Fender vs Thomann Over Strat Copycats | Winnipeg News

Winnipieg News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 16, 2026 · 1m

Fender’s taking Thomann to court over Harley Benton guitars allegedly copying the iconic Stratocaster shape—just months after securing European copyright protection for the design. While Fender sent warning letters to big names like Yamaha, Thomann fired back with its own lawsuit, claiming Fender’s win was a default judgment against a non-existent defendant. With Thomann as one of Fender’s top retailers and a major guitar brand in its own right, this legal showdown is heating up—and guitar fans are already debating whether Fender’s move to lock down the Strat’s look is fair or just another…