Recent

Neil Potter Promoted to Director of National Sales at Allen & Heath USA

August 1, 2025

Sonique Drums Unveils Poly Pro Slim Snare Wire Straps

August 1, 2025

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

July 30, 2025

Jeff Mulvihill Appointed Combo Drum and Concert Percussion Brand Manager for KHS America

July 29, 2025

John Harvill to Assume Brand Management of Mapex & Majestic Marching Percussion

July 29, 2025

Introducing New PreSonus Special Edition StudioLive Digital Mixers

July 29, 2025

D’Angelico Guitars Launches 60th Anniversary Grateful Dead Collection

July 29, 2025

Recording and Mixing Engineer Thiago Baggio Thrives with DPA Microphones

July 29, 2025
Saturday, August 2, 2025
  • Contact
MMR Magazine
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
MMR Magazine
No Result
View All Result

PRS Guitars and Ted McCarty Family Drop ‘Theodore’ Trademark Dispute with Gibson Guitar Corp

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
July 16, 2024
in Upfront
0
Paul and Ted McCarty at PRS Guitars headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland. Circa 1997

Paul and Ted McCarty at PRS Guitars headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland. Circa 1997

938
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

 

Paul and Ted McCarty at PRS Guitars headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland. Circa 1997

PRS Guitars has announced that it has withdrawn its objection to Gibson’s registration of the “Theodore” trademark. PRS continues to hold dear and protect its long-standing agreement with Ted McCarty and the McCarty family regarding the exclusive rights to the “McCarty” trademark and to McCarty’s name and persona, first developed directly with Ted himself more than twenty-five years ago. PRS concluded that in this instance its resources were better spent on crafting high quality musical instruments rather than fighting with Gibson at a regulatory agency. After a series of private negotiations, Gibson has also agreed to drop its opposition to PRS’s “594” and “Silver Sky Nebula” trademarks and trademark applications.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We believe the story of Ted and PRS is well understood in the guitar community. Ted personally chose to align with PRS and had a deep respect and appreciation for Paul and our mission to build quality guitars. We honor the man and the relationship we had with him and the relationship we have with his family to this day,” said Jack Higginbotham, PRS Guitars COO. “While this agreement may not preclude Gibson from releasing future products under the ‘Theodore’ trademark, PRS will focus on honoring Ted McCarty with innovations and instruments that reflect positively on his legacy.”

Sue Davis, the sole surviving child of Ted McCarty and family member responsible for the interests of the family on this matter, offers her view on Gibson’s adoption of the “Theodore” mark: “Our decision not to fight an expensive battle does not mean that the McCarty family appreciates Gibson’s conduct. No one from Gibson ever contacted me or any of my family to ask permission to use my father’s given name in promoting new Gibson products. Had Gibson sought our permission, we would have declined for several reasons. After the Theodore trademark was registered, the McCarty family joined PRS in seeking to cancel the trademark and asking Gibson to stop using the trademark ‘Theodore’ in association with my father. I would strongly prefer that Gibson respect the family’s wishes and stop using my father’s name as a trademark in promoting products — products that to my knowledge he never approved of for production. Meanwhile, we look forward to continuing the relationship with PRS and its well-regarded McCarty branded products.”

PRS has been working for some time now on a documentary video to commemorate the relationship it has enjoyed with Ted and his family and plans to release that video this fall as a “kick off” to PRS’s upcoming 40th Anniversary. Much like this blog post from 2023, the documentary video aims to celebrate one of the guitar industry’s great stories of mentorship by Ted McCarty and how Paul Reed Smith continues that tradition of teaching today at PRS Guitars.

Tags: GibsonPRS
Previous Post

Aguilar Amplification Unveils Limited Edition NYC Gold Skyline Tone Hammer Preamp

Next Post

Poppy Hanton Joins Celestion as Marketing Executive

Related Posts

MMR Global

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

July 30, 2025
MMR Global

NAMM’s Top 100 Dealer Awards Rebranded as The NAMM Retail Awards

July 21, 2025
Upfront

Guitar Center Launches First-ever In-store AI Shopping Assistant in Music Retail

July 21, 2025
MMR Global

ESP Guitars Distributes Morley Pedals in Latin America

July 21, 2025
Upfront

UK distributor John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd., (JHS) Closing

July 18, 2025
Upfront

EMD Music to Distribute Stringjoy

June 23, 2025
Next Post

Poppy Hanton Joins Celestion as Marketing Executive

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

John Harvill to Assume Brand Management of Mapex & Majestic Marching Percussion

July 29, 2025

D’Angelico Guitars Launches 60th Anniversary Grateful Dead Collection

July 29, 2025

Taylor Guitars Launches New Collection Ahead of NAMM

January 27, 2025

Atomic Music: A 30-Year Legacy in the Heart of Beltsville

December 17, 2024

Neil Potter Promoted to Director of National Sales at Allen & Heath USA

Sonique Drums Unveils Poly Pro Slim Snare Wire Straps

Celebrating 25 Years of Gator Cases: Built for Retailers, Trusted by Musicians By Mike Lawson

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

Neil Potter Promoted to Director of National Sales at Allen & Heath USA

August 1, 2025

Sonique Drums Unveils Poly Pro Slim Snare Wire Straps

August 1, 2025

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

July 30, 2025

Jeff Mulvihill Appointed Combo Drum and Concert Percussion Brand Manager for KHS America

July 29, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • March 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!

© 2005 – 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

This is Modal Title

Click Me
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?