Does My EBMM Albert Lee count as an offset?

[fullerplast]

Perpendicular to the Longitudinal Axis

Album title alert!!!

Or perhaps an instrumental title... somebody must use that one for something, anyway.

I KNOW! That's GREAT, ain't it?

Godspeed, Leo!

[djetz]

Sorry about that, it's kind of an inside joke from the "early days" (a few months ago).  We were quite fond of drawing lines through guitars to determine (or display) their "offsetness" and it was getting tiresome and played out.  So I drew a line through my dog...

No need to apologise, cute animal pictures are always welcome. Plus, in that pose, the dog's head is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of his/her body.

I'm going to be dropping that one into conversations for weeks to come, I can tell.

[uvacom]

Okay, fair enough. This does sort of beg the question - can only Fender (or a company which obtains a license from Fender) produce an offset guitar? How restrictive is that patent?

[fullerplast]

Patents are only good for a certain period of time, then the design is "fair game". That's why we see so many different makers ripping off the offset body. 

Besides, the 1977 agreement in the Norlin vs. Hoshino ( AKA Gibson vs. Ibanez, the famous "lawsuit") was that the headstock is THE defining feature of a guitar maker's brand. Therefore guitar bodies can be copied without license.

It's probably how Leo was able to rip off himself under the G&L name!  There's irony for ya!

[uvacom]

Patents are only good for a certain period of time, then the design is "fair game". That's why we see so many different makers ripping off the offset body. 

Besides, the 1977 agreement in the Norlin vs. Hoshino ( AKA Gibson vs. Ibanez, the famous "lawsuit") was that the headstock is THE defining feature of a guitar maker's brand. Therefore guitar bodies can be copied without license.

It's probably how Leo was able to rip off himself under the G&L name!  There's irony for ya!

Actually, G&L does license the body shapes - check it (from the G&L website) -

"Some G&L instrument models are sold under license from Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
with respect to design trademarks in the Stratocaster® and Telecaster® body shapes."

It probably isn't necessary, of course, but FWIW G&L did obtain permission.

[RumorsOFsurF]

Edit: nice doggie pic, though I don't quite see the connection.

Sorry about that, it's kind of an inside joke from the "early days" (a few months ago).  We were quite fond of drawing lines through guitars to determine (or display) their "offsetness" and it was getting tiresome and played out.  So I drew a line through my dog...