Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Swap Shop and Wish Lists => Seen on craigslist, eBay, and elsewhere => Topic started by: jazzyvee on April 24, 2007, 11:50:19 AM
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link (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300104146647&ssPageName=MERC_VI_RCRX_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT&refitem=300104179898&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=active_view_item&usedrule1=CrossSell_LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget)
Jazzyvee
(Message edited by davehouck on April 28, 2007)
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Looks like an auction that should be stopped on whatever grounds Rickenbacker has been using to stop the sale of all the clones of their instruments that have been floating around. Only because of their aggressive defense of their body shapes over the years do they still have the power to defend them. A failure to defend against copies releases your shapes into the public domain a la the standard Fender and Gibson shapes.
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This is a used piece, not from the maker. It doesn't mention Alembic in the listing, or Dragon Wing.
Body shapes cannot be patented or trademarked (just ask Fender). Peghead shapes can. The peghead shape is not a copy of what we are doing. It is not being sold as a copy or represented as even similar to an Alembic.
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Well, not to disagree with you Mica, but I think Rickenbacker might tell you differently. According to them, Fender and Gibson lost their rights as a result of their delay in asserting them. You cannot sell a Univox Stereo Bass even if you don't mention the Rickenbacker name without them shutting down the listing on eBay, CraigsList, or any other public forum that they can locate. It doesn't matter who is selling the item or how long ago it was produced. It is what their lawyers and the courts require that they do in order to preserve their rights. When I asked them if trimming the hook off the headstock would make it salable, they said that it wouldn't because the body shape and other features still match. Maybe they lied?
In reality, it may not matter to Alembic to protect such a shape if the name is not abused, but it seems to be one of those slippery slope arguments to me. The cost of defense may not justify the benefits or protection, though.
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Mica, Guys,
Shamray is a russian manufacturer.
And yes, the design is a copy of the DW as I had seen a reference photo somewhere some time ago on their homepage with Rogers DW No.1 as reference.
I do like the peghead shape but otherwise, I LOVE MY ALEMBIC !!!
Period.....
Oliver (Spyderman)