Fender Decals On Non-Fender Basses

[scotch]

He might have been...but I am just saying that Fender isn't exactly at the lines with machineguns shutting down the decals that are out there.....

They do protect their trademarked logo and headstock shape. If you have a strategy to somehow keep all of the pirates off off eBay (and the tb classifieds as well), I imagine Fender would havea job for you.

Obviously fighting theft on the internet is a daunting challenge. But that doesn't magically "make it right" or legal.

 

[Raymeous]

I think 99% of the time its brand envy/shame or they've bought the myth that only Fender or Gibson make good guitars. They are too embarrassed to use a Squier so they turn it into a Fender so people will think they're cool. You NEVER see somebody putting on an Ibanez or Dean logo on their guitars and basses.

If what you have is considered a cheap guitar or bass because that's all you can afford at this time, or its all you're willing to spend, then don't be ashamed of not having a big name instrument. Use what you got and enjoy it. Play the crap out of it as best you can. Play so good on your "beginner" bass that the other bass players in the audience become ashamed of how much money they spent on the big name stuff and yet you can smoke them on your little P-bass clone. I think far too many people to too much emphasis on what brands you use and "this one’s good and that one isn't" B.S.

Think how cool it would be to end this debate with a CD made with amazing players and budget equipment. Put a Victor Wooten on a Squier Affinity bass and let him rip it up on a couple of tracks I'm sure he'll still be better than we are even on a $99 starter instrument. Just sayin'

Rock what you got and be proud to be playing.

 

[sleepy_monkey]

They do protect their trademarked logo and headstock shape. If you have a strategy to somehow keep all of the pirates off off eBay (and the tb classifieds as well), I imagine Fender would havea job for you.

All Fender has to do is contact eBay and they would take it directly off for copyright infringement....not really that difficult.

 

[phillipkregg]

You NEVER see somebody putting on an Ibanez or Dean logo on their guitars and basses.

You must have missed my beautiful Squierdowsky from a previous post:

I present to you... the Squierdowsky! (click image for larger view)

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[Gort]

All Fender has to do is contact eBay and they would take it directly off for copyright infringement....not really that difficult.

I wouldn't doubt Fender has already done that.

There was a time when auctions for the fraudulent decals were over the weekend and only lasted 2-3 days...I guess legal depts. aren't looking over the weekend.

 

[smcd]

I've been giving serious thought to removing the logo's from my ATK's, and I probably will remove the logo from my 700.

 

[bassbenj]

I think 99% of the time its brand envy/shame or they've bought the myth that only Fender or Gibson make good guitars. They are too embarrassed to use a Squier so they turn it into a Fender so people will think they're cool. You NEVER see somebody putting on an Ibanez or Dean logo on their guitars and basses.

If what you have is considered a cheap guitar or bass because that's all you can afford at this time, or its all you're willing to spend, then don't be ashamed of not having a big name instrument. Use what you got and enjoy it. Play the crap out of it as best you can. Play so good on your "beginner" bass that the other bass players in the audience become ashamed of how much money they spent on the big name stuff and yet you can smoke them on your little P-bass clone. I think far too many people to too much emphasis on what brands you use and "this one’s good and that one isn't" B.S.

Think how cool it would be to end this debate with a CD made with amazing players and budget equipment. Put a Victor Wooten on a Squier Affinity bass and let him rip it up on a couple of tracks I'm sure he'll still be better than we are even on a $99 starter instrument. Just sayin'

Rock what you got and be proud to be playing.

I don't buy all the Fender-envy either. All my SX basses have SX logos on them. [although I will admit I did saw one SX headstock into the copyrighted Fender shape... SX logo stayed on though. That was because 1. original SX headstock shape was totally hideous. 2. Lots of people hear with their eyes and you can't read the logo from a distance anyway.]

But the reason I'm PROUD to have crappy basses announced with their own logos can be traced back to Einstein. As the 20th century began, inventors became something of an infatuation with the public. Guys like Edison and Tesla fired the public imagination. Well, Tesla was a major neatnik and always dressed to the nines. hence the image of the "brain" was one of someone perfectly dressed having dinner in his tux etc.

Well, Einstein came along and also rather captured the public imagination. Only Einstein took a different approach. He dressed like a bum with wild hair. The implied statement was "I'm so smart, I don't NEED to dress in fancy clothes to prove it!" And it changed the standard thereafter. Even today, most scientists tend to appear on TV in "rock and roll clothes".

Same idea here. Playing the butt off of an SX bass and killing with it makes the statement: "I'm so cool I don't NEED a Fender or a Gibson to make your jaw drop!" Yeah. that's the kind of statement I'm making with my SX basses. [OF course in my case I actually DO need and own Fender and Gibson guitars and basses, because truthfully I'm NOT that cool... ]

 

[Diogenes]

BTW, Lakland wouldn't sell me a decal. From what I see here, I can design my own. Too cool!

I've made waterslide decals for my other basses but all with original names. But after reading this thread I've seen the light and realize that there's nothing wrong with making up a Fender decal and putting it on my basses that I built. After all, they feel and sound better than any Fender I've ever played so I'd actually be downgrading them with a Fender decal.

Come to think of it, I like Lakland so to help give them free advertisement I'm going to print up a Lakland logo and put it on my SX with a similarly shaped headstock because it just doesn't look right with any other name on there.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

after reading this thread I've seen the light and realize that there's nothing wrong with making up a Fender decal and putting it on my basses that I built. After all, they feel and sound better than any Fender I've ever played so I'd actually be downgrading them with a Fender decal.

I'm lost on this one.


If your basses feel and sound better than any Fender you've played(your words)why not put your own brand on it?

And since people are so image conscious, they would compliment you on a bass that sounds better than a Fender.

 

[BioDriver]

Hey, it's your basses, you can do whatever you want with them. If having that logo makes you happy then kudos.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Thand took my back in another thread so I hereby take back anything negative I might have said regarding him. I was wrong. I still hold to anything else I said though!

Thanks Mr. T. You said in the surf thread what I wanted to but didn't.

 

[Diogenes]

I'm lost on this one.

 

[eSmith]

That happens, fisticuffs on one topic, solidarity on another. I think people argue passionatly on the topic, not at the other person.

That said, I still don't get why anyone would care about the Fender decal on a Fender product. Except Shame. It makes sense that Fender is Ashamed with the quality of the Squire line and is trying to distance itself to perserve the reputation of the Fender name. The truth is it IS Fender and the Squire Quality SHOULD be attached directly to the Fender brand.

Why is it ok for Fender to try to pull a fraud over us but if we correct that fraud we are in the wrong? Are people so backwards that they are willing to give up freedom in order to protect the deceptive practices of Fender?

What happened to America? All I see is you giving up freedom. You would think you would be upset with Fender for moving jobs out of America in order to increase profit. Instead you turn a blind eye to getting the shaft and keep praising the people screwing you. Fender knows what it is doing is wrong, thats why they switch to the Squire hat when selling you crap.

Are we really willing to hang an individual who wants the brand to be displayed on his instrument and see's past the veneer of the squire name and knows full well he is just holding a Fender? A cheap fender maybe but a Fender none the less.

It really seems the only ones getting there knickers in a bunch over this are Fender owners who do not want to be associated with the brands cheaper products.

-eSmith.

 

[okcrum]

It's Squier, dude.

 

[THand]

Thand took my back in another thread so I hereby take back anything negative I might have said regarding him. I was wrong. I still hold to anything else I said though!

Thanks Mr. T. You said in the surf thread what I wanted to but didn't.

Lol! No worries!

 

[phillipkregg]

Hey, it's your basses, you can do whatever you want with them.

Can I rob a bank with it?


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[eSmith]

It's Squier, dude.

Not important, if anyone asks me how to spell it I'll just reply "F e n d e r"

-eSmith.

 

[Chebass88]

According to United States Code, Title 15, Chapter 22, Subchapter III, Section 1125 ("False designations of origin, false descriptions, and dilution forbidden"), subsection (c) (Dilution by blurring; dilution by tarnishment), Section 3 (Exlusions):

The following shall not be actionable as dilution by blurring or dilution by tarnishment under this subsection:

...

(C) Any noncommercial use of a mark.

link here

So, after reading all of this, it seems like it is not a problem (i.e., not illegal) to use the mark for one's own personal use.

When the product (bass) is sold, though, other legal issues could arise, and depend on the legal definitions of commercial use and the responsible parties involved.

 

[Gort]

So, after reading all of this, it seems like it is not a problem (i.e., not illegal) to use the mark for one's own personal use.

However the manufacture and sale of the fraudulent decal itself is already an infringement on the trademark even before it gets to the instrument.

 

[smcd]

According to United States Code, Title 15, Chapter 22, Subchapter III, Section 1125 ("False designations of origin, false descriptions, and dilution forbidden"), subsection (c) (Dilution by blurring; dilution by tarnishment), Section 3 (Exlusions):

The following shall not be actionable as dilution by blurring or dilution by tarnishment under this subsection:

...

(C) Any noncommercial use of a mark.

link here

So, after reading all of this, it seems like it is not a problem (i.e., not illegal) to use the mark for one's own personal use.

When the product (bass) is sold, though, other legal issues could arise, and depend on the legal definitions of commercial use and the responsible parties involved.

Was there anything in United States Code, Title 15, Chapter 22, Subchapter III, Section 1125 about someone being a shameless poseur.