Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It's also amazing how a small piece of plastic can become a metaphor for--and a darned good example of--serious topics like the reason for intellectual property law and the flaunting of same. And that's why it's neither a "shoolboy" nor a "fanboy" topic, but something a good deal more serious, to anyone whose income depends upon those rights.

I've used legal persuasion to protect my own rights in this area, and of course I'd expect RIC to do the same. They were, in fact, pioneers in this area, while Fender and others are late to the table and have made things tough for RIC by not aggressively protecting much of their own property, so that it has, through heavy exploitation, become part of he public domain.

Worse still, people think it's the norm, when in fact it's an aberration.

(Uh-oh... now how am I gonna get rid of this TRC tattoo?...)

meta4/4 . a new time signature?

We live in a society where no one likes to be told "NO. YOU CAN"T DO THAT." Some folks cannot tolerate the idea that certain property IS protected by the law. These are probably the same folks who clutter the courts with frivilous lawsuits. RIC has rights too.

Can you imagine if Ferrari let anybody have the trademark
yellow shield with the Modena stallion on it? Every Pinto and Pacer on the planet could be a prancing pony too! WEEE! When you buy a RIC you are purchasing the integrity
of the company.

There is always some room for fun. Years ago my Dad put
the chrome bulldog from a Mack Truck ashtray on our new
Buick station wagon as a hood ornament without any
legal repercussions - more of a wry complement.

Welcome, Donnell!

This issue comes up again and again in this and other Forums. It's been clouded for guitarists and luthiers, because Fender let the designs for the Strat and Tele get away from them, as did Gibson with the Les Paul, and everyone's making copies; the conclusion many musicians and builders arrive at is that all designs are fair game. This is most certainly not true in the case of Rickenbackers, however.

AMEN!

Thanks, Paul.

I'm not surprised either that some people just don't get it. You can tell someone it's a trademark issue and they will tell you it's a piece of plastic issue. One of two conclusions come to mind at this point. Such people are either too thick to "get it" or they are like that minority of people who go to the movies and root for the bad guys all the time because they identify more with the villain than the good guys.

And, in my opinion, that's why online auction sites should not be frequented for these sorts of things that are easily reproduced, unless you don't really care where the thing was made or comes from.

I just can't see that many plates being separated from the instrument (notwithstanding some hoarders that could have bought dozens of the things when they were available back when), yet they turn up with monotonous regularity at some crazy prices.

I could understand where someone tears down the guitar and sells off individual pieces to the highest bidder (there's more money in it), but I hardly ever see any stripped down guitars up for auction, not that I look a lot that's true.

It makes me wonder.

Seems like our forum members set off the alarms every time a fake TRC is spotted for sale, and we have some absolute Eagle Eyes on the job. Slightest variations don't stand a chance here--sometimes I still don't see the difference even after it's pointed out. As far as the carcasses, I do see them and they have been fetching good prices too...sometimes far-fetched.

I just can't see that many plates being separated from the instrument. . .

We've done a great deal of research on this issue- both before the policy was implemented and since then. The vast majority of the plates turning up for auction have come from faker instruments that were previously badged when genuine plates were more commonly available. The plates are now more valuable than the fake instrument itself and the faker cannot be easily sold, therefore the TRC plates are removed and sold.

The number of counterfeits has dropped greatly as prosecutions have been made. You must remember that in many jurisdictions, infringement is a criminal offense. The prominent British counterfeiter saw the inside of a gaol last year and paid a significant fine, whereas the most notable Italian one will have a similar experience shortly.

That makes sense, older real plates on the copies, and that would explain quite a few copies that are attempted to be sold without a TRC.

. . . older real plates on the copies, and that would explain quite a few copies that are attempted to be sold without a TRC.

. . . which was our plan from the beginning: get the genuine plates off the fakers and into the hands of those that need them, while devaluing fakers. That's using market pressure rather than lawsuits to solve the problem.

Who's the British faker?

He died on a bed of nails. Didn't really have that Indian thing down pat.