Gibson settles. Fed gets it's pound of flesh.

[phill4paul]

http://www.examiner.com/article/gibson-guitars-hit-with-300-000-fine-by-justice


Gibson Guitars hit with $300,000 fine by Justice

In order to settle an ongoing dispute with the Obama administration over the materials used to make its world famous musical instruments, Gibson Guitars has agreed to settle with the Justice Department by paying a fine of $300,000.

As part of the terms of the settlement, Gibson will also pay $50,000 to a federal conservation fund and agree to withdraw its claims to multiple thousands of dollars' worth of fingerboards the Obama administration seized from the company.

Two central issues were at play in the government's claims against Gibson. Justice claimed in the first instance that the fingerboards Gibson imported from India were unfinished. The guitar fingerboards would thus require finishing by American workers once they reached the United States. But India's laws require exported fingerboards to be finished by its own workers prior to shipment.

The Obama administration insisted that Indian law be followed. Gibson maintained it was more important to protect and create American jobs by allowing American workers to conduct the finishing process.

Justice further claimed that Gibson had violated international environmental laws by using ebony from Madagascar and India. And when Justice announced today the settlement with Gibson, U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin stated, "The criminal enforcement agreement goes a long way in demonstrating the government's commitment to protecting the world's natural resources."

However, according to the laws of Madagascar and India, the use of ebony is not illegal as long as fingerboards containing the wood are finished by workers in the respective countries. Gibson, thus, violated no environmental laws by using the wood. Justice had claimed that Gibson violated the Lacey Act.

But U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., one of the original supporters of the amended Lacey Act, stated that the law was not intended to apply to the makers of musical instruments at all, and thus, no laws were violated.

And this is where Gibson's complaint against the Obama administration appears to have had merit. The issue was not the wood but who would do the work to finish the fingerboards containing the wood.

Gibson claimed that the Obama administration opted to support workers in India and Madagascar rather than in the United States and that this was the actual motivation behind the government's vendetta against the company.

Tensions between Gibson and the Obama administration reached a fever pitch earlier in the year when it was announced that Justice would go as far as to intercept at the border musicians on their way to perform in Canada or Mexico, seizing their guitars due to the fact that they supposedly had been made with "illegal wood."

The settlement announced today should put the issue to rest. Gibson has yet to make a public statement on the agreement.

[Chester Copperpot]

our government is a bunch of thieves.. enough is enough already

[specsaregood]

As part of the terms of the settlement, Gibson will also pay $50,000 to a federal conservation fund and agree to withdraw its claims to multiple thousands of dollars' worth of fingerboards the Obama administration seized from the company.

Nothing says conservation like turning already harvested and finished rare items into trash instead of going ahead and using them.

[angelatc]

Nothing says conservation like turning already harvested and finished rare items into trash instead of going ahead and using them.

Obama won't enforce our laws, but he happily will enforce theirs.

[kathy88]

As part of the terms of the settlement, Gibson will also pay $50,000 to a federal conservation fund and agree to withdraw its claims to multiple thousands of dollars' worth of fingerboards the Obama administration seized from the company.

The best use of them would be to shove them up the administration's collective asses.

[TonySutton]

So now what happens to all of this wood that was confiscated? Someone is making money off this crap and I bet it is a friend of a politician.

[jmdrake]

But U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., one of the original supporters of the amended Lacey Act, stated that the law was not intended to apply to the makers of musical instruments at all, and thus, no laws were violated.


^And that my friends is the problem. Congress passes laws giving broad power to the president, claims the president "misused" the power, then does nothing to take back the power. Why hasn't Lamar Alexander introduced legislation to repeal the Lacey Act? Look at John Mica. He co-authored the creation of the TSA, now says he regrets that, but has he offered legislation to abolish the TSA? No! Worthless. These legislators are utterly worthless.

[roho76]

This makes me sick. I own a Gibson and it is one of my most prized possessions. I'll be damned if they would ever take it away from me.

[tod evans]

Washington needs to be flushed worse than a backed-up public restroom...

http://bathroomsdesign.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/High-Tank-Toilet.jpg

[oyarde]

http://www.examiner.com/article/gibson-guitars-hit-with-300-000-fine-by-justice


Gibson Guitars hit with $300,000 fine by Justice

In order to settle an ongoing dispute with the Obama administration over the materials used to make its world famous musical instruments, Gibson Guitars has agreed to settle with the Justice Department by paying a fine of $300,000.

As part of the terms of the settlement, Gibson will also pay $50,000 to a federal conservation fund and agree to withdraw its claims to multiple thousands of dollars' worth of fingerboards the Obama administration seized from the company.

Two central issues were at play in the government's claims against Gibson. Justice claimed in the first instance that the fingerboards Gibson imported from India were unfinished. The guitar fingerboards would thus require finishing by American workers once they reached the United States. But India's laws require exported fingerboards to be finished by its own workers prior to shipment.

The Obama administration insisted that Indian law be followed. Gibson maintained it was more important to protect and create American jobs by allowing American workers to conduct the finishing process.

Justice further claimed that Gibson had violated international environmental laws by using ebony from Madagascar and India. And when Justice announced today the settlement with Gibson, U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin stated, "The criminal enforcement agreement goes a long way in demonstrating the government's commitment to protecting the world's natural resources."

However, according to the laws of Madagascar and India, the use of ebony is not illegal as long as fingerboards containing the wood are finished by workers in the respective countries. Gibson, thus, violated no environmental laws by using the wood. Justice had claimed that Gibson violated the Lacey Act.

But U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., one of the original supporters of the amended Lacey Act, stated that the law was not intended to apply to the makers of musical instruments at all, and thus, no laws were violated.

And this is where Gibson's complaint against the Obama administration appears to have had merit. The issue was not the wood but who would do the work to finish the fingerboards containing the wood.

Gibson claimed that the Obama administration opted to support workers in India and Madagascar rather than in the United States and that this was the actual motivation behind the government's vendetta against the company.

Tensions between Gibson and the Obama administration reached a fever pitch earlier in the year when it was announced that Justice would go as far as to intercept at the border musicians on their way to perform in Canada or Mexico, seizing their guitars due to the fact that they supposedly had been made with "illegal wood."

The settlement announced today should put the issue to rest. Gibson has yet to make a public statement on the agreement. And they lose the $269,000 in wood they pd for and the gov stold .So , $609,000 and the lawyers , over a million I am sure.

[LibertyEagle]

Yeah, pretty damned disgusting and just think, the government did this with OUR tax dollars.

[LibertyEagle]

I just called Lamar Alexander's office about this POS law that he sponsored. I highly recommend it. If nothing else, it makes you feel better.

For your dialing convenience: http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=OfficeLocations

[AGRP]

Maybe the wood is used by terrorists.

[oyarde]

I just called Lamar Alexander's office about this POS law that he sponsored. I highly recommend it. If nothing else, it makes you feel better. Most excellent idea.

[ClydeCoulter]

I can't even express my disgust with this whole thing.
Move it to China, Gibson, and they will praise you. But don't do it, you are still a good Amercian product.
This makes me want to buy even more of your products, Chik-fil-A on steriods, buy Gibson !

[oyarde]

This makes me sick. I own a Gibson and it is one of my most prized possessions. I'll be damned if they would ever take it away from me. Current prices will be going up , I imagine ....

[heavenlyboy34]

:mad: WTF? Another stupid, unjust act by the regime. My Jackson has an ebony fingerboard, and they will pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

[ClydeCoulter]

#BuyGibson

Retweet this now: https://twitter.com/TheLoneCoyote/status/232885809924169729

And anyone that tweets articles etc with #BuyGibson post here so we can retweet, please !

[specsaregood]

..

[ClydeCoulter]

I'm plenty happy with my decision to order my new custom banjo from an american builder, using american sourced woods.

There aren't many US woods that make a good fretboard, most come from overseas or south america. I use hard maple on my guitars that I build, but for my dulcimers I use rosewood or bois-de-rose'.

Hard maple does not last as long on the guitars, but the sound is good, and has a certain quality that I like and the weight is a bit less.

Let's do this:

#BuyGibson

Retweet this now: https://twitter.com/TheLoneCoyote/status/232885809924169729

And anyone that tweets articles etc with #BuyGibson post here so we can retweet, please !

[heavenlyboy34]

There aren't many US woods that make a good fretboard, most come from overseas or south america. I use hard maple on my guitars that I build, but for my dulcimers I use rosewood or bois-de-rose'.

Hard maple does not last as long on the guitars, but the sound is good, and has a certain quality that I like and the weight is a bit less.

Let's do this:
Have you ever experimented with building guitars out of soft woods not typically well-suited for instruments? If so, what was it like? Also, are your dulcimers hammered or plucked variety? /curious

[Pericles]

^And that my friends is the problem. Congress passes laws giving broad power to the president, claims the president "misused" the power, then does nothing to take back the power. Why hasn't Lamar Alexander introduced legislation to repeal the Lacey Act? Look at John Mica. He co-authored the creation of the TSA, now says he regrets that, but has he offered legislation to abolish the TSA? No! Worthless. These legislators are utterly worthless.

You sir, are correct. Congress is full of clowns.

[ClydeCoulter]

Have you ever experimented with building guitars out of soft woods not typically well-suited for instruments? If so, what was it like? Also, are your dulcimers hammered or plucked variety? /curious

I do use yellow poplar on the face of some of my guitars, with an ash back, but normally I use Honduras Mahogany with a White Ash back.

You can view some samples at: http://clydecoulter.webs.com/products.htm

I make plucked dulcimers, if that's what you could call them, they're kindof a vio-guit-duclimer, depending on the model. I use X-bracing like a box guitar and some models (like on the web page above) has a bridge like a violin (which increases the volume a lot).