Building and the Law

[Diablo666Bass]

someone (who claimed they were a laywer) said that building a guitar that looks like a copyrighted guitar (fender, gibson, bc rich, etc.) for commercial or non-commercial use is illegal.

is their any truth in that?
is it illegal?

[abigmoron]

If you sell it, then I think yes. If you keep it for yourself it's fine.

[wisebeyondyears]

I imagine you just have to keep the dimensions outside of a certain tolerance, if you will. A big enough variation and you have a product that it is in fact a different guitar that happens to look remarkably simaler to another guitar that happens to be much more expensive. Just look at the dozens of manufacturers who make copies. None of those guitars look "quite right" do they? When you get too close, you get sued, like what happened to Agile with its LP styled guitars.


That or buy a liscence :rolleye:

[Diablo666Bass]

i was thinking about making a bc rich widow. but the design i came up with doesn't have the curves or the butt for the bridge, and is more skinny. is that enough to avoid lawsuit, or should i just change my design?

here are some pics...
Real Widow (wireframe with out curves) (http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/392/2156684332sz1.jpg)
My Version (http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/6259/2156684331jd0.jpg)

[bugman]

All you need to know is here:
http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14450

[Diablo666Bass]

All you need to know is here:
http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=14450
thank you, that answered all my questions.

[DLR Guitars]

http://i7.tinypic.com/24m5p9s.jpg


I hope Eddie Van Halen sues me. I'd really like to meet him.

[mishmannah]

Unfortunately, if you decide to go commercial, that is when you have to be careful...

Turner Guitars (GB) are not very popular with Taylor guitars (because of the design) in the US and an independant custom luthier, Rick Turner (because of the name) also in the US...they have had to fight a few legal cases...

This makes me laugh also, a Japanese company in the Seventies had the cheek to manufacture guitars called Les Paul Reborn (http://www.flyingvintage.com/gcmag/reborn.html) ... :D

In fact the copy industry could potentially make even more money..the Vintage "lawsuit guitars", meaning the companies who tried to rip off originals could make as much money if not more than the original counterparts!!!

[Diablo666Bass]

i got a pic of my design next to the real widow...
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/761/0818060102mo7.jpg
(the real one has curves, couldn't add them. mine on right)

is that enough to avoid lawsuit if i decide to show it off (not sell)?