Gibson has filed a lawsuit against Armadillo Enterprises, the parent company of Dean Guitars and Luna Guitars, according to a report from Guitar.com.
In the multimillion dollar suit, the storied
Gibson has filed a lawsuit against Armadillo Enterprises, the parent company of Dean Guitars and Luna Guitars, according to a report from Guitar.com.
In the multimillion dollar suit, the storied guitar manufacturer reportedly states that Armadillo has violated its Flying V, Explorer, ES and SG, "Dove Wing" headstock design, "Hummingbird" name and "Moderne" trademarks.
Overall, the suit alleges trademark infringement, trademark counterfeiting, unfair competition and trademark dilution on the part of Armadillo.
In a statement obtained by Guitar Player, Armadillo Enterprises said that Gibson's claims were "entirely baseless," and that the company will "vigorously defend ourselves and seek to cancel Gibson's alleged trademark registrations."
Gibson is said to be seeking Armadillo’s profits, damages sustained by Gibson and the costs of the action. The company can also pursue statutory damages of up to and including $14 million—$2 million for each of the seven violations.
The court filing follows two cease-and-desist letters from Gibson to Armadillo—the first of which was sent in October 2017, during the tenure of former CEO Henru Juskiewicz. The second was reportedly sent last month.
Guitar Player has reached out to Gibson for comment.