Trump Guitars copy Gibson's Les Paul design, per cease and desist notice

• The guitars, some of which Trump autographed, are advertised as the "ONLY guitars endorsed by President Donald J. Trump."
• Some of Trump's business ventures — like his limited-edition sneakers sold after the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt — were through CIC Ventures LLC, which was revealed in a 2023 financial disclosure to be Trump-owned.
• While Trump does not appear to own the company behind Trump Guitars, he has endorsed the products, with autographed versions selling for $10,000 or more.
• Trump is pictured on the website holding and signing the instruments.

Driving the news: A representative from Gibson confirmed the manufacturer issued a cease and desist order to the owner of Trump Guitars, 16 Creative, saying their designs infringe upon Gibson's trademark of the Les Paul body shape.

• The Trump Organization didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Catch up quick: Trump shared a photo with the "Limited Edition '45' Guitar" on Truth Social Wednesday.

• Both the signed and unsigned American Eagle electric guitars are listed as sold out.
• Trump Guitars also sells a "presidential series" of electric guitars with Trump's name running up the neck for $1,5000 each and a "God Bless The USA" series of acoustic guitars for $1,000.

According to the site's FAQ page, the instruments are "custom designed and developed by a Veteran owned company with the help of a master luthier" and "have been manufactured by multiple providers and include parts/features that are both domestic and international."

Go deeper: New Trump watch collection includes watches selling for $100k