It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:59 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Is this a licensed-Fender product, or is a lawsuit coming?
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:11 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:08 pm
Posts: 2472
Location: Virginia
Just saw these new Guitar Hero controllers for the Wii.
http://www.nyko.com/nyko/products/?i=131#
They bear a striking resemblance to Fender Telecasters, even down to the headstock shape. So are these approved or licensed by Fender, or is Fenders legal department getting ready to attack?

_________________
RAMA LAMA FA FA FA


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:13 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:50 pm
Posts: 395
Location: Alabama
I'm not sure Fender would have a case if it wasn't licensed. Look at all the S-type guitars out there, that are blatant Strat rip offs, and hell, even Carvin makes some Tele style custom guitars.

I'm not sure it would have to be licensed unless they're using a specific Fender logo or name.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:26 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:08 pm
Posts: 2472
Location: Virginia
ThatGuitarGuyAL wrote:
I'm not sure Fender would have a case if it wasn't licensed. Look at all the S-type guitars out there, that are blatant Strat rip offs, and hell, even Carvin makes some Tele style custom guitars.

I'm not sure it would have to be licensed unless they're using a specific Fender logo or name.


Thats true, but most of those S- and T-type guitars made by other manufacturers (with the exception of Squier) do not have headstocks that look anything like Fenders, but these ones sort of do. The bodies patent may have expired which pretty much makes it public domain, but the headstock design is copyrighted or trademarked or something to the point where you pretty much cannot use that shape without Fenders permission. For example, Warmoth has a Fender licensing/copyright info disclaimer on their website about the Fender style necks and bodies. This website for the game controller makes no such acknowledgements. Fender could possibly bring forth legal action that would probably delay or stop sales and production of these items if a judge decides or determines that the designs are similar and need looking into. Remember when PRS was sued by Gibson about the Single Cut bodies? Yes PRS eventually was able to continue, but it delayed production for awhile. In the world of video games, a couple years or months is a long time and the trend you were trying to cash in on may have come and gone by the time it gets cleared up....

_________________
RAMA LAMA FA FA FA


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:30 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:31 pm
Posts: 2122
Location: Southern California Mountains
They went ahead and called it a Front Man, that's a registered Fender Trademark, I thought.

_________________
"Persistence Is The Father Of Invention"
-Crazy Old Man In Training
Image


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:03 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:10 pm
Posts: 13467
Location: Palm Beach County FL
bowlfreshener wrote:
ThatGuitarGuyAL wrote:
I'm not sure Fender would have a case if it wasn't licensed. Look at all the S-type guitars out there, that are blatant Strat rip offs, and hell, even Carvin makes some Tele style custom guitars.

I'm not sure it would have to be licensed unless they're using a specific Fender logo or name.


Thats true, but most of those S- and T-type guitars made by other manufacturers (with the exception of Squier) do not have headstocks that look anything like Fenders, but these ones sort of do. The bodies patent may have expired which pretty much makes it public domain, but the headstock design is copyrighted or trademarked or something to the point where you pretty much cannot use that shape without Fenders permission. For example, Warmoth has a Fender licensing/copyright info disclaimer on their website about the Fender style necks and bodies. This website for the game controller makes no such acknowledgements. Fender could possibly bring forth legal action that would probably delay or stop sales and production of these items if a judge decides or determines that the designs are similar and need looking into. Remember when PRS was sued by Gibson about the Single Cut bodies? Yes PRS eventually was able to continue, but it delayed production for awhile. In the world of video games, a couple years or months is a long time and the trend you were trying to cash in on may have come and gone by the time it gets cleared up....


YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZED HAD YOU SEEN THE CARVIN HEADSTOCKS OF 55 YEARS AGO!! 100% STRAT!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:17 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:47 pm
Posts: 4294
Location: Somewhere near Seattle
I thought Fender had a deal of some sort with Rock Band?

Here's a pic of some dude who turned a real strat into a game Guitar Hero controller.

Image

_________________
"is that a real poncho...i mean
Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:14 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:10 pm
Posts: 13467
Location: Palm Beach County FL
cryingstrat wrote:
I thought Fender had a deal of some sort with Rock Band?

Here's a pic of some dude who turned a real strat into a game Guitar Hero controller.

Image


MAN....THE CREATIVITY OF THIS MEMBERLIST NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME. THAT'S SEATTLE FOR YA!
DID YOU TAKE PART IN THAT LOUIE-LOUIE PLAY IN OUT THERE? I WAS VISITING FAMILY THE YEAR IT FIRST WAS HELD.
FOR OTHERS READING THIS, AND NOT FROM THAT PART OF THE WORLD, YOU MUST MAKE A PILGRIMAGE TO EMP (Experience Music Project) AT LEAST ONCE>


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:20 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:48 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Houston
Quote:
I thought Fender had a deal of some sort with Rock Band?



yep, Fender has a deal w/ Rockband, Gibson has a deal with Guitar Hero. However the GH controllers work with RB and vice versa.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:07 am
Offline
Fender Staff
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:59 pm
Posts: 72
Location: Paulsboro, New Jersey
LOL...I actually thought of doing that myself.

_________________
-MidAtlantic Product Specialist

"6 Strings and 22 Frets are all I need"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:17 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:08 pm
Posts: 2472
Location: Virginia
zzdoc wrote:
bowlfreshener wrote:
ThatGuitarGuyAL wrote:
I'm not sure Fender would have a case if it wasn't licensed. Look at all the S-type guitars out there, that are blatant Strat rip offs, and hell, even Carvin makes some Tele style custom guitars.

I'm not sure it would have to be licensed unless they're using a specific Fender logo or name.


Thats true, but most of those S- and T-type guitars made by other manufacturers (with the exception of Squier) do not have headstocks that look anything like Fenders, but these ones sort of do. The bodies patent may have expired which pretty much makes it public domain, but the headstock design is copyrighted or trademarked or something to the point where you pretty much cannot use that shape without Fenders permission. For example, Warmoth has a Fender licensing/copyright info disclaimer on their website about the Fender style necks and bodies. This website for the game controller makes no such acknowledgements. Fender could possibly bring forth legal action that would probably delay or stop sales and production of these items if a judge decides or determines that the designs are similar and need looking into. Remember when PRS was sued by Gibson about the Single Cut bodies? Yes PRS eventually was able to continue, but it delayed production for awhile. In the world of video games, a couple years or months is a long time and the trend you were trying to cash in on may have come and gone by the time it gets cleared up....


YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZED HAD YOU SEEN THE CARVIN HEADSTOCKS OF 55 YEARS AGO!! 100% STRAT!


Well they probably stopped making them that way 55 years ago because they probably got sued. Agile guitars was sued by Gibson because they had the similar "open book" style headstock...

_________________
RAMA LAMA FA FA FA


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: