Thomann Takes Legal Action Against Fender’s Stratocaster Body-Shape Claims

Thomann, the world’s largest music instrument retailer, has decided to confront Fender’s legal offensive over Stratocaster-style body shapes directly. In a statement posted this week, the German company said it will take court action, pushing back against a wave of cease-and-desist demands that began circulating in May.

Fender’s campaign relies on a default judgment from the Düsseldorf Regional Court issued in March against a Chinese company. The ruling, Thomann argues, was based on missed deadlines — “pure formalities” — and not a substantive examination of the copyright claims. Fender is now using that narrow procedural win to pressure European dealers and manufacturers, including American brands selling into Europe.

Thomann’s own Harley Benton line has been targeted, which the retailer acknowledges directly. “We want to be able to offer you the entire range of the guitar world in the future,” the statement reads. “As a retailer and a manufacturer, we are experiencing the effects of current developments from a number of perspectives.”

CEO Hans Thomann tied the decision to the company’s origins and a broader principle. “We used to be a small music store ourselves,” he said. “Many of those affected do not have the financial and legal means to conduct such a legal dispute. We therefore see it as our responsibility to have this matter clarified in court not only for our own company, but for all parties involved.”

The retailer’s conclusion is blunt: it urges Fender to withdraw the cease-and-desist letters and return to fair, cooperative partnership. The dispute, as Thomann frames it, is not only about a single body shape but about the future of diversity, innovation, and creative freedom in the guitar world — a public test of how far a design legacy can be leveraged against an entire market.