LSL Devices says it has “full confidence” in Ron Bienstock, because it confirms it employed the legal professional – who famously received a 2009 trademark case in opposition to Fender – as its illustration following a extensively publicised cease-and-desist marketing campaign from Fender.

Fender despatched shockwaves by way of the guitar business final month when it despatched stop and desist letters to a lot of guitar producers ordering them to cease constructing guitars paying homage to the Stratocaster, arguably essentially the most iconic guitar design in historical past.

Strat-style guitars – generally known as ‘S-type’ or ‘S-style’ guitars – are ubiquitous throughout the guitar market, with massive Fender-competing manufacturers like Ibanez, PRS and Yamaha making their very own variations, in addition to many smaller boutique builders like Suhr and LSL Devices.

However following a default judgement at a court docket in Germany in March 2026 in opposition to Chinese language instrument producer Yiwu Philharmonic Musical Devices – which dominated that the Stratocaster was a “copyrighted work of utilized artwork” within the EU after Yiwu failed to show as much as court docket – Fender launched into a marketing campaign in opposition to guitar builders carefully replicating the Stratocaster design, saying they had been infringing on Fender’s copyright.

The case has provoked intense backlash in direction of Fender from the guitar neighborhood, with some high-profile content material creators together with Rhett Shull, Rick Beato and Tim Pierce publicly condemning the corporate over the transfer.

Although the ruling upon which the newest motion was primarily based pertained to the copyright of the Stratocaster design, Fender beforehand misplaced a trademark dispute in 2009, after it tried and did not acquire logos for the physique shapes of the Stratocaster, Telecaster and Precision Bass.

Usually talking, copyright protects artistic works, like music and artwork, for instance, whereas trademark protects issues that determine manufacturers, together with enterprise names, logos and slogans.

The 2009 trademark case was received by legal professional Ron Bienstock, who represented a consortium of manufacturers campaigning in opposition to Fender’s pursuit of the Strat, Tele and P-Bass physique form logos.

And it’s been confirmed that Bienstock is as soon as once more taking the combat to Fender on behalf of LSL Devices, one of many first boutique builders that confirmed it had obtained a stop and desist letter.

Writing that he has “full confidence” in Bienstock’s talents, LSL Devices Director Of Enterprise Growth Johny Miller says in a press release shared with Guitar.com: “He has a terrific group and a historical past of working by way of circumstances like this with big guitar manufacturers.

“He has spent six years of his life within the trenches in an analogous scenario and the entire guitar world has benefited from his onerous work and knowledge. I don’t suppose there’s a particular person on Earth with extra in-depth information of this than Ron.

“We’re trusting him and his group with our half on this matter. All of the love and help has been really overwhelming and delightful. We aren’t alone. Unity prevails.”

As Fender’s cease-and-desist marketing campaign continues, CEO Edward “Bud” Cole lately responded to backlash at a current supplier occasion, saying the corporate is “not suing anyone”.

“What we’ve performed is attain out thoughtfully and [respectfully] to a handful of corporations whose guitars come extraordinarily near replicating the long-lasting Fender Stratocaster design,” he stated.

Whereas it’s true that Fender doesn’t but appear to be engaged in lively litigation over the difficulty, the quite a few stop and desist letters despatched to guitar builders contained the risk of litigation if calls for weren’t met.

That is an ongoing story. Keep tuned to Guitar.com for extra updates.