Martin patents rectangle

[scripsit]

From this:
http://tarr.uspto.gov/tarr?regser=regis ... est+Status
and some comments on another luthier site, with links to a press release, it appears that Martin now own the basic headstock shape that one would draw to describe a guitar.

Is this for real? Can I patent circles and triangles?

Can't wait for Gibson to patent ogee curves and Fender to patent asymmetry.

Kym

[jeffhigh]

Good to see some actual details of what is covered
We basically have a headstock shape in dotted lines with a solid straight line across the top
It says further down that the dotted lines are not included, so it is basically the straight across top of the headstock only.

[Daniel_M]

It will be interesting to see if they try and enforce it as santa cruz and some larivees use the same straight line

[charangohabsburg]

It seems that this design did not make it to a design patent. It was not transformed into a patent application. If there's not a patent application number, it's not patented. I don't really know what this listing is about, but it seems to me as if someone tried to patent this headstock design.

[...] it appears that Martin now own the basic headstock shape that one would draw to describe a guitar.

Only novel designs can be patented. A patent lasts for 20 years and it is possible to extend this period to 5 years more (max. total of 25 years). Until a few years ago (if I remember well until the late eighties / early nineties ) in the USA it was only 17 years.

Is this for real? Can I patent circles and triangles?

No. But if you combine circles and triangles to a novel design it is patentable, of course.

Some interesting links:

• Here you can read something about patents in the USA:
  http://www.uspto.gov/
• Here is a great patent search machine for US and other patents(the website has a FAQ section too):
  http://www.freepatentsonline.com/
• Similar search engines with the same database, but run by the USPTO:
  http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/search/index.jsp
• And here is the FAQ-site of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation:
  http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/pate ... protection

[jeffhigh]

Not a Patent, they have registered a Trademark.
Big difference.

[Daniel_M]

And collings...