Several American media reported on Tuesday, November 26, that a legal battle could break out between Gibson and Trump Guitars. At issue: the design of an instrument autographed by the elected American president.
There is electricity in the air. The famous guitar manufacturer Gibson is threatening the company 16 Creative, a pro-Trump luthier, with legal action for having copied the shape of its legendary Les Paul model, several American media reported on Tuesday evening, November 26. The product at the heart of the dispute is a six-string produced by the company Trump Guitars, decorated with an eagle in front of the federal flag and named “American Eagle”. Little extra, the instrument presented by the brand as “the ONLY guitar approved» by the new American president, is autographed by Donald Trump.
The shape of the “American Eagle”, sold at a price of $11,500 until stock runs out, is indeed inevitably reminiscent of the Gibson Les Paul model, 120 years old and known throughout the world for having passed in the hands of Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry and even Keith Richards. Trump Guitars also offers a “presidential series» of guitars, available in red, gold or black, whose shape again resembles Les Paul. Its handle, engraved with the inscription “DONALD J. TRUMP”, still allows you to differentiate them up close.
Furious, Gibson sent a letter of formal notice to 16 Creative, the company behind the Trump Guitars brand, specifying that this design “infringes on Gibson’s proprietary trademarks, particularly the iconic shape of the Les Paul guitar“. Design also used by many other brands on the market today.
Derivative products
16 Creative states on its website that the brand is not affiliated with Gibson and that “Images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product.» He also argues that the instruments are “manufactured by several suppliers».
Without further details, it is particularly difficult to know whether these guitars could be targeted by the very sharp increase in customs duties that Donald Trump wishes to impose on products coming from Mexico, Canada or China.
During his campaign, the newly elected president put his name on a whole series of products that have nothing to do with his real estate empire. The Republican billionaire offered his supporters $100,000 watches, limited edition coins, golden sneakers and even autographed Bibles, some of which were made in China.
