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Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Dave W on March 04, 2016, 09:17:14 AM

Title: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Dave W on March 04, 2016, 09:17:14 AM
Apparently Spongebob plays a ukulele shaped like a Flying V, and a licensee of Viacom sells such a uke (http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPONGEBOB-SQUAREPANTS-FLYING-V-UKULELE-OUTFIT-OFFICIAL-LICENCED-PRODUCT-NEW-/291689164361?hash=item43ea076e49), so naturally Gibson sued Viacom and the licensee for trademark infringement.

Ordinarily I'd say that's unbelievable but considering Gibson, I shouldn't be surprised.

Anyway, looks like Gibson lost. Good!

Gibson Guitar Corp. v. Viacom International, Inc.  (http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=fddcb657-227b-4fcb-a0d6-44818a47602e)
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: uwe on March 04, 2016, 09:36:27 AM
The mind, it doth boggle.  :-X

(http://www.guitarsite.com/files/SBUV3.jpg)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUAs_D2rUNc

You know, if Henry J was cool, he would have brought out a mini-series of SpongeBob fin custom shop Flying Vs ("Flying Sponge") which would have sold like hotcakes, with Rick Nielsen taking at least one.

And I would have bought the bass version. Sometimes, only sometimes I would collect for fins.  ;D
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: uwe on March 04, 2016, 01:15:19 PM
"You can close up shop, Uwe.  The USA has everything covered, we'll tell you which laws apply where."


Ah yes, "US long arm statutes", say no more! Always a prickly subject indeed - in the legal/commercial community too. Tell me about it!



Sigh, that's what you get though when from Old Europe you sent for ages all these religious minorities per boat to a a far-away land,

(http://pilgriminstitute.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/front-page.jpeg)

hoping they will do farming there, inbreed and no longer bug you with their zealous sectarian ideas. But they retain that messianic spirit and - voilĂ ! - only a couple of hundred years later the chickens ..., no, the turkeys come home to roost ... and spread their outsize feathers ...  8)

(http://www.ejphoto.com/images_FL/FL_WildTurkey02.jpg)
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: 4stringer77 on March 04, 2016, 02:58:19 PM
Uwe, there is an exploding wild turkey population in the northeastern states currently. Ben Franklin's choice for the national symbol have become a nuisance after reintroduction efforts turned out too well. After a mild winter, I'm expecting to see even more of them around. There's plenty for us to share if you want to come here and take some off our hands. It's even legal for you to get a hunting license here if you don't mind paying some extra fees. Gotta try one deep fried!
http://wdfw.wa.gov/help/questions/34/What+are+the+hunting+license+requirements+for+non-U.S.+citizens%3F
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: uwe on March 04, 2016, 03:37:04 PM
It's an impressive bird alright - and for some reason even has your national colors red, white and blue, wouldn't have been a bad choice. Everybody and his brother always has eagles as national symbols, but I guess the turkey has kept more Americans from starving to death in bad times than the bald eagle!
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Highlander on March 04, 2016, 03:53:54 PM
Saw an eagle today...
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Denis on March 04, 2016, 06:51:15 PM
...I guess the turkey has kept more Americans from starving to death in bad times than the bald eagle!

Only because it's illegal to shoot bald eagles.
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Dave W on March 04, 2016, 07:16:55 PM
Looking at the last paragraph again, I spoke too soon when I said Gibson lost. Their claims against Viacom have been dismissed on appeal, but the appeals court did remand part of the case against JHS, who actually marketed the V-ukes. So that part could still end up in Gibson's favor.

You know if those ukes were real Gibsons, Henry would be charging 50x-100x what the one on eBay is listed for.

Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: westen44 on March 04, 2016, 08:26:56 PM
If this were a few weeks closer to April, I might think this was an April Fool's joke.  But it's still almost a month away; so I guess not. 
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: uwe on March 05, 2016, 07:50:09 AM
Only because it's illegal to shoot bald eagles.

Raptors don't taste well, they're tough and not enough meat to them. Of course, bald eagles are beautiful too, just not as idiosyncratic to the US as turkeys and not as much intertwined with the folklore.
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: dadagoboi on March 05, 2016, 08:28:10 AM
Real turkeys eating deer corn outside a studio on an early November morning.
(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/ME/studio%20%20turkeys_zpslppg1uem.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/ME/studio%20%20turkeys_zpslppg1uem.jpg.html)

Thanksgiving Wednesday, ready for the smoker...
(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/ME/Crusty-Turks_zpsrtruqpod.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/ME/Crusty-Turks_zpsrtruqpod.jpg.html)

Same place but Not the same turkeys!  Owner puts out corn to camera harvest deer.  Turkeys are an added attraction, plentiful before and after hunting season.  Steve (ThunderBucker) also has them in his residential Oregon neighborhood.  Me, I only have the neighbors' noisy chickens and Siamese cats.
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Lightyear on March 05, 2016, 09:23:26 AM
Carlo, do your get along well enough with your neighbors to get some fresh yard eggs?  I would think that the cats would be none to tasty and it's too damn much work to clean a fresh chicken ;)
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: dadagoboi on March 05, 2016, 11:14:53 AM
Carlo, do your get along well enough with your neighbors to get some fresh yard eggs?  I would think that the cats would be none to tasty and it's too damn much work to clean a fresh chicken ;)

 ;D ;D
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Highlander on March 05, 2016, 12:49:29 PM
Raptors don't taste well, they're tough and not enough meat to them...

You've tried one...? :o :o
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Granny Gremlin on March 05, 2016, 02:26:26 PM
The firm of Hornung und Gimmell had very lavish Christmas parties bvack in the 80s.
You've tried one...? :o :o

The firm of Hornung und Frankenfurter had very lavish Christmas parties back in the 80s.
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Dave W on March 05, 2016, 02:29:53 PM
We have wild turkeys in the northeast Minneapolis corridor, even a few as far north as my suburb. No idea why. Northeast Minneapolis has become an artsy district in the past decade, maybe they're looking for the galleries.
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Pilgrim on March 05, 2016, 04:00:47 PM
We had a pair of wild turkeys hanging out in our forested neighborhood last year. The male seemed to bother people (although I could stand right next to him and walk along with him, and he never bothered me) and was re-located by wildlife agents.  The female was not found, and she's still around.

The only real weird thing I saw the male do was to hang out in my yard and peck at my BMW.  Why he liked to peck at that darn thing, I have no idea.  I'll need to hit the scratches with a little more polishing compound when the weather improves.
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Highlander on March 06, 2016, 01:54:22 AM
You could have nabbed him for Ol' Smokee, Al... :mrgreen:

.. Hornung und Gimmell had very lavish Christmas parties bvack in the 80s.

... Not to munchen ze shiney schwarze stiefel... :vader:
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: 66Atlas on March 06, 2016, 06:08:00 PM
My parents retired to the Black Hills in South Dakota and have wild turkeys on their property all the time.  The only thing I know about them is they are much tastier than their store bought brethren.  ;D
Title: Re: Gibson sues Spongebob Squarepants
Post by: Alanko on March 07, 2016, 06:40:16 AM
Saw an eagle today...

Don Henley or Joe Walsh?