Gibson And Love Rocks In North America
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Tokai Responds To Gibson Trademark-Infringement Claims
06/28/2004
NEW YORK — A top executive at Japanese guitar/bass manufacturer Tokai says the company is no longer interested in selling its “Love Rock” guitars in the United States. The remark comes after Gibson Guitar Corp. in May filed a trademark-infringement suit over the model in the Middle District of Tennessee (ELW, June 21).
“We have no intention to break U.S.A. law or rules,” insists Shohei Adachi, president of Tokai.
Gibson claimed that the Love Rock models infringe on the design of its Les Paul electric guitar.
Tokai’s Love Rock guitars were first sold in the U.S. in 1983, says Adachi. In 1987, the year Gibson applied for trademark registration for the Les Paul, “we stopped selling our guitars in the U.S. because of the exchange rate,” Adachi says. “The value of Japanese yen became about double to U.S. dollar. So we (gave) up selling our guitars to the U.S. market.
“In 2001,” he continues, “our Canadian distributor asked us to sell our guitars in the U.S., and they advised us to change the body figure and the headstock figure of Love Rock because of Gibson’s registered trademarks. Our Canadian distributor talked to Gibson’s attorney and designed our new Love Rock models.”
Tokai exhibited the new Love Rock and other guitars at the biannual NAMM trade shows in 2002, 2003 and January 2004. The NAMM show is produced by, the International Music Products Assn.
“We thought we did not have any problem with our new Love Rock models with Gibson,” says Adachi. “We talked to our Canadian distributor and at NAMM 2004 (in Anaheim, Calif.), we exhibited our new Love Rock models and our original guitars through our new U.S.A. distributor, Godlyke Inc.
“Godlyke checked our new Love Rock models with their attorney carefully before exhibiting. So we did not worry with Gibson. So now we are surprised at Gibson’s act, and we leave this matter to Godlyke.”
Clifton, N.J.-based Godlyke Distributing Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We look at everyone’s designs,” responds Gibson general counsel Joel Cherry, “and there are many we conclude that legally we have no right (to oppose). That’s fine; there is a basic design or look to a guitar. But to the extent that elements are protectable, we go after the infringers.”
Tokai Responds To Gibson Trademark-Infringement Claims
06/28/2004
NEW YORK — A top executive at Japanese guitar/bass manufacturer Tokai says the company is no longer interested in selling its “Love Rock” guitars in the United States. The remark comes after Gibson Guitar Corp. in May filed a trademark-infringement suit over the model in the Middle District of Tennessee (ELW, June 21).
“We have no intention to break U.S.A. law or rules,” insists Shohei Adachi, president of Tokai.
Gibson claimed that the Love Rock models infringe on the design of its Les Paul electric guitar.
Tokai’s Love Rock guitars were first sold in the U.S. in 1983, says Adachi. In 1987, the year Gibson applied for trademark registration for the Les Paul, “we stopped selling our guitars in the U.S. because of the exchange rate,” Adachi says. “The value of Japanese yen became about double to U.S. dollar. So we (gave) up selling our guitars to the U.S. market.
“In 2001,” he continues, “our Canadian distributor asked us to sell our guitars in the U.S., and they advised us to change the body figure and the headstock figure of Love Rock because of Gibson’s registered trademarks. Our Canadian distributor talked to Gibson’s attorney and designed our new Love Rock models.”
Tokai exhibited the new Love Rock and other guitars at the biannual NAMM trade shows in 2002, 2003 and January 2004. The NAMM show is produced by, the International Music Products Assn.
“We thought we did not have any problem with our new Love Rock models with Gibson,” says Adachi. “We talked to our Canadian distributor and at NAMM 2004 (in Anaheim, Calif.), we exhibited our new Love Rock models and our original guitars through our new U.S.A. distributor, Godlyke Inc.
“Godlyke checked our new Love Rock models with their attorney carefully before exhibiting. So we did not worry with Gibson. So now we are surprised at Gibson’s act, and we leave this matter to Godlyke.”
Clifton, N.J.-based Godlyke Distributing Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We look at everyone’s designs,” responds Gibson general counsel Joel Cherry, “and there are many we conclude that legally we have no right (to oppose). That’s fine; there is a basic design or look to a guitar. But to the extent that elements are protectable, we go after the infringers.”
hans-j?rgen interview with Shohei Adachi in 2006
Q1: Will there ever be officially distributed exact Tokai copies of Gibson and Fender guitars in the two major export markets USA and Germany again?
A1: We will never sell our LS models in the USA and Germany as you know.
Q10: What did the additional characters like "A" or "N" in front of the usual "LS" mean in the past? In the 2003-2004 catalog it seems that "ALS" stands for Korean models for the domestic Japanese market, i.e. with the exact Gibson headstock shape. On the other hand the available "ALS" models from Tokai UK do not have the exact headstock, so is there a rule what these additional characters mean or meant? Another example would be "NES" for export models of the ES copies.
A10: In 1980's we sold LS model with modified headstock to the USA, which model number is ALS. So actually A means America and the modified headstock. In 2002 we modified LS body and headstock and tried to sell them in the USA, which model is NLS models. N means New. So NLS model has a modified body and neck. NES model is ES body and a modified headstock. So the body was not modified. So we know there is some coufusion about the model number.
Q1: Will there ever be officially distributed exact Tokai copies of Gibson and Fender guitars in the two major export markets USA and Germany again?
A1: We will never sell our LS models in the USA and Germany as you know.
Q10: What did the additional characters like "A" or "N" in front of the usual "LS" mean in the past? In the 2003-2004 catalog it seems that "ALS" stands for Korean models for the domestic Japanese market, i.e. with the exact Gibson headstock shape. On the other hand the available "ALS" models from Tokai UK do not have the exact headstock, so is there a rule what these additional characters mean or meant? Another example would be "NES" for export models of the ES copies.
A10: In 1980's we sold LS model with modified headstock to the USA, which model number is ALS. So actually A means America and the modified headstock. In 2002 we modified LS body and headstock and tried to sell them in the USA, which model is NLS models. N means New. So NLS model has a modified body and neck. NES model is ES body and a modified headstock. So the body was not modified. So we know there is some coufusion about the model number.
"In addition, the craftsmen at Japanese manufacturers at that time were extremely fussy about such details as bonds and the precision of metal parts, resulting in many products of a quality higher than their price reflected. Japanese craftsmanship produced guitars that were nearly equal to the originals.
However, it all began to go downhill when U.S. manufacturers started filing lawsuits against the Japanese manufacturers, citing "infringement on their business interests." From then, the copy industry died out."
Japanese Vintage Market
However, it all began to go downhill when U.S. manufacturers started filing lawsuits against the Japanese manufacturers, citing "infringement on their business interests." From then, the copy industry died out."
Japanese Vintage Market
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The Canadian Mess:
I can't help but notice that this timeline dovetails with another one, the Fakais ordered by a Canadian distributor that then got them in hot water with Tokai.....
Manufactured Under License For... Fakais
It must have all come undone at once.
And right after this Tokai shifted production of low cost models from Korea to China.
The Fakais were made in Korea in 2003/04.
Post from 2008:
"WE STOPPED DEALING WITH ACTIVE MUSICAL PRODUCTS LTD BECAUSE THEY MADE TOKAI GUITARS IN KOREA WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION."
Six digit SN on Love Rock
I can't help but notice that this timeline dovetails with another one, the Fakais ordered by a Canadian distributor that then got them in hot water with Tokai.....
Manufactured Under License For... Fakais
It must have all come undone at once.
And right after this Tokai shifted production of low cost models from Korea to China.
The Fakais were made in Korea in 2003/04.
Post from 2008:
"WE STOPPED DEALING WITH ACTIVE MUSICAL PRODUCTS LTD BECAUSE THEY MADE TOKAI GUITARS IN KOREA WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION."
Six digit SN on Love Rock
Last edited:
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