Nazareth, PA - June 14, - C. This is part of its ongoing commitment to protect its intellectual property, including the many innovations in design, manufacture and production of the finest instruments in the world. Vice President, Corporate Operations Gregory Paul. Martin Guitar has been using for many years various trademarks and proprietary designs and designations in connection with the sale of its acoustic guitars, both nationwide and internationally.

This intellectual property includes Martin's guitar headstock that has been used since at least The headstock configuration is now protected by U. Any questions regarding this trademark, other C. Box , Nazareth, PA Founded by Steve Stallings.

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MARTIN GUITAR announces trademark of legendary headstock Author Comment Fstpicker MARTIN GUITAR announces trademark of legendary headstock More My Recent Posts.

None MARTIN GUITAR ANNOUNCES TRADEMARK OF LEGENDARY HEADSTOCK Now, the question I have is this: Is the square shape of the headstock what they are trademarking, or the headstock logo s? Seems interesting that a square shape could be trademarked, when it is so generic.

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What are your thoughts on this? It's almost like Goodyear trademarking the shape of the tire?!?! Maybe when it began, but NOW? When hundreds of makers are using it? Or is this a "funny"?!?! It's not a square at all. It has 6 sides and some very distinctive angles. You can pretty much tell what decade some of them came from from the curves on the top, too. I don't know whether it's real or not, but Gibson has taken a similar approach with mandolin body and headstock shapes, as well as their "flower pot" and other inlay designs.

Let's hope Martin doesn't follow Gibson too closely regarding they're approach to small builders inspired by prewar instruments. However, if they are doing this just to put another arrow in the quiver to use against true Martin forgeries, then I support them fully. Vintage Gibson Bracing Library. Bracing Library - All Other Brands. There has to be a far east reason for this. AKA "EyeCandy" "A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz.

The link is to the Martin site, so I think we can believe it to be real. It is interesting that they TM the shape, not the script or block logos which you would think they would also TM?

It isn't clear to me that this TM does anything internationally - any intellectual property rights attorneys among us? This is an interesting observation Is it the angles, or the sharpness of the corners, or both?

Martin Guitar trademarks guitar headstock to prevent counterfeit models | idonayojujid.web.fc2.com

Here's a pic of a recent D CFM IV edition from Elderly When I saw this recently on the UMGF, I thought to myself, wow how similar to a Martin is that? I love Jim Merrill and his guitars.

I lust for this OM! And I certainly know that similarities of Jim's guitars to Martin designs are all about tribute and tradition rather than trying to cause market confusion -- Jim doesn't need to tap into the Martin mystique to sell his guitars, but it reminded me how the marketplace has just "adopted" Martin design. This headstock screamed Martin to me. I don't even know how exactly close it actually is. It just reads Martin to me. To some casual observer in an audience it would probably be seen as a Martin.

And that is market confusion. I think you're probably right though, this is about mass marketing from the far east.

Martin Guitars Trademarks Headstock - Page 2 - The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Still the Far East isn't the only place manufacturers have borrowed from the Martin tradition. Perhaps they even will earn a reputation of sounding more pre-war Martin than Martin itself.

And they will sell guitars and Martin will lose market share. Remember Chris's talk in '06 about why Martin built the authentic? Martin found themselves competing with their own design and traditions and thought they could tap into that market that was ever -thirsty for "new" pre-war tone.

Well they proved they could do it. So I believe they are now protecting their market share in their newly discovered to Martin and the masses "authentic-thirsty" marketplace. I wonder how aggressive they will be? Maybe one of you boys who wants to get on board the spirit of Martins Trademarking their headstock could send me your old discarded Bourgeois that you surely wont have a need for.

Seriously, it's a good thing, it's a bad thing, waited too long, like an old maid. Chris Martin had mentioned this possibility on more than one occasion when Gibson started threatening various companies with legal action for using things they felt they invented or otherwise were part of their brand identity.

He pointed out how the entire industry uses a headstock copied directly from Martin, among several possible concepts that could be covered by patents. Martin started with covering the names D and D, others too I assume. It probably took them this long to dot every i and make sure the details of the headstock patent would be justifiable and enforceable.

The fact most every modern acoustic guitar maker has copied Martin's body sizes, shapes, names and trim without Martin moving against them all these years doesn't change the fact they were often the first ones to come up with the various concepts and products. But I think the main inspiration for finally making this kind of move has more to do with foreign fake Martins in countries with governments who look the other way than demanding some luthier in Smalltown, Ohio pay Martin a percentage of his profits for copying the Martin headstock shape.

This gives Martin legal grounds to file suit against those guys from Asia who were selling direct Martin knockoffs at NAMM last year. At this stage of the game, seems petty to me. If Martin wants to compete with the foreign market, they should start making even more affordable guitars OR, just continue on with a "made in the USA" policy which is great , and hope enough people that have the cash will keep them in business.

I thought it was pretty silly when Gibson did it too. Didn't Gibson, finally, LOSE that one? How can Gibson NOT be able to TM a body shape, but Martin CAN TM a headstock shape?

And don't jump on me for criticizing Martin, please. I'm entitled to my opinion. Your opinion OF MY OPINION, however, is irrelevant. So, I guess this puts Blueridge in a sticky wicket, no?

Time to design a new headstock Compete in a foreign market? Compete against people who make shoddy copies of your product and even rip off the Martin print catalog?

This is about protecting against counterfeiters who harm the Martin brand in foreign markets every time someone buys a fake Martin and finds out it is a piece of crap. It is not about competing with such people by also making equally awful crap. You design something and have someone else makes millions of dollars copying it without so much as a thank you and then see if you think it is petty protecting your brand identity, the legacy of your grandparents and great grandparents and the future of your family's financial security.

I think your opinion is what is petty. Don't jump on me for finding your opinion petty, I am entitled to my opinion of your opinion. I couldn't have expressed my feelings to ruger's post any better, thanks. Todd Stuart Phillips wrote: Sure you are, but it's still irrelevant. There are mighty fine instruments coming out of the PacRim these days.

If these "copies" are so "shoddy", then Martin has nothing to worry about anyway And while this is a Martin forum, so I expect a bit of "homer" attitude here, please note I am not criticizing the Martin product at all. The quality of Martin has not been questioned. Nor has Martin pricing. But if you want to compete, you have to compete- build a better mousetrap.

OR build the same good mousetrap, cheaper. If you can build a better mousetrap AND make it cheaper, then you're succeeding in the extreme. I still don't understand how Martin can TM a headstock shape, but Gibson couldn't TM a body shape Martin's mousetrap is better. But fraudulent copies are cheap to make and the consumer gets duped into thinking it's genuine.

It's not competition, it's fighting counterfeiters. For the record, I'm not talking about counterfeiters: I'm talking about companies making Martin-esque guitars. No one buys an Eastman or Blueridge thinking it's a Martin. If I remember correctly patents have to be filed prior to product introduction.

I'm pretty confident that trademarks have similar restrictions. It'll be interesting to see how this holds up. I don't think so Billy Joel only TM'ed "Billy Joel" in the last few years Chinese companies are producing copies of Martin guitars right down to the CFMartin, EST. These were presented at NAMM to be distributed in the US. The Chinese reaction to this was that if there wasn't a copyright, patent or trademark, Chinese companies had the right to use anything they wanted.

Now we are seeing US companies react to this problem. Add Reply Forum Jump The D28 Lounge Technical Info The Vintage Corner The Guitar Critic's Corner General Musical Topics The Log Cabin The String Cafe The Four-String Farmhouse Classical Gas The Guitar Gallery The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum Custom Guitar The Limited Edition and Custom Registry The Lost or Stolen Guitar Registry FAQ Technique and Players Forum Music Projects and Accomplishments Sound Reinforcement and Recording The High Lonesome Sound Feeling Blue The Coffeehouse Slide It On Over All That Jazz Share This Email to Friend del.

Click to subscribe by RSS Click to receive E-mail notifications of replies. Jeff Last Edited By: Todd Yates Martin Bracing Library Vintage Gibson Bracing Library Bracing Library - All Other Brands. And, I said compete WITH a foreign market, not IN a foreign market.