will be aware of what's happened and follow his new name.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

Frontman for punk band The Dictators, Handsome Dick Manitoba, sued Snaith for trademark infringement, despite never having released music under the names "Manitoba"

He did release something under the name "Manitoba's Wild Kingdom", though. (I just found this out because I wondered how that band escaped legal wrath. Turns out it was his band.)

― Vic Funk, Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:50 (5 years ago) Permalink

the whole "that's not v. punk rock" thing is neither here nor there. the bottom line is that dick's legal action is malicious no matter how you slice it, not least because they couldn't be making more dissimilar music.

(xpost nick if you think the overage of publicity generated from this incident is enough to make up for the brand name recognition lost by having to go from manitoba to caribou, then, well, i don't know what.)

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

manitoba 1979

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

the manitoba manitoba

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

Hasn't Handsome Dick Manitoba been an asshole since day one? I thought that was part of his schtick, like Meltzer. 'Live and let live' would have run counter to his image, if not his entire worldview.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

HOLD ON!!! WILD KINGDOM OFTEN FEATURED CARIBOU!!!!

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 7 October 2004 17:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

on the plus side, theres like 4 or 5 newly-collectible items out there in stores!

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:01 (5 years ago) Permalink

I think he should call himself Dan Caribou now.

(btw, I don't even know if I like Manicaritobabou. I've got one mp3 which has got some guitar and huge live-sounding drums. If the rest of the album sounds like that, I'd probably like it.)

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

"manicaritobabou" is brilliant

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:07 (5 years ago) Permalink

look, i wrote a(n) haiku!

manitoba is
manicaritobabou,
post-litigation.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:08 (5 years ago) Permalink

haha

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:09 (5 years ago) Permalink

Wait, seriously, Yanc3y -- regardless of how much you like the Dictators, you couldn't possibly see this lawsuit as having any merit?

― Taxi Dancing in the Soft Prison (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:13 (5 years ago) Permalink

Handsome Dick Caribou

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:13 (5 years ago) Permalink

more background on the name:

http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicArtistsM/manitoba.html

June 25, 2004
What's in a name? Just ask Manitoba
By ROB WILLIAMS
Winnipeg Sun

When Dan Snaith talks to Canadian journalists he always has to answer the same question: Why does he record and perform as Manitoba?

"I'm not from Manitoba and haven't been there in 10 years but I wanted a name that to most people was totally meaningless," he says over the phone from his London, England, home.

"I wanted something that represented something Canadian and out of the way and not trendy; something more down-to-Earth instead of it's in this week and out the next.

"I also like the way Manitoba looks and sounds and going around the world hearing people putting the emphasis on different syllables."

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

I was hoping the province was changing its name.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:21 (5 years ago) Permalink

Your search - hipster caribou - did not match any documents.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:21 (5 years ago) Permalink

An anaolgy might be Chicago suing the Chicago Underground Trio.

How about: Klaus Flouride v. Aquafresh

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

i think as long as it's spelled "flouride", he has no case to copyright "fluoride".

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:46 (5 years ago) Permalink

-- peter smith (reesewitherspoo...), October 7th, 2004.

actually, Domino Record Co. *did* attempt to fight it but they felt their chances, if it went to court, were basically 50/50. All Dick had to prove was that a reasonable number of people might have bought a Snaith disc thinking it was a Dick disc, and he had a valid case. As well, Dick had one of NYC's top copyright lawyers working pro bono and Domino would have to cough up the cash for one of their own to match, which wouldn't have been cheap. basically Domino and Snaith made the choice that would hurt them the least financially. yeah, they coulda won, but the way things work they coulda lost just as easily.

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

next on Dick's chopping block: The Handsome Family

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

Oh no, look out Handsome Boy Modelling School!!

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 7 October 2004 18:54 (5 years ago) Permalink

Re:
All Dick had to prove was that a reasonable number of people might have bought a Snaith disc thinking it was a Dick disc, and he had a valid case

Manitoba would never be in the punk section of a record store.

Anyone buying a Manitoba - Up in Flames - expecting a punk record by a washed by old punk from the 70s - needs to be certified mentally incapacitated i.e incapable of making basic economic consumer decisions.

on the otherhand Manitoba - Up in Flames was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2003 [Number 11 most acclaimed album using the metacritic scores] with many US and UK publications championing the album.
http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/manitoba/upinflames/

http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2003.shtml

come on many entertainment/ brand/ music lawyers in NYC would love to fite the case, surely?

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 19:10 (5 years ago) Permalink

As well, Dick had one of NYC's top copyright lawyers working pro bono

How did he manage that?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 7 October 2004 19:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

to that i have no answer. admittedly a very good question.

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Thursday, 7 October 2004 19:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

best suggestions re: name change were here:

what should MANITOBA change his name too?

― my name is... (downtown81), Thursday, 7 October 2004 20:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

dick would manage that cuz he's been around forever -- he has many friends, here. no i don't think his lawsuit has any weight. it surprises me, actually. and he really ain't that bad a guy. go hang out at his bar!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Thursday, 7 October 2004 20:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

Manitoba Starship

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 7 October 2004 20:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

What's in a name? Just ask Manitoba
By ROB WILLIAMS
Winnipeg Sun

wait, did this guy get permission from the UK pop singer of the same name to write this article? robbie's lawyers are going to have a field day.

oh, and fuck handsome dick. i'm not just saying this because of my canuck-ness. i really can't imagine what benefit he was hoping to achieve from this. did dan fuck his girlfriend or something? jesus. i won't go into it but for the record i've been involved in a lot of music/legal issues over the years and this is the most ridiculous thing i've ever seen go through the system.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 7 October 2004 20:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

As well, Dick had one of NYC's top copyright lawyers working pro bono

This is the key point. As for:

Surely if Snaith was smart, he could be carried in the US with a name: The Maple Leaf Manitoba - with the rest world unchanged.

My understanding is that the legal settlement made it clear that the new name could have no reference whatsoever to "Manitoba", so this wasn't an option.

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 7 October 2004 21:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

http://www.caribou.fm/

Due to a lawsuit in the US I've been forced to change my name from 'Manitoba' to 'Caribou'. Full details are below but suffice it to say I'm left in equal parts confused, enraged and saddened by this aggressive litigious behaviour which doesn't seem to me to have benefitted anyone.
The good news is that Up In Flames and Start Breaking My Heart will still be available through the usual sources under the name Caribou and that I'm half way through working on a new album which I'm really happy with so far.
As always, I really appreciate the feedback I get from people about my music and thanks for your continued support.
Dan

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 21:04 (5 years ago) Permalink

If you look at the AMG database there are hundreds of artists that share the same name in part of their artist name.

Manitoba is Canadian not a yank, he could have said fook you, i am using am using: The Maple Leaf Manitoba - this represents and reasserts my national identify.

The Maple Leaf = Canadian Identity
Manitoba = part of Canada

These words have nothing to do with a washed out has been punk, that has not released any music of note under the brand name Manitoba this century.

A region state of Canada is way more important than a surname of an obscure punk that means naff all in the 21st century [and certainly that Dan Snaith was completely unaware of]. Stating the obvious from facts this Dick Manitoba has never released music under the id Manitoba ! never mind The Maple Leaf Manitoba

So what if a musician has the same surname as a entity such as Canadian region - this does not give him automatic legal rights to exclusive use of that name in music.

the only way this Dick Manitoba would have a case if Manitoba was making punk rock music of a similar style to The Dictators, and this was causing some confusion.

I am sorry on this one Leaf & Domino should have made a stand, they need to stand up to malicious bully wankers such as Handsome Dick Manitoba.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 7 October 2004 21:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

Domino would have to cough up the cash for one of their own to match, which wouldn't have been cheap

What good is all that Franz Ferdinand money if they're not going to waste it?!

― Vic Funk, Thursday, 7 October 2004 22:07 (5 years ago) Permalink

Manitobiloba would have been much better.

― Kim (Kim), Thursday, 7 October 2004 23:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

Pitchfork talk to Dan Snaith
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/04-10/08.shtml

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 8 October 2004 12:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm already bored of every review of Snaith's next album spending the first paragraph talking about the name change. And quite possibly every review of the album after that.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 8 October 2004 12:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

You could just be bored with the album instead.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

snaith is my friend, so as for spending time discussing this name-stuff instead of music, I can safely say he's not in favour. I'm sure he'd rather talk music or math.

― scout, Friday, 8 October 2004 14:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

The House of New Brunswick is still free for choosing.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:54 (5 years ago) Permalink

Canadian Dictator is still the best suggested name change

― Avi (Avi), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:13 (5 years ago) Permalink

This morning, I bought an ELO album and bugger me roughly if it's not a pile of old Mr Blue Sky toss.

Where are the Arafat speeches?
Where is the sound of Apache gunships over the West Bank?
Where is my free souveneir section of the security wall?

I demand my money back - and I'll see you in court, Lynne.

― coco, Friday, 8 October 2004 15:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

Mabitona

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Friday, 8 October 2004 16:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

the douchebag Handsome Dick Manitoba ! get's it !

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007/02/manitobas_force.html#comments

― djmartian, Thursday, 1 March 2007 18:50 (3 years ago) Permalink

Fuckturd.

From the comments, my new favourite word!

Karma is a powerful thing but I wonder did changing his name affect Caribou or did it bring him more attention? That comments section is frightening. Boys be needing beef and beer, not broccoli and bitterness!

― kv_nol, Monday, 5 March 2007 10:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

did dan fuck (dick's) girlfriend or something?

Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton) on Thursday, 7 October 2004 20:51 (2 years ago)

Yes. Told her he was manitoba.

― Mark G, Monday, 5 March 2007 10:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

Your search - "ugly cunt manitoba" - did not match any documents.

― nabisco, Monday, 5 March 2007 20:02 (3 years ago) Permalink

here's hoping he loses the bar, fuck him

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 5 March 2007 20:16 (3 years ago) Permalink

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.