VHT Forced to Changes Names!

The Boogie Board

Help Support The Boogie Board:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
B

brokevail

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 10, 2007
Messages
58
Reaction score
0
Location
Lakeland. Fl
I am shocked this has not been here yet. VHT will now be Fryette as of Jan 1 2009. This is due to a lawsuit.

Here is the link about the lawsuit.

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/cou...ase_id-208176/

Here is what the details are.

AXL Musical Instruments Co., LTD. v. VHT Amplification, Inc.

Plaintiff: AXL Musical Instruments Co., LTD.
Defendant: VHT Amplification, Inc.
Counter-claimant: VHT Amplification, Inc.
Counter-defendant: AXL Musical Instruments Co., LTD.

Case Number: 5:2008cv03947
Filed: August 18, 2008

Court: California Northern District Court
Office: San Jose Office [ Court Info ]
County: San Mateo
Presiding Judge: Hon. James Ware

Nature of Suit: Intellectual Property - Trademark
Cause: 15:1114 Trademark Infringement
Jurisdiction: Federal Question
Jury Demanded By: Both


It looks like this company AXL basically stole the name and logo right from under Steve's nose. It seems Steve dropped the ball and his trademark/ copy right on the name expired and AXL bought it then they tried to sue Steve for using the name VHT that they now own. So since it would be such a hassel to try and get the name back (because he might not be able to he is selling (settling) and rebranding his stuff.

AXL has already set up a new site http://www.vhtamplifier.com/ and starting Jan first will be shipping crappy amps made in china under the VHT name with the VHT logo that we all no. I am actually tring to see if I can get Steve to give me his new logo (assuming it will fit) for my amp and cabs because I would not want some body who sees me play, like my tone, goes home and search for VHT amplifers online and ends up buying those junkers that AXL is going to put out. VHT is Steve and it is made by "Rockers in the USA"
 
Yeah, I saw that on the VHT forum. Never ceases to amaze me the levels people will stoop to, to make a buck. This is of course
if it is true. Steve Fryette makes awesome amps and it's ashame a company like AXL is going to try and capitalize on a legacy
Mr. Fryette has spent the last 20+ years building all because of a small oversight. If this underhandedness is indeed true I hope people see through it and AXL folds.
I for one will never do business with them. I will be taking the VHT logo off my Pitbull 50/ST and replacing it with the Fryette logo
wether it fits or not.
 
wow i just heard about this and this makes me want to vomit. I cannot believe our court system would even consider this case... well i can believe it buts its just so indecent and down right wrong. I hope everything works out for steve either way. and i hope the vht users out there do something to block/boycott any product AXL puts out under the VHT name... people who arent in the know need to know about this if AXL puts out anything with the VHT brand on it. Makes me want to busts some heads if you know what i mean.
 
such BS man... while i respect going to his last name for the new company name it looks no where near as cool as the old vht logo. I bet the VHT amps with the VHT logo are going to draw some serious dime in the near future... maybe i should get my deliverance cab sooner than later. I hope AXL's attempt to steal a solid name completely comes back to shoot them in the foot.

http://www.sfdamp.com/default.htm
 
That type of stuff makes my blood boil.
Btw +1 for Steve Fryennes, he was in the Dickies amongst other things before starting VHT, it's nice to see an amp builder who has actually been a successful touring guitarist before making amps :D

P.S.
I really like the new look of the Fryette amps though
 
DaveBorn2Rock said:
That type of stuff makes my blood boil.
Btw +1 for Steve Fryennes, he was in the Dickies amongst other things before starting VHT, it's nice to see an amp builder who has actually been a successful touring guitarist before making amps :D

P.S.
I really like the new look of the Fryette amps though
Click to expand...

Steve is as cool as they come. I got to meet him at the 2007 Winter NAMM and the guy is just really down to earth and welcoming. He also makes some pretty good amps to boot :wink:
 
I've never met Steve Fryette. But I sure love my Pitbull 50/ST. VHT, eer Fryette Amplification makes kickass amps! AXL can take their POS line and shove it.
 
This is the craziest thing I have ever seen. is AXL really gonna use the VHT logo for a crappy knockoff line? I hope they go under, I wouldnt set foot near any of their junk anyway. VHT is a killer amp and for any entity to steal someones logo because they didnt renew the trade mark is bush league imo.
 
What amazes me is they did not change one iota of the logo. Bad enough the name but the logo is identical... it really urks me that the law really allows this kind of crap.
 
It really is a shame what happened. And like you guys I hope they sink also!

But keep something in mind: the LAW and JUSTICE very, very, VERY, R-a-r-e-l-y have anything to do with each other especially with cases like these. The system would have you believe that it is there for justice, but allot (not all of the time) of times it is just a case of who can manipulate the system better than the other guy's lawyer or should I say "legal team".
 
From everywhere I have read Axl didn't steal anything but Steve actually sold it to them.

http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2008/VHT-Changes-Name.html

it's interesting. I think Axl is going to be putting a lot of VHT branded stuff though and a lot of people are going to buy it because they have heard of VHT not knowing it's not the real thing. But this has happened before with stuff.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't a similar thing happen with Bill Lawrence pickups?
 
Turumbar82 said:
From everywhere I have read Axl didn't steal anything but Steve actually sold it to them.

http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2008/VHT-Changes-Name.html

it's interesting. I think Axl is going to be putting a lot of VHT branded stuff though and a lot of people are going to buy it because they have heard of VHT not knowing it's not the real thing. But this has happened before with stuff.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't a similar thing happen with Bill Lawrence pickups?
Click to expand...
Yeah see what you mean but the info provided by "brokevail" contradicts what was said over at HC.

http://dockets.justia.com/search?query=AXL+Musical+Instruments+Co.%2C+LTD.+&search=Search&stateorcourt=&lawsuittype=&documentfilter=allcases&cases=mostrecent&min-day=1&min-month=1&min-year=2004&max-day=31&max-month=12&max-year=2008
 
Turumbar82 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't a similar thing happen with Bill Lawrence pickups?
Click to expand...
I'm not saying it is 100% true, but I heard a story about this somewhere.

Apparently Bill Lawrence and the guy who makes the pickups now worked together to make them in the past. However, when the company went into huge debt, Bill left for Europe and left the other guy to deal with everything on his own. Now Bill still makes his own pickups, and claims they are the real ones. But, Bill Lawrence USA is still owned by the other guy, who still makes the pickups and sells them on Stew Mac.

No matter what, they're pretty much the same thing except for the fact that the Stew Mac version has a logo.



AXL are still douche bags tough.
 
Turumbar82 said:
From everywhere I have read Axl didn't steal anything but Steve actually sold it to them.

http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2008/VHT-Changes-Name.html
Click to expand...


That was reported before some of the VHT users did some investigation and found the lawsuit, AXL suing Steve for copyright infringement. Complete crap... i talked to my buddy at Guitar World and asked him if they would be willing to run the story. Waiting to hear back what they say, i doubt it though because AXL advertises in GW... once again it comes down to $$$
 
jdurso said:
i doubt it though because AXL advertises in GW... once again it comes down to $$$
Click to expand...
one would hope they would either drop that client or just run the story anyways in this particular case. I know the bottom-line is the bottom-line, but you gotta draw the (bottom) line somewhere.
 
If the issue is indeed as one-sided as it seems, well then yeah, the whole thing is fairly disgusting, but that's the b*tch of the legal system: it's their job to apply the law as equally and specifically as possible. A tiny bout of carelessness or a little mistake can come back to bite you on the *** and it really, really sucks... but (assuming my understanding of the whole situation is accurate) it's also scary to imagine the precedent it might set to NOT enforce things like that. Not to mention, if it's a settlement, it's not the legal system that decided the outcome per se, but the risk and oppressive costs that trying to defend his right to the brand might entail.

Regardless I don't think it's going to hurt TRVHT (the real vht) very much. I think the name is "small" enough and their consumer market pays enough attention and generally seems to consist mostly of people who won't make a purchase like that based on logo alone. I might be overly optimistic though.
 
TemporarilyStairs said:
Not to mention, if it's a settlement, it's not the legal system that decided the outcome per se, but the risk and oppressive costs that trying to defend his right to the brand might entail.

Regardless I don't think it's going to hurt TRVHT (the real vht) very much. I think the name is "small" enough and their consumer market pays enough attention and generally seems to consist mostly of people who won't make a purchase like that based on logo alone. I might be overly optimistic though.
Click to expand...

It was a settlement in the end, which i think points to steve not wanting or having the funds to battle in court.

None the less it will not hurt TRVHT at all, but its ashame that some kid might see his favorite band playing an older one, think its a VHT and buys one of the new ones by AXL.
 
Not exactly new in the music biz. There are all sorts of scumbags out there:

Larry Dimarzio reverse engineered Chris kinman's noiseless single coil design (the VV series) then got patent and sued CHris out of the US market.

Larry Dimarzio trademarked double creme bobins on open coil pickups, even though GIbson had been doing double creme bobbins for 30 years. Larry has now trademarked chromed bobbins.

Gene Simmons has a trademark on the term 'Axe' in reference to guitars or bass guitars.

Andy Fuchs set up a website at www.dumble.com which was a redirect to the Fuchs site. When Alexander Dumble contacted him Andy initially refused to take the site down since 'Dumble' doesnt have to mean 'Dumble Amps.' Howard/Alexander Dumble called his lawyers and eventually Andy took the site down but then said he was doing it to "Get Dumble some press attention"

Some woman took the domain name 'fralinpickups.com' and then tried selling it to Lindy Fralin, when he refused she redirected the link to Dimarzio (interesting choice given the ethics (or lack thereof) of Dimarzio.
 
Rocky said:
Not exactly new in the music biz. There are all sorts of scumbags out there:

Larry Dimarzio reverse engineered Chris kinman's noiseless single coil design (the VV series) then got patent and sued CHris out of the US market.

Larry Dimarzio trademarked double creme bobins on open coil pickups, even though GIbson had been doing double creme bobbins for 30 years. Larry has now trademarked chromed bobbins.

Gene Simmons has a trademark on the term 'Axe' in reference to guitars or bass guitars.

Andy Fuchs set up a website at http://www.dumble.com which was a redirect to the Fuchs site. When Alexander Dumble contacted him Andy initially refused to take the site down since 'Dumble' doesnt have to mean 'Dumble Amps.' Howard/Alexander Dumble called his lawyers and eventually Andy took the site down but then said he was doing it to "Get Dumble some press attention"

Some woman took the domain name 'fralinpickups.com' and then tried selling it to Lindy Fralin, when he refused she redirected the link to Dimarzio (interesting choice given the ethics (or lack thereof) of Dimarzio.
Click to expand...

That sucks. I just bought two single coil Dimarzio's.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top