Recent

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

August 27, 2025

2025 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Nominations – Ballot Closes 9/5!

August 22, 2025
Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

August 22, 2025

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

August 22, 2025

Slingerland Launches Radio King and Studio King Outfits, Plus Spare Parts

August 22, 2025

Seattle Cascades Now a Fully Powered KHS America Drum & Bugle Corps

August 22, 2025
Reid Peterson (Audio-Technica U.S. Executive Director of Sales, Professional Markets); Julie Van Berg (Mavric Incorporated sales associate); Kazuo Matsushita (Audio-Technica Corporation CEO/President); Pete Petty (Mavric Incorporated principal); Manabu Aoki (Audio-Technica U.S. CEO/President); Jeff Beck (Audio-Technica U.S. Regional Sales Manager, System Solutions); and David Barrett, Jerry Silhavy and John Herr (Mavric Incorporated sales associates). Photo credit: Corey Walthall, Clyne Media

Audio-Technica honors Mavric, Inc. with its President’s Award

August 22, 2025

Solid State Logic Appoints Mark Skipper to National Sales Manager, Eastern U.S., for Broadcast & Live Audio Production Systems

August 22, 2025
Thursday, August 28, 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

Warwick/Framus Wins Legal Dispute with Gibson

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
September 27, 2021
in Featured, MMR Global, Upfront
0
938
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

In the legal dispute over the sale of V-shaped electric guitars, Meissner Bolte has achieved a victory for guitar manufacturer Warwick. On 22 September 2021, the Federal Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of US manufacturer Gibson against a judgement of the Hamburg Higher Regional Court (I ZR 192/20). As a result, it is now decided in the last instance that Gibson’s plagiarism allegations against Warwick were unfounded from the beginning, and Gibson cannot assert any claims under the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG) against the V-guitar created by Warwick about seven years ago.

The proceedings were based on a lawsuit filed by the US guitar manufacturer Gibson. In 1958, Gibson launched the “Flying V”, the first guitar with a V-shaped body. The model became famous through musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz and the German band Scorpions.

ADVERTISEMENT

In 2014, Gibson filed a lawsuit against the German guitar manufacturer Warwick, that sold a V-shaped guitar approximated in shape under the “Framus” brand. Gibson objected to the imitation of its products and demanded a sales stop arguing that customers were being misled about the origin of the guitar, and Warwick was unfairly exploiting the reputation of the Gibson guitars.

In July 2017, the Hamburg Regional Court decided in favour of Gibson. The Higher Regional Court overturned this decision in November 2020 (Case No. 15 U 86/19) stating that despite a subsequent adoption of design elements, Warwick had not acted unfairly. In spite of the same shape, the brand and the manufacturer’s reference could be clearly recognised. Potential buyers could distinguish the guitars and were therefore not misled about the origin of the instruments from different manufacturers. The Higher Regional Court did not see any unfair exploitation of reputation as both guitars were high-quality, high-priced models and Warwick therefore did not participate in the good reputation of the Gibson variant.

“With this ruling, the Federal Supreme Court once again clarifies that the Unfair Competition Act does not grant absolute product protection, but there need to be additional unfairness features,” says Dr Stefan Zech, partner with Meissner Bolte in Munich. “We are pleased that after the Higher Regional Court, also the Federal Supreme Court has followed our arguments and confirmed that there is no unfairness in the case of Warwick’s V-Guitar.”

Tags: FramusGibsonWarwick
Previous Post

Drummers, Industry And Media To Participate in ‘On The Line’— Hit Like A Girl’s New Online Marching Percussion Festival.

Next Post

Player Plus Studio Sessions: Powered by Fender

Related Posts

MMR Global

2025 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Nominations – Ballot Closes 9/5!

August 22, 2025
MMR Global

Fulcrum Acoustic Names Audio Acoustics Exclusive Distributor for the Netherlands

August 15, 2025
MMR Global

Nostalgia in a new light – Cameo at the Love the 90s Festival in Valencia

August 15, 2025
MMR Global

Adam Hall Group Appoints Loud Technologies Asia as Exclusive LD Systems Distributor in Singapore

August 15, 2025
Upfront

Hal Leonard to Distribute Latin Percussion (LP) in the U.S.

August 8, 2025
C Cardenas (Music 4 Life), Kat Witten (Music 4 Life), Mark Maxwell (co-owner Maxwell's House of Music), Whitney McNicol (co-owner, Maxwell's House of Music)
Upfront

‘If You’re In A Band’ Series Sparks Partnership for Music Education Scholarship

August 8, 2025
Next Post
Welcome to 1979 Studio 1 (Photo: courtesy Welcome to 1979)

Player Plus Studio Sessions: Powered by Fender

Please login to join discussion
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

August 27, 2025

Furch Guitars Introduces Pioneer Series: All-Solid-Wood, Travel-Friendly Short-Scale Guitars

July 21, 2025

Jessica Tropea Joins Neutrik Americas as Customer Solutions Engineer

August 15, 2025

Music Sales swoops for Carisch

April 8, 2015

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

Slingerland Launches Radio King and Studio King Outfits, Plus Spare Parts

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

August 27, 2025

2025 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Nominations – Ballot Closes 9/5!

August 22, 2025
Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

August 22, 2025

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

August 22, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • August 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 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?