The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Outpost Cafe => Topic started by: Dave W on December 13, 2023, 09:05:16 AM
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Gibson files to cancel DiMarzio’s PAF and Double Cream pickup trademarks (https://guitar.com/news/industry-news/gibson-files-cancel-dimarzio-paf-double-cream-pickup-trademark/)
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I have'nt really thought about it but Gibson are'nt using the "PAF" moniker for their pickups. Instead they use "Gibson Patent Applied For humbucker™". It must be disturbing that they can't use the short PAF name. Further more they call the Double Cream humbucker "Double Classic White". OTOH Van Halen missed to trademark "Eruption". Gibson sells the Kramer Eruption pickup "Developed by Master Luthier Jim DeCola and based on his groundbreaking pickup designs for legendary Kramer artists".
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This is how the trademark game is played (in the US).
I have a good friend who is an IP attorney and we've spoken at length about how (for example) Fender might have chosen to regain the trademark rights it lost on its body shapes. Gibson seems to be traveling down a road that Fender (for whatever reason) chose not to follow.
I suspect one reason for the differing strategies is that Fender is more "comfortable" or even somewhat "stuck" with the level of counterfeiting that occurs in the market (due to headstock licenses) in relation to the strength of the remaining Trademarks they choose to defend.
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2401e83a-44de-4b3b-8957-7b83ed5f98cf
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I was never bothered by how a pup is monikered, only by what it can do.
I'm surprised that an acronym for a phrase (like PAF for 'patent applied for') could be trademarked at all if you can't trademark the phrase either.