A second jury has ruled against Dean Guitars in Gibson's trademark infringement case, finding Dean's parent company Armadillo guilty of infringing on Gibson's guitar designs. However, the verdict includes some significant caveats that limit Gibson's victory.

The jury determined that Armadillo intentionally infringed on Gibson's V, Explorer, and SG body shape trademarks, along with their Hummingbird wordmark. Notably, they found that Gibson's ES body shape trademark should be cancelled as it has become generic.

Key findings from the verdict:

• Armadillo was found guilty of selling counterfeits of Gibson's Flying V, Explorer, and SG body shapes
• The jury ruled in favor of the Flying V wordmark infringement (contrary to the 2022 verdict)
• The Dove Wing headstock was not infringed upon (reversing the 2022 decision)

However, the jury noted that Gibson should have acted sooner, as Dean Guitars had been using these designs since 1976-1977. This "undue prejudice" significantly reduces any potential damages owed to Gibson.

Gibson maintains that the case was about protecting their legacy and intellectual property rather than financial compensation. The previous 2022 ruling resulted in Dean owing $4,000 in damages and $160,000 in legal fees, while being ordered to cease marketing and selling infringing products.

The final judgment amount for this second verdict is still pending.

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