You want doublecreams?

Re: You want doublecreams?

stratguy23 said:
What exactly was the "mirrored surface" that was attempted to be trademarked?

Was it *all* metallic pickup covers (nickel, gold, chrome, etc.)? That seems crazy if true.

Or just chrome ones? Or maybe the application refers to the chrome bobbins that Dimarzio uses?

The proposed mark is the mirrored surface of electronic sound pickups for guitars and basses, and the goods are electronic sound pickup for guitars and basses. The particular features of this proposed mark, namely, the mirrored surface, are functional for the goods because goods of this nature often have a stainless steel or mirrored surface.
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darthphineas said:
yeah, I was also thinking that was applying to those chrome ones


dp220cc.jpg
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That is exactly right. That's what they tried to trademark... chrome plated bobbins, not covers.

In other thread and other places, I've posted a bunch of color trademark case rulings as well, such as John Deere v Farmhand, Mercury Brunswick, etc.
If you take a look at Aromartique vs. Gold Seal in which red and green tie cords for potpourri bags were claimed infringed upon, read specifically paragraphs 40-44 and you'll learn that the trademark was invalid because red and green are traditional Christmas colors and it's use would preclude competition from using traditional seasonal colors. Trademark ruled invalid, and revoked.
A similar thing happened with FTD's "black box" trademark for flower delivery. Traditional funeral and Halloween colors.

Nobody in their right mind could reasonably argue that cream plastic is not traditional in the guitar industry. In fact, it's so traditional that it's almost omnipresent.
 
Re: You want doublecreams?

I think there are less and less guitarists every year interested in double cream. New players like black, and weren't born in a time where double cream was a thing.
 
Re: You want doublecreams?

WolfeMacleod said:
You'd be wrong about that.
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Yep. I just ordered 8 pickups yesterday for customers projects. 6 of them were cream. The other 2 weren't black either.


Personally, I prefer black. Zebra is a far 2nd preference these days, only if there's a specific need. All but 2 of the creams I have were by happenstance.
 
Re: You want doublecreams?

Aceman said:
Floyd is a technology. Cream is a color. Not even the same thing.
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Not only that, but patents thankfully have an expiration date. The trademarks on colors do not.

I want to remind people that DiMarzio also held a rather questionable patent on uneven coils with the same number of winds (the wire thickness being different). That bugged me a lot, too. But it went away with expiration so who cares (except thinking badly of Larry DiMarzio).

The double creme bobbins problem wouldn't exist today if it was a patent and had expired by now.
 
Re: You want doublecreams?

so the company on the Invoice sold those Coills and parts to Larry D.Maggis or Larry DiMaggio ?

Being in New York , is it a Mistake because at the time in 75 they were still obsessed with Joe Dimaggio ?

or is His Name really spelled like DiMaggios or D'Maggis ?
 
Re: You want doublecreams?

uOpt said:
Not only that, but patents thankfully have an expiration date. The trademarks on colors do not.

I want to remind people that DiMarzio also held a rather questionable patent....
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Yep, that was pretty questionable, and it covered every wire gauge possibly used in pickups, as well.

I was perusing the TM applications statements again last night, and saw this questionable statement as well. It always struck me as fishy, but I started to think more about it.

nonfunctional%20claim.jpg


He basically stated that the "rounded pins" (aka polepieces) were not functional, as well as the side-by-side configuration of the bobbins... and the rounded ends of the bobbins, as well. Per the wording, he claimed that two bobbins with rounded ends sitting next/parallel (the "configuration") to each other was distinctive to himself.

He very nearly got away with trademarking the overall look of two coils in general sitting side by side.... in other words, the humbucker as a whole unit, regardless of color.
 
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Re: You want doublecreams?

Yea but Vasshu , DiMarzio is easily Recognized as Italian (as are I's, O's and A's on the End as Typically Latin derived )


Wolfe ~ I wonder how the old Les Paul 4 x 4 timber and Gibsons Patent read on the Humbuckers shortly after ? In other words , Early Humbuckers / Way before Dimarzio ?
 
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Re: You want doublecreams?

For Example ~

Dean Martin , american Actor + Singer ( Dino Paul Crocetti

Sophia Loren Italian + American Actress ( Sofia Villani Scicolone Ponti

They usually Remove a Vowel on the End

I think He should have went with Dean Martini because he Drank them All the Time : )
 
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