Gibson Brands, the iconic guitar manufacturer, is threatening to take legal action against the company behind Trump Guitars over alleged trademark infringement.
The 120-year-old maker of historic instruments such as the Les Paul electric guitar sent a cease and desist letter to 16 Creative, the agency that is marketing specially branded Trump Guitars.
“We can confirm a cease and desist has been issued against 16 Creative as the design infringes upon Gibson’s exclusive trademarks, particularly the iconic Les Paul body shape,” Gibson said in a statement to Guitar World magazine.
President-elect Donald Trump last week posted an image on his social media platform Truth Social showing him touting one of the Trump Guitars.
The president-elect is seen holding a “limited edition” guitar that appears to be the same shape and size of the Les Paul guitar.
The social media post includes a link to a web site where people can buy either an acoustic or electric guitar autographed by the president-elect for up to $10,000.
The Trump Guitars feature the words “Presidential” and “God Bless the USA” written out across the instrument’s fret board.
The web site marketing the Trump Guitars indicates that unlike Gibson instruments which are made in the USA, the Trump-branded version is “manufactured by multiple providers and include parts/features that are both domestic and international.”
“This is standard with most guitar manufacturers,” according to the Trump Guitars web site.
Gibson has been aggressive in pursuing infringement claims against guitar makers that produce products with designs that are similar to that of the Les Paul, the iconic stringed instrument that was first patented in 1955.
In May 2022, a jury sided with Gibson in its trade infringement lawsuit against Dean, which was accused of marketing counterfeit versions of the Gibson Flying V, Explorer and SG guitars.
Gibson has also threatened legal action against other companies such as Kiesel, Mojo Hand FX and others over alleged trademark infringement.
In addition to the Trump-endorsed line of guitars, the president-elect has also promoted Trump-branded Bibles, sneakers, watches, photo books and cryptocurrency ventures while campaigning for a second term in office.
The Post has sought comment from Gibson, 16 Creative and the Trump transition team.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
