Spinning (cycling)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Product type | indoor cycling instruction & exercise equipment |
|---|---|
| Owner | Mad Dogg Athletics |
| Country | U.S. |
| Introduced | 1993 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Ambassador(s) | John Baudhuin |
| Website | spinning |
Spinning is a brand of indoor bicycles and indoor cycling instruction classes distributed and licensed by the American health and fitness company Mad Dogg Athletics.[1] Launched in 1993, the brand has become a popular term for indoor bicycles and indoor cycling fitness classes in the United States and worldwide.[2]
There are ongoing disputes to whether Spinning has become a generic term for indoor cycling equipment and Mad Dogg's trademark should be removed.[3][4][5]
The Spinning indoor cycling program was developed by South African endurance bicycle racer Jonathan Goldberg, in 1987.[6] Early prototypes were targeted towards endurance athletes as a substitute for outdoor bicycle training.[7][8]
The Johnny G Spinning Center was first opened in 1989, in Santa Monica, California. Later it was moved to Karen Voight Fitness in 1992 .[9] In 1993, Goldberg and his business partner John Baudhuin launched the Spinning indoor cycling fitness program in Santa Monica, California.[10][11] The first Spinning brand indoor cycling programs were held in Crunch gyms in New York.
In 1995, Spinning bikes would debut at a trade show as part of a deal Goldberg and Baudhuin made with the Schwinn Bicycle Company.[9] In 1996, there were more than a thousand Official Spinning Facilities spanning over 30 countries.[12]
In 2003, Star Trac replaced Schwinn as the bike manufacturer for Spinning.[9] Goldberg retired from the company in 2004.[10][13] In 2015, Mad Dogg Athletics partnered with Precor to create a new line of commercial Spinning bikes.[14]
Possible generic term
Spinning has become a generic term in the United States, and a generic term can not function as a trademark. However, Mad Dogg Athletics has registered Spinning as a trademark on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.[15] A registration on the Principal Register does not create ownership rights under the laws of the United States, and a registration may be challenged and removed if the challenger proves as a matter of fact that the alleged trademark has become generic.[16]
Mad Dogg Athletics continues to defend the Spinning trademark against its generic use and has recently expanded its focus and efforts on brand protection.[17]
Based on the brand's widespread popularity, it has potentially become a generic term for indoor cycling in the Czech Republic.[18][19][20] However, in November 2018, the General Court (European Union) upheld Mad Dogg's rights and found that the brand was not a generic term.[21][22]
In February 2021, popular indoor cycling brand Peloton appealed to have the 20-year old trademark canceled, clamining the term Spinning had become a generic term.[23] Just days before the trial, Peloton dropped its lawsuit for the removal of the 'spinning' trademark.[24]
