Can guitar shapes be copyrighted?

No, it’s trademark that’s at issue, not copyright (not “copywrite”, either) or patent. A patent is a limited duration property right relating to an invention (not a guitar body shape).

Is the Telecaster shape trademarked?

Guitar makers Fender have lost an application to make its Stratocaster, Telecaster and Precision guitar body shapes a trademark in the USA. Similar applications have previously been rejected, both in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Are guitar headstocks trademarked?

Signature Headstocks Become Trademarked Since the rise of the electric guitar, litigation and lawsuits have been filed to protect patents, designs, and sales from being copied too closely.

Is the Telecaster headstock trademarked?

The shapes of Fender’s headstocks are trademarked designs. Specifically at issue in this case are Fender’s Telecaster and Stratocaster headstock designs.

What part of the guitar is patented by PRA?

Piezo
Piezo Patent Granted PRS Guitars introduced the first piezo equipped guitar in 1998. After customizing the system with LR Baggs, the design was granted a US patent in 1999.

Who owns the Stratocaster shape?

“Stratocaster” and “Strat” are trademark terms belonging to Fender. Guitars that duplicate the Stratocaster by other manufacturers are sometimes called S-Type or ST-type guitars. The guitar introduced into the popular market several features that were innovative for electric guitars in the mid 1950s.

Are guitar shapes trademarked?

No, there are no copyrights BUT there are protections. There was a very famous case of Gibson suing Paul Reed Smith regarding the Les Paul versus the Single Cut (Gibson lost). There was Ibanez who was also sued by Gibson, not due to the shape of the body but because of the headstock shape (Gibson settled).

Is the Fender headstock patented?

It’s similar, but it’s definitely not the same. Fender Strat headstocks can also have different shapes depending on the model and the era. He said the pic was different in his post. But yeah, they’re all copyrighted.

Who owns Paul Reed Smith?

PRS Guitars

Where are Paul Reed Smith acoustic guitars made?

Stevensville, Maryland
Made with the utmost attention to detail, these instruments are built at PRS’ main factory in Stevensville, Maryland. This has been the company’s main headquarters since 1996.

Does Fender own Stratocaster body shape?

The Stratocaster’s sleek, contoured body shape (officially referred to by Fender as the “Original Contour Body”) differed from the flat, squared edge design of the Telecaster. The Stratocaster’s double cutaways allowed players easier access to higher positions on the neck.