« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Down

Author Topic: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.  (Read 4798 times)

godofthunder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6636
  • Keep On Rock'n !
    • View Profile
    • Johnny Smoke
Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« on: November 14, 2009, 12:19:46 PM »
 Geeze I checked out Lulls site and  he describes how he developed a intonatable bridge for Thunderbirds  :rolleyes: These were built by Hipshot, about two years ago some guys who worked at Hipshot showed up at a gig and eyeballed my bridge, also Mike Lull had one of my bridges on site while he was building prototypes. I designed and had my first prototype built in 1983, I will have to check my records but I think I started selling bridges in 2004.  As I remember he stated he couldn't get my bridge to work ? I am feeling like he stole my idea. I might even be considering legal action. Advice? suggestions? Am I being unreasonable ?
« Last Edit: November 14, 2009, 12:34:37 PM by godofthunder »
Logged
Maker of the Badbird Bridge, "intonation without modification" for your vintage Gibson Thunderbird

Dave W

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 22243
  • Got time to breathe, got time for music
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2009, 01:46:54 PM »
No chance for legal action unless you have it patented or had a patent pending before these came out. And I seriously doubt it's patentable anyway. Even if it were, you would have to be prepared to come up with big bucks to take legal action.

It's not eligible for trademark protection, you can't trademark function.

I don't doubt that someone took your idea, it's just that even though you came up with it first, you can't protect it unless it can be patented or trademarked.

Logged

godofthunder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6636
  • Keep On Rock'n !
    • View Profile
    • Johnny Smoke
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2009, 02:25:48 PM »
Believe me I looked into a patent, very expensive along the lines of 5k. My wife Cath works in Kodak legal and one of our friends there is a patent attorney. He advised against a patent due to cost and the return. He however did say that just by it being "out there" on the internet that it would be protected by copyright laws. I have no idea what protection that may offer.
Logged
Maker of the Badbird Bridge, "intonation without modification" for your vintage Gibson Thunderbird

Highlander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12542
  • There Ken be only one...
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2009, 02:44:16 PM »
Years back, Arthur C Clarke came up with the idea (pre Sputnik) of geo-synchronised satelites being used for telecommunication... he could not register the idea because he could not prove it could be done... now, no-one can patent the idea, because the idea was already "out there"...

there are numerous other examples of such things...

Yours is "THE ORIGINAL", and can be marketed as such, regardless of anyone else's product...
Logged
The random mind of a Silver Surfer...
If research was easy, it wouldn't need doing...
Staring at that event horizon is a dirty job, but someone has to do it; something's going to come back out of it one day...

Basvarken

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 6878
  • hobby luthier. gibson bass nerd
    • View Profile
    • www.enkoo.nl
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2009, 02:47:06 PM »
Scott, I'd say this bridge at Lindsey Guitars is much closer to your design than the Lull bridge...






The Lull bridge looks very similar to the BaCHbird bridge if you ask me...
This pic shows notched saddles but the BaCHbirds have unnotched saddles which makes it almost identical to Lull's bridge.





Logged

godofthunder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6636
  • Keep On Rock'n !
    • View Profile
    • Johnny Smoke
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2009, 02:56:00 PM »
I know there is no money in this I guess what bugs me is he talks like the idea was his when he had one of mine in his shop during prototype development.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2009, 03:19:19 PM by godofthunder »
Logged
Maker of the Badbird Bridge, "intonation without modification" for your vintage Gibson Thunderbird

Highlander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12542
  • There Ken be only one...
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2009, 03:06:12 PM »
The most cost-effective deisgn is someone elses, especially if it's free...  :sad:
Logged
The random mind of a Silver Surfer...
If research was easy, it wouldn't need doing...
Staring at that event horizon is a dirty job, but someone has to do it; something's going to come back out of it one day...

godofthunder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6636
  • Keep On Rock'n !
    • View Profile
    • Johnny Smoke
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2009, 03:38:23 PM »
I think the Lindsey site it the one that mentions my bridge and I am pretty cool with that. What gets me the most is that both Hipshot and Mike knew of my bridge.
Logged
Maker of the Badbird Bridge, "intonation without modification" for your vintage Gibson Thunderbird

TBird1958

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6555
  • "you know the rule, No boots,No glam!"
    • View Profile
    • www.thenastyhabits.com
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2009, 03:57:57 PM »
 Mike's bridge is a bit different dimensionally than yours Scott, tho the idea is certainly very similar. At the time I showed him your design he had a Hipshot prototype as well.........Perhaps his mind was already made up.
Logged
Resident T Bird playing Drag Queen www.thenastyhabits.com  "Impülsivê", the new lush fragrance as worn by the unbelievable Fräulein Rômmélle! Traces of black patent leather, Panzer grease, mahogany and model train oil mingle and combust to one sheer sensation ...

Highlander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12542
  • There Ken be only one...
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2009, 04:01:38 PM »
"Maker of the Badbird Bridge, "intonation without modification" for your vintage Gibson Thunderbird..."

Get it out there... just chuck "ORIGINAL" in there...
Logged
The random mind of a Silver Surfer...
If research was easy, it wouldn't need doing...
Staring at that event horizon is a dirty job, but someone has to do it; something's going to come back out of it one day...

Dave W

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 22243
  • Got time to breathe, got time for music
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2009, 06:49:58 PM »
Quote from: godofthunder on November 14, 2009, 02:25:48 PM
Believe me I looked into a patent, very expensive along the lines of 5k. My wife Cath works in Kodak legal and one of our friends there is a patent attorney. He advised against a patent due to cost and the return. He however did say that just by it being "out there" on the internet that it would be protected by copyright laws. I have no idea what protection that may offer.

I don't know what he could be talking about. Copyright is about content, not about a product. If you wrote an instruction manual for installation of your bridge, that would be copyrighted whether or not you registered it. Otherwise this has nothing to do with copyright at all.

If someone were able to get a patent on a similar bridge, the fact that you're out there would mean you could get his patent canceled because yours is "prior art."

Trademarks don't have to be registered to be valid, you could claim a common law trademark on the name BadBird Bridge.
Logged

drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2009, 04:47:35 AM »
Bottom  line is someone out there is a bit dishonest and Scott got hosed.  The best recourse is to keep your name and product out there so people can find it.  The other best recourse is to make yours the best quality, value and solution for the money.  That's the hard part for small operators.
Logged
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!

Lightyear

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2190
  • Hey! You damn kids get off my *@%*~&# lawn!
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #12 on: November 15, 2009, 09:17:28 AM »
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"  BAHHHH!  Still pisses you off, though!  The Doc is right, press on and take the high road.  If you were to launch a web site make sure that you have every variation, word and description of your bridge listed so that search engines will list your site predominantly.  Make your case and the truth shall set you free!
Logged

TBird1958

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6555
  • "you know the rule, No boots,No glam!"
    • View Profile
    • www.thenastyhabits.com
Where's that confounded bridge?
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2009, 10:49:33 AM »


 I didn't realize I had so many basses with two point bridges, I've placed Scott's next to several of mine.

This is Curt's (DC10bass) modified Orville


And my still as yet unfinished BaCH Non-Reverse.


Alongside Joe's 8 string.
 

And by my Lull.


 I think Scott's bridge and what Hipshot did for Mike Lull do look very similar as all of these do, how can they not? As they say form follows function. When I worked with Mike on his basses I REALLY wanted to have Scott's bridge on mine, however as you can see his mounting studs are quite different from the others which caused the bridge to tilt when it was tightened down. The reason for it is that Scott's bridge is designed to replace an original Gibson, which it does. Perfectly.
Logged
Resident T Bird playing Drag Queen www.thenastyhabits.com  "Impülsivê", the new lush fragrance as worn by the unbelievable Fräulein Rômmélle! Traces of black patent leather, Panzer grease, mahogany and model train oil mingle and combust to one sheer sensation ...

Dave W

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 22243
  • Got time to breathe, got time for music
    • View Profile
Re: Mike Lull Tbird bridges.
« Reply #14 on: November 15, 2009, 12:20:07 PM »
Quote from: drbassman on November 15, 2009, 04:47:35 AM
Bottom  line is someone out there is a bit dishonest and Scott got hosed.  The best recourse is to keep your name and product out there so people can find it.  The other best recourse is to make yours the best quality, value and solution for the money.  That's the hard part for small operators.

I agree with your ideas for Scott's best recourses.

OTOH unless someone else is making a false claim of being the original or using the BadBird name, I don't it's being dishonest by making another version of a product that's clearly not patentable and doesn't have any trade dress to trademark. It's just something that happens.

I have thought about making a product that I think would fill a niche. It's not a protectable idea, just something that I think there's a small market for. I know that if I do it and it sells, somebody will jump in and make something similar, and probably for much less in China. It's just the way of the world. You emphasize your strong points and hope enough people will buy from you.

Most products you own have parts or components in them that were first thought of by someone other than who makes it now. Every TV set, every refrigerator, etc.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Up
« previous next »