Counterfeit "Princeton Reverb Amp" from China

[solderhead]

someone in China is getting particularly brazen about counterfeit manufacture of amps using the Fender trademarks. Here's an auction where someone is selling a hand-wired "Princeton Reverb Amp". Even the faceplate has a Fender-like silkscreen that uses the amp's trademarked name.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/387753794964

2025-03-18-1353-01.png

Notice that the Princeton Reverb is sitting atop an Overdrive Special.

[B Ingram]

People want stuff cheap.

[solderhead]

We all know that the Chinese sellers don't respect intellectual property in the form of trademarks. What surprises me is that eBay doesn't care either.

[stephen_w_keller]

The sad thing is the photos look like a reasonable "modern" build. If those are representative, they could have called it a replica (minus the copyright infringement) and done pretty well. I guess lying is better business these days. Sigh...

[B Ingram]

someone in China is getting particularly brazen about counterfeit manufacture of amps using the Fender trademarks. Here's an auction where someone is selling a hand-wired "Princeton Reverb Amp". Even the faceplate has a Fender-like silkscreen that uses the amp's trademarked name.

In 2000, forum-folk were discussing how some people wanted "vintage spec" chassis, and nameplates, speakers with the same look as vintage speakers, and caps that looked liked 1950s originals...

There was this demand for "look like a vintage amp" to which some countered, "But watch out, because people will try to make knock-off/fake 'vintage' amps."

Here we are today, with some concern about a knock-off Fender amp. FWIW, the faceplate isn't even a good fake, as you'll spot the Chinese one very fast if you see it side-by-side with an original faceplate. In fact, there are already places to buy modern recreations of a Princeton Reverb faceplate that look very much like an original, to where one needs to be intimately familiar with the font & positioning of the original to spot the reproduction. But as I said, people want stuff cheap, so someone will buy the Chinese knock-off (even if the shop has 80 listings for various guitar amps, and current only 3 instances of feedback received).

[solderhead]

The problem isn't that there is market demand for knock-offs. The problem is that Fender's trademark is being violated. I'm sure Fender is going to act to protect their trademark. I suspect that the Chinese seller is going to have is account shut down. I have to admit that I don't like to see ebay ignoring the Fender trademark while they scrape a 15% commission on the sale of counterfeit products. Ebay isn't turning a blind eye in this situation -- they're actively ignoring the violation and directly profiting from the trademark violation, just as if they allowed someone to sell counterfeit Trainwreck amps/logos or Chibson guitars that bear the Gibson headstock and took their 15% commission.

It's interesting that this forum frowns on the idea of people reproducing Trainwreck logos but seems indifferent when the same principles should apply to Fender. In a nation with the Rule of Law trademark I don't see how this sort of behavior can be tolerated.

[B Ingram]

The problem isn't that there is market demand for knock-offs. The problem is that Fender's trademark is being violated. I'm sure Fender is going to act to protect their trademark. I suspect that the Chinese seller is going to have is account shut down. ...

It's good to see you have faith that "right will prevail."

I strongly doubt anything is going to happen. If eBay shuts down a seller, another will pop up to take its place. And the seller is in China, where Fender can do nothing to them.

... Ebay isn't turning a blind eye in this situation -- they're actively ignoring the violation and directly profiting from the trademark violation, just as if they allowed someone to sell counterfeit Trainwreck amps/logos or Chibson guitars that bear the Gibson headstock and took their 15% commission.

It's interesting that this forum frowns on the idea of people reproducing Trainwreck logos but seems indifferent when the same principles should apply to Fender. In a nation with the Rule of Law trademark I don't see how this sort of behavior can be tolerated.

I'm not indifferent because I think it's okay. China is a place without a "Rule of Law" and trademarks are violated daily. And it's unlikely eBay will go on some crusade to shut down the Ocean of Fakes pouring out of China on everything.

In a way, this is like the scammers in India and Pakistan that dupe folks into providing access to their computers (and then bank accounts/credit cards), or talk folks into transferring money via gift cards. Or the flood of ransomware coming from Russia and former Soviet states. The perpetrators are far out of reach of the "Rule of Law" law enforcement folks or courts, and most efforts to counter the bad activity is akin to using a towel to mop up the ocean.

[solderhead]

I agree completely about the ocean of Chinese sellers who are eager to sell knock-offs to American's who don't care about intellectual property rights. Both the buyers and sellers are eager to do business. China's business model is to produce at a lower cost without regard to the violation of intellectual property rights (the development of intellectual property is not a sunk cost for the counterfeiter), and it's difficult to police the activities of Chinese counterfeiters unless US Customs takes action.

Adding ebay to the mix changes the story entirely. Ebay is an American company. This isn't like the situation where Chibsons were being sold on Ali Baba and the only chance for trademark enforcement occurred when the counterfeit Gibsons were intercepted at the US border.
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-medi ... rs-largest

When an America-based company like ebay becomes complicit in the sale of counterfeit Fender amps, then Fender has a direct course of action against an American company through the American legal system. To protect themselves from liability caused by allowing Chinese sellers to sell counterfeit goods, ebay needs to take action to protect itself -- directly from the Chinese counterfeiters, and indirectly from Fender's legal department. In the age of AI it can't be at all difficult for ebay to find items that are obviously counterfeit. Just about any Fender Princeton Reverb that's being sold from China should be flagged as suspect.

[B Ingram]

... Adding ebay to the mix changes the story entirely. Ebay is an American company. This isn't like the situation where Chibsons were being sold on Ali Baba and the only chance for trademark enforcement occurred when the counterfeit Gibsons were intercepted at the US border. ...

When an America-based company like ebay becomes complicit in the sale of counterfeit Fender amps, then Fender has a direct course of action against an American company through the American legal system. ...

So how many weeks will it be until all the counterfeits disappear off eBay again?


I'd wager my entire income for the past year when the date above arrives, we will still be able to find counterfeits on eBay.

[Unit1]

I have reported many counterfeit items on eBay and they are VERY good at instantly removing the items and the sellers.

Just above the description of every eBay listing you'll find the link "Report this item" to the far right of the screen, which will take you to a multiple choice menu.

We are the eBay police! Every time you see a bogus listing, report it. I do!!