Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Freedy Johnston and Robby Robertson won't have to worry about their new Martin guitars being fake.
The Nazareth-based maker of legendary guitars is now incorporating botanical DNA markings on its guitars and guitar strings as a security measure “to protect its products, brands and intellectual property from counterfeiting and diversion,” the company said in a statement.
Counterfeit guitars sold over the Internet have become a problem for quality guitar makers. Counterfeits, warns retailer Sam Ash, can be of poor quality, have no enforceable warranty, no trade-in value and are illegal to resell in the United States.
“People around the world know the high level of quality that is inherent in each and every guitar that features the C.F. Martin logo, and protecting our intellectual property is of vital importance as we face new counterfeit-related challenges at home and abroad,” says Chris Martin IV, chairman and CEO.
Martin, a 175-year-old, family-owned company, has partnered with Applied DNA of Stony Brook, NY to incorporate a unique “Martin Guitar” botanical DNA mark onto guitars and guitar strings produced at its factories in Nazareth and Navojoa, Mexico.
Martin says it selected botanical DNA over other authentication technologies because it can be use to covertly mark a guitar with a location known only to the company. And DNA is generally recognized in the courts as strong forensic evidence.
“Use of this technology for strings and other musical instruments by others in our industry can only help in the fight against counterfeiting,” said Gregory Paul, Martin's vice president for business development.
Source: Martin Guitar
Writer: Elise Vider