HELP ME NAME MY PEDALS!! woo hoo!

[studiostud]

I've put together some multi-effect pedals and I am interested in pursuing getting design patents.  The snag in doing that is that many of the pedals have the actual names written on them (ie: big muff, small clone, etc) and I don't want to run into copyright infringement issues with the respective companies.  I would just figure out names myself, but I'm not the most creative person in the world and most of the names I come up with sound kinda cheese ball. 

So here is a project for all of you !!!  Help me re-name the pedals!

Distortions:
Big Muff
Tube Screamer
Fuzz Face
Rat

Effects -
Small Clone
Small Stone
Orange Squeezer
Red Ranger
Green Ringer
Micro Amp
Sans Amp

[Steben]

Big Muff stroikasonic
Tube Screamer green creamer
Fuzz Face  Face off
Rat Vermin Box

Small Clone Clonesome
Small Stone lithophaze
Orange Squeezer lemon juice
Red Ranger
Green Ringer Schizo
Micro Amp Stuart Little
Sans Amp 2 many amps

[earthtonesaudio]

Red Ranger:
Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksman

(from Ren & Stimpy)

[jayp5150]

Red Ranger:
Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksman

(from Ren & Stimpy)

OMG! I just came across a copy of the You Eediot CD today at a second-hand CD store, and I am currently torturing my co-workers with it as we speak (er... type...). I had it years ago, and someone permanently borrowed it 

Sorry, OT, but I had to share.

BTW, there are some really good guitar tones on that album--and great playing, as well.

[The French connection]

I've put together some multi-effect pedals and I am interested in pursuing getting design patents.  The snag in doing that is that many of the pedals have the actual names written on them (ie: big muff, small clone, etc) and I don't want to run into copyright infringement issues with the respective companies.  I would just figure out names myself, but I'm not the most creative person in the world and most of the names I come up with sound kinda cheese ball. 

So here is a project for all of you !!!  Help me re-name the pedals!

Distortions:
Big Muff ''La meuf'' (Verlan french word meaning Women (Femme))
Tube Screamer (Lube teaser or Cube Streamer...)
Fuzz Face (Fuzzy wuzzy)
Rat (Ratus norvegicus)

Effects -
Small Clone (Little Dolly or Mini Me)
Small Stone (Smart Slope, La garnotte)
Orange Squeezer (Ball tweezers)
Red Ranger (Red Guardian, Ketchup flavor)
Green Ringer (Dr. Octavious, El Verde Gringo)
Micro Amp (Macro Champ)
Sans Amp (This one is really ''post-modern'': The pedal also known as without having an amp and sounding like you have one but did'nt really having one, just simulating that you have one, if you know what i mean, more power to you!)

[Franky]

I've put together some multi-effect pedals and I am interested in pursuing getting design patents.  The snag in doing that is that many of the pedals have the actual names written on them (ie: big muff, small clone, etc) and I don't want to run into copyright infringement issues with the respective companies.  I would just figure out names myself, but I'm not the most creative person in the world and most of the names I come up with sound kinda cheese ball. 

So here is a project for all of you !!!  Help me re-name the pedals!

Distortions:
Big Muff        Drink Duff
Tube Screamer     The Crazy Pipe
Fuzz Face        Hendrix was there
Rat          Cat (cf Reason)

Effects -
Small Clone     Mini Me
Small Stone     The Caillou (french name for a small stone)
Orange Squeezer      The Juice Maker
Red Ranger         The Communist Boyscout
Green Ringer      no ideas for the last 3.. 
Micro Amp       
Sans Amp       

[caress]

Distortions:
Big Muff  -  old man mossface
Tube Screamer  -  little stinker
Fuzz Face  -  fuzzy wuzzy
Rat  -  crawling pigeon

Effects -
Small Clone  -  just the two of us
Small Stone  -  whirly bird
Orange Squeezer  -  cushion for the pushin
Red Ranger  -  spanks
Green Ringer  -  bing bang wazoo
Micro Amp  -  little one
Sans Amp  -  nope not there at all

[R.G.]

I've put together some multi-effect pedals and I am interested in pursuing getting design patents.  The snag in doing that is that many of the pedals have the actual names written on them (ie: big muff, small clone, etc) and I don't want to run into copyright infringement issues with the respective companies. 

Just out of curiousity, are you familiar with the differences between copyright, trademark, service mark, patent, and design patent?

[reggyboy1970]

I've put together some multi-effect pedals and I am interested in pursuing getting design patents.  The snag in doing that is that many of the pedals have the actual names written on them (ie: big muff, small clone, etc) and I don't want to run into copyright infringement issues with the respective companies.  I would just figure out names myself, but I'm not the most creative person in the world and most of the names I come up with sound kinda cheese ball. 

So here is a project for all of you !!!  Help me re-name the pedals!

Distortions:
Big Muff
Tube Screamer
Fuzz Face
Rat

Effects -
Small Clone
Small Stone
Orange Squeezer
Red Ranger
Green Ringer
Micro Amp
Sans Amp

You may want to get yourself a lawyer if you intend on producing these pedals for sale 

[runmikeyrun]

I second that.  You might have to pay a few hundred bucks but that's nothing to what you'd have to pay just to respond to a cease and desist notice from EH, Boss, etc.

I love pedal naming threads, so many good ones!!  So good in fact that i can't think of any!

[caress]

what is it you actually intend on patenting?  all of the effects you named have been around for a while and it sounds as though you're just rehousing multiples into a larger enclosure??  hmmm... 

[petemoore]

Distortions:
Big Muff     
Tube Screamer   hornus nasaolfacus or 'nasal horn'
Fuzz Face    Grrrrrr
Rat      Norvegicus Substrain

Effects -
Small Clone     
Small Stone
Orange Squeezer
Red Ranger
Green Ringer
Micro Amp
Sans Amp

[Steben]

Oh! Is this commercially tinted?

[studiostud]

I'm still doing research into all the legal logistics because I'm not entirely familiar with a lot of it.  I'm not trying to patent it as an invention because I know that the circuits belong to their respective designers.  What I am more interested in is getting what I thought was called a design patent for the enclosure and internal circuitry layout.  Other than the names, I designed all the artwork and built the enclosures myself.  Maybe this is a whole 'nother topic that I should be searching around for as far as the legality of what I am doing.  I really am trying to keep myself honest and I'm not looking just to make a quick buck off of someone else's design.  Do any of you have some advice to offer?  Maybe some experience with selling custom pedals that you could share? 

[R.G.]

What I am more interested in is getting what I thought was called a design patent for the enclosure and internal circuitry layout.  Other than the names, I designed all the artwork and built the enclosures myself.  Maybe this is a whole 'nother topic that I should be searching around for as far as the legality of what I am doing. 

Do some more reading.

A design patent covers the utility and functional pieces of the design, such as how wide it is, where the buttons and levers are placed, etc. It is of essentially no worth unless the function (as a boat hull might function because of its shape) or user interface (as in where the bottons, levers, controls, displays) are both remarkably different an remarkably novel for the kind of thing it is. Merely putting footswitches and LEDs in different, albeit unique, places is not enough to justify getting such a patent, and would not keep anyone from doing something very similar. In fact, the smallest change from the exact placement, etc. provides immunity to someone looking to sell a similar thing. The artwork is of course covered by copyright; this is a far more useful coverage, as the RIAA, Sony and Disney have made sure that copyright protections are enforceable (if you're a corporation with lots of money and lawyers) and valuable.

This is why I asked you if you were familiar with the differences between copyright, trademark, service mark, patent, and design patent. There are important distinctions there.

Not to discourage you, but seeking any kind of patent on this as you've described it might be fun and interesting for you, but it will cost you some money and provide no real protection for whatever part of your design is original. The artwork is about all that's even modestly protectable by law. My advice is to just go make what you like and steer very clear of other people's pedal names and artwork.

[earthtonesaudio]

+1 to what R.G. said. 

Oh, but if your enclosure is a new invention (new shape, function, or material or something), you might be able to patent it.  Like the Boss enclosures.  I'm pretty sure those are patented.

[g.]

try this, big names are good :-)

http://www.william-shakespeare.org.uk/a1-shakespearean-insults-generator.htm

[The French connection]

try this, big names are good :-)

http://www.william-shakespeare.org.uk/a1-shakespearean-insults-generator.htm

Or, try this:

http://www.playerappreciate.com/pimphandle.asp

I've submit Big muff and get this: Deacon Dr. Muff Silk, Pimptastic muff Flava or Reverend muff Slim...

Dan
aka Crazy Eyes Dan Flex

[Ice-9]

From what i understand about patents. To patent something it has to have a unique design (different from anything else in the way it works or what it does) I dont think you can patent a name or artwork, this would come udner a trade mark and copyright. For example a schematic wouldn't usually come under a patent but a pcb would be copyright.
Ahh sorry  !  a bit too much beer tonight for this subject.

[tonefreak]

I'm still doing research into all the legal logistics because I'm not entirely familiar with a lot of it.  I'm not trying to patent it as an invention because I know that the circuits belong to their respective designers.  What I am more interested in is getting what I thought was called a design patent for the enclosure and internal circuitry layout.  Other than the names, I designed all the artwork and built the enclosures myself.  Maybe this is a whole 'nother topic that I should be searching around for as far as the legality of what I am doing.  I really am trying to keep myself honest and I'm not looking just to make a quick buck off of someone else's design.  Do any of you have some advice to offer?  Maybe some experience with selling custom pedals that you could share? 

You need to do a lot more research.  The mere fact that you can't spend the time to create names for yourself is very revealing.  There are a lot of non-circuit related details that you're not considering if you are trying to pursue this as viable business.  You wanna build custom pedals... be prepared to stress out, fronts tons of money, and work extremely hard.  Hire a CPA, know a good lawer, have a 5 year business plan, etc. etc. etc.  If you haven't thought the entire process out from sourcing supplies to good book keeping... well, let's just say there will be some costly mistakes.

Due dilligence... you need to do your due dilligence.