As a novice who one day would like to produce instruments that actual musicians play, I've been considering what my brand and resulting peghead inlay would look like. I've tried my hand at complicated designs. It is not my forte, and it's also not the part of the project that I enjoy most. So I'm going for something simple like an outlined shape.
My last name--Putnam--is derived from "putta" meaning "kite" (the predatory bird, not the children's toy) and "ham" meaning village or town. I've always loved raptors--hawks, falcons, etc. are my favorite animals. So I thought this was fortuitous.
My idea was a simple outline of the bird. Nothing fancy.
However, I have seen at least one other luthier--and for the life of me I cannot remember who--use a similar symbol. I think a hawk or falcon or something. And I'm wondering about the ethical (and legal???) implications of accidentally adopting a similar image.
Do any of you have experience with this or guidance? How closely guarded are peghead designs, in particular (apart from business logos, I mean)? Thanks.
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