Trump Guitars, the company behind a line of Donald Trump-endorsed acoustic and electric instruments, has been issued a cease and desist order from Gibson, the famous 130-year-old guitar manufacturer.
Gibson alleges that the guitars promoted by the president-elect infringe upon its intellectual property rights. In particular, Gibson cites the similarity of the guitars to its own famous Les Paul model. Trump Guitars is owned by an entity called 16 Creative.
“We can confirm a cease and desist has been issued against 16 Creative as the design infringes upon Gibson’s exclusive trademarks, particularly the iconic Les Paul body shape,” reads a statement from Gibson seen by HuffPost.
The story was first reported by Guitar World.
Last week, Trump publicly put his name behind the products.
The line includes both electric and acoustic guitars, and prices range from $1,500 for a basic electric to $10,000 for an “American Eagle” guitar autographed by Trump himself.
The website of Trump Guitars states: “These beautiful guitars feature the iconic phrase ‘Make America Great Again’ inlaid in authentic pearl up the neck of the guitar and the number 45 on the headstock signifying President Donald J. Trump’s historic term as president.”
The site notes that the guitars are produced by “multiple providers, and include parts/features that are both domestic and international,” suggesting they are not entirely manufactured in the U.S.
The FAQ page also boasts that the models are “the ONLY guitars endorsed by President Donald J. Trump!”
It’s not clear whether Trump makes any money from the guitars, but last week, he advertised the instruments on his Truth Social account, writing: “Coming Soon! The Limited Edition ‘45’ Guitar. Only 1,300 of each Acoustic and Electric Guitars MADE ― Some personally signed!”
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There’s currently no shortage of Trump-related merchandise available to those who want it. The president-elect has recently hawked $99 digital trading cards and $100,000 watches, and has endorsed various cryptocurrency ventures and lines of Bibles and sneakers.
16 Creative did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.