Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

[darthphineas]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

An apropos story to lighten the mood:

haha!

mrsdarth worked for a law office when she was in college. it gave me the inside track on how to spread my interest out across a few firms... and to make sure they know it.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

Why guitar pedals and not toaster ovens?

I don't know about you (though I can guess from your views in this and other threads) but I buy domestic as much as I can.

We already buy lots of things and pay for lots of services that are 100% domestic. When the boutique makers ask of us is almost like charity, and I'd appreciate a solid reason as to why they feel they are deserving of exception.

Obvoiusly you don't consider supporting pedal builders having a living wage to be an exception.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

I mentioned this in a different thread somewhere about a Stompbox. Suhr will not lose one Penny from me over the Suhr Riot when I get a Joyo US Dream. For $200 I am not buying a distortion pedal. Not now, not ever.

I'm a bit wary about an attitude like that. One can compare this to illegally downloading music, as in "I'll never pay 5$ for a cd, so band X never loses a penny if I torrent it". What happened to making do without something you can't afford?

All that said, it's not a black and white issue. I've been thinking about such questions for long and I haven't found an easy answer.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

What happened to making do without something you can't afford?

+1. Saving up $200 is not that difficult for most people, it just takes time and patience.

 

[DreX]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

+1. Saving up $200 is not that difficult for most people, it just takes time and patience.

You can't attach ethics to specific dollars amounts. The ability to spend $200 on something varies from one person to the next. What if they cost $1000? $2000?

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

You can't attach ethics to specific dollars amounts. The ability to spend $200 on something varies from one person to the next. What if they cost $1000? $2000?

Then you exercise more patience and save your money for longer.

I noticed you didn't reply to my comment about supporting a living wage for pedal builders, so I think it's safe to surmise that you obviously don't.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

dr. ad, do you think that would be applicable to this situation?

I guess that would depend on whether the legal team in question was cleared by the client to discuss the details of the case with uninvolved third parties, who then alluded to such a conversation while name-dropping with blowhards on the internet.

Of course, I am largely unfamiliar with the intricacies of the American legal system, although I'm reasonably sure the basics of legal privilege are the same, perhaps referred to differently.
Things are obviously very different in Australia;
Hypothetically, if it were my legal team in question, they may find themselves getting a refresher course in the set of legal proofs colloquially referred to as "no body, no crime", and my hounds may find themselves with a chest freezer full of nice big bones to chew on.

 

[ExplorersRock]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

I have two beefs with Gibson about this, and I'm not posting to bash them. But here's my questions:

1.) Why now? What motivated them to do this at this particular time? After 50+ years, I don't understand the need for this NOW. Are there more counterfeits, or people trying to pass off the 335 as THEIR design?

2.) How will this either save them or make them money? People recognize the shape as Gibson's and most producers don't do a direct copy-cat. If it's similar but not the same, they can't make royalties can they? Furthermore, for players like myself who aren't willing to pay Gibson prices, there is the option of buying an Epiphone Dot which is exactly what I did. And that's money in Gibson's pocket, so that doesn't hurt them. What's the end goal here? Other than basically saying, "their my designs and you can't play with them," I don't understand what Gibson is trying to achieve.

 

[MikeRocker]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

Come to the next UGD--I know it's a long trip--and we'll have a drink or two and I'll spill the beans.

Not sure if I missed a post, but has a date been set for the next UGD? Always a guaranteed blast!

 

[LReese]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

You can't attach ethics to specific dollars amounts. The ability to spend $200 on something varies from one person to the next. What if they cost $1000? $2000?

Then you have to decide if its worth purchasing said item to you. If so, you keep saving. If not, you forget about it - or maybe look to the 2nd hand market.

Its a personal choice - One item selling for $200 might be well worth the cost to one, while to another its unobtanium or just plain not worth the cost.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

Scale is always linked to ethics. Life would be impossible otherwise.

If someone steals a penny from me I'll let him go without a punishment. If he steals 1000€ I'll have his head on a plate. In both cases I'm out of some money that could get something.

If I accidentally spill a drop of oil in the sea it's nothing. If a tanker loses it's cargo into the sea it's awful. In both cases some amount of organic life is lost. Just the scale is different.

There are two women who both open their legs for money. The other one does it for 5$, the other does it for 1000000$. The act is the same as is the profession. I have a lot more respect for the woman who does it for a million.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

Not sure if I missed a post, but has a date been set for the next UGD? Always a guaranteed blast!

Sorry. I didn't mean to start a rumor of the start date for the next UGD. That's up to Cathy Duncan.

Also, to clarify my comments regarding my conversation with the attorney prosecuting the registration challenge, the reason I can't discuss our conversation in an open web forum has nothing to do with confidential, privileged, strategic client information that was disclosed to me. That never happened and I didn't mean to suggest that it did (and I don't think I did).

Because of my position in the M.I. industry, I have to be politically correct at times, particularly on sensitive subjects and particularly in public forums. And this is one of those times. I was asked by LtKojak if I had additional thoughts on this subject. And I do. And if and when there's another UGD and we can hoist a brew or two, I'll tell you what I know.

 

[Securb]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

You can't attach ethics to specific dollars amounts. The ability to spend $200 on something varies from one person to the next. What if they cost $1000? $2000?

Sometimes it is very easy to draw logical conclusions. We are on the SDUGF. In looking at the amount of gear people have on this forum it is safe to assume if ANY of us wanted to save up $200 for a pedal it is very possible to do so. This is a site dedicated to ripping perfectly good functioning pickups out of our guitars and replacing them with $100+ Duncans. Some of us even rip apart the brand new Duncans and add new magnets.

If this was a forum for single mothers, homeless veterans, out of work coal miners in the Appalachians or a dating site for the elderly on fixed incomes I could see where this would be an issue. Let's get real we are talking $200, the cost of a good dinner, a leather jacket or if need be a great boutique distortion pedal. Add to that people are responding to this thread on costly devices over their even more expensive internet connections.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

They're too ****ing late, man! 10 years in...maybe. It can take that long for a product to become popular and to come to de facto represent your company in the marketplace...and for people to start copying it. But they've been letting people get away with it for 50 years already. At this point, the shape has already become legally generic.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

At this point, the shape has already become legally generic.

That's certainly what the challengers are going to be arguing.

 

[Securb]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

I am going to apply for a trademark on the f-hole and screw them all. Including the cello and violin people. They will all pay licencing fees to me with the exception of Trini Lopez.

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

Did they hire Dimarzio's lawyer?

 

[DreX]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

In looking at the amount of gear people have on this forum it is safe to assume if ANY of us wanted to save up $200 for a pedal it is very possible to do so.

There are some members of this forum who claim to be in hard financial times, near homelessness. You can't assume anything like that.

 

[Securb]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

There are some members of this forum who claim to be in hard financial times, near homelessness. You can't assume anything like that.

I can assume anything I would like actually. I have seen many members of this for cry poor and then a month later it is NGD or NAD. I have even sent money to members of this forum to help them out just to see NGD a month or two later. I can safely say any member of this site can save up $200 over the course of a year. If not, they need to stop paying $50 a month for internet access. Or $200 on concert tickets. It all comes down to priorities. If anyone on this forum can convince me they don't have the ability or means to tuck away $20 a month to buy a pedal I will buy the damn pedal for them. How is that.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Gibson Trademarks 335 Shape

Besides, who makes a 335-bodied guitar that is really THAT close to the Gibson/Epiphone anyhow? The copies always seem to be wonky in some way or another that makes them not look like a 335 enough that anyone can tell it's not a Gibson.