NASHVILLE–Gibson Guitar has won a watershed trademark infringement case against Stevensville, Md.-based guitar company Paul Reed Smith.
Paul Reed Smith is accused with using the body design on Gibson’s Les Paul single cutaway guitar without permission.
Judge William J. Haynes of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee last week ruled that Paul Reed Smith infringed Gibson’s valid trademark.
Gibson had claimed that the PRS “Singlecut” guitar infringed on the company’s trademark which is registered for its Les Paul single cutaway guitar.
Included in the claim is the fact that the PRS model unjustly used the Les Paul design and would cause confusion in the marketplace and damages to Gibson Guitar, the amount of which now will be determined in the next phase of the proceedings.
