Can Fender protect the iconic shape of the Stratocaster after decades of Strat-style guitars in the marketplace?

The BKK Beat is a video series from the attorneys at Bean, Kinney & Korman, bringing viewers an inside look at news narratives through BKK's legal lens.

For Episode 28, Kandis Koustenis and Tim Hughes begin a multi-part discussion of Fender's efforts to protect the Stratocaster design. Using Tim's guitar as a visual reference, they examine what makes the design recognizable, which features may be functional, the significance and limits of a default judgment, Fender's cease-and-desist campaign, and the line between familiar design elements and an impermissible copy.

This is Part 1. Subscribe to The BKK Beat and follow the series for the next installment.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Kandis Koustenis is a shareholder with Bean, Kinney & Korman, focusing her practice on intellectual property strategies, protection, and enforcement. To learn more about Kandis, visit: https://www.beankinney.com/people/kan...

Timothy R. Hughes is a shareholder with Bean, Kinney & Korman who advises nonprofit organizations, associations, and businesses on governance, transactions, risk management, and disputes. To learn more about Tim, visit: https://www.beankinney.com/people/tim...

For more information, visit Bean, Kinney & Korman: https://www.beankinney.com/

This content was prepared for informational purposes only and was not intended to provide legal advice. Consult a lawyer. Any views expressed herein are those of the author(s), and are not necessarily the views of this firm or any client. This video may be considered attorney advertising under the rules of some states. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter.