Have you been following the whole Fender shitshow?
This is a bloody long video, but it's less some incensed music youtuber saying they're going to burn their Strat than a good legal explainer of the in's and out's and how weak their position is:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUIRZz5BbUY
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garold you're on mute I SAID YOU'RE ON MUTE, Mon 1 Jun 2026, 8:20,
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I'm aware of it, but haven't been following it that closely.
I'd call myself an ex-musician, but I just don't find the whole thing that interesting.
From what I gather, Fender are issuing Cease and Desist letters to manufacturers/retailers of Strat clones warning that they'll face legal action if they don't stop supplying these clones.
Like, technically Fender do hold copyright to the Stratocaster design until 2061 or thereabouts, but the decision to start trying to enforce that copyright now, after 70 years of off-branded Strats seems absolutely absurd.
(, Mon 1 Jun 2026, 9:01, Reply)
I only found at mine wasn't a genuine strat when I took it into the shop for repair
He said if I looked closely I'd notice the pickguard didn't look like it had original Fender gauge 3/8" screws, which was often a tell tale sign there's been some after-market modification or use of non-genuine parts, and that where normally you'd see the three '61 vintage Fat Pick-ups with the Fender .295 Series Super Bullet Strings over them, instead there were four big plastic buttons that lit up when you pressed them
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cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Tue 2 Jun 2026, 13:26,
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