Dean Guitars (owned by Armadillo Enterprises) has been locked in a legal battle with guitar giant Gibson over using specific guitar body shapes and headstock designs. In a significant development, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a previous ruling and granted Dean a retrial.
Dean Guitars Wins Retrial in Trademark Dispute with Gibson
Gibson claims that Dean’s use of the V-shaped and Z-shaped guitars and the Dovewing headstock infringes on its trademarks. These are iconic designs strongly associated with Gibson guitars.
Why did Dean lose the first round?
In the initial trial, the Texas District Court limited the evidence Dean could present to prove that these shapes had become generic in the eyes of consumers.
Armadillo argued that decades of use by other guitar companies had diluted the distinctiveness of the shapes. However, the court restricted them from using evidence only after 1992.

What changed with the appeal?
The 5th Circuit Court disagreed with this limitation. They ruled that Dean should be allowed to present evidence from before 1992, including the history of other guitar brands using similar shapes. This broader range of evidence could strengthen Dean’s case in the retrial.

What does this mean for the future?
The retrial is a significant victory for Dean Guitars. However, the 2022 injunction preventing them from using the disputed shapes remains in place for now.
What are both sides saying?
- Dean Guitars is celebrating this as a chance to “reinforce fair competition within the guitar industry.” They believe the broader evidence will vindicate their long-standing use of these designs.
- Gibson remains confident and plans to appeal the decision. They view their iconic shapes as crucial to their legacy and intend to defend their trademarks at the retrial vigorously.
Dean Statement
“We are incredibly pleased with the court’s decision,”
“This court’s ruling affirms our commitment to Dean’s legacy V and Z models that have been in continuous production since 1977 and reinforces our belief in fair competition within the guitar industry”
“We have always strived to respect the history of guitar craftsmanship while bringing our own unique flair to the market. This is a complete vindication, we have fought this battle and won on our behalf of Dean Guitars and every other guitar manufacturer in the industry”. – Armadillo Enterprises CEO, Pam Rubinson
Statement provided by Gibson
“Yesterday, a 3-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the Gibson v Armadillo case for retrial. The Court of Appeals found that the District court allegedly abused its discretion in excluding certain evidence. Gibson will be requesting all the appellate judges reconsider the panel decision. Gibson is confident that the Texas Judge and jury got it right the first time.
“Gibson’s guitar body shapes are iconic, and it will continue to protect them to preserve its legacy which is critical to protect partners, dealers, artists and fans around the world.
“Gibson, like other iconic American brands, has invested in meaningful research, development and innovation over 130 years, and is confident that in a retrial the jury will again find in favor of affirming Gibson’s well recognized intellectual property rights, rights that have been Gibson’s for decades.”
Looking for more information?
The documents related to the appeal can be found using the court of appeals docket number 22-40587.
More Information
Video

