registrations for the Oberheim trademarks .
“ I was very happy after all these years to have regained ownership of some of the Oberheim trademarks ,” says Tom Oberheim . “ This led to the hope that someday I would be able to use my own name in all countries where the Oberheim trademark exists , so we contacted Music Tribe .”
Previously , Music Tribe tried to trademark the “ Behringer Oberheim ” name but the application was rejected in March 2021 because it may have “ falsely suggest a connection with Tom Oberheim ,” the USPTO said . In 2019 , Music Tribe successfully removed the trademark protection for the Oberheim name for music hardware in the European Union .
Since 2014 , Auratone has been in a dispute with Music Tribe in the United States Patent and Trademark Office ( USPTO ), after Music Tribe filed an application to register the Auratone trademark . The matter escalated in 2018 when Music Tribe began selling the Auratone-branded C5A and C50A studio monitors without Auratone ’ s consent . In response , Auratone filed a lawsuit against Music Tribe in U . S . District Court for trademark infringement . Music Tribe then filed a counter lawsuit claiming Auratone had no rights to the brand . Auratone says it has also had other judgments in its favour in Europe at the EUIPO and Board of Appeal , where they revoked Music Tribe ’ s Auratone trademark registration .
TOM OBERHEIM
Music Tribe Returns the Oberheim Trademark to Its Eponymous Founder ; Loses Trademark Dispute with Auratone After 36 years , Tom Oberheim once again owns the trademark to his name and brand , thanks to a recent deal with Music Tribe , which owns Behringer and other brands . In a separate case , following a seven-year fight , the U . S . District Court has ruled that Auratone have sole rights to use the name and granted an injunction against Music Tribe . Tom Oberheim started Oberheim Electronics in 1970 and through the ‘ 70s and ‘ 80s became one of the most revered and recorded makers of polyphonic analog synthesizers . Oberheim Electronics had to file bankruptcy in 1985 when its lender decided to no longer fund the company , and all of Oberheim ’ s trademarks and other assets were sold off by the bank . In 1988 , Gibson acquired the rights to the Oberheim name , and for about 20 years produced Oberheim-brand products independent of Tom .
In 2009 , Tom Oberheim began designing a new generation of the SEM ( Synthesizer Expander Module ) based on his original design from 1974 . In 2019 , Tom was able to bring all of the Oberheim trademarks in the U . S . and several countries back into his name . In several other countries , Music Tribe Global Brands Ltd . owned
AURATONE ’ S ALEX JACOBSEN
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 15