Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees

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OzarkTom

At approximately 8:45 a.m. on August 24, federal agents raided Gibson Guitar Corporation facilities in Nashville and Memphis, making off with an estimated $1 million worth of Gibson property. Gibson’s alleged crime? Using imported wood from endangered trees. At least that’s what the company assumes the feds have in mind. Gibson hasn’t actually been notified of any charges against the company. In fact, according to a Gibson press release, they still haven’t been told on what charges “more than a dozen agents with automatic weapons” raided their factory and stole their property in November 2009. They’re being forced to sue in federal court to get their property back, and even there the government is stalling, having requested an indefinite stay of the case.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/8780-feds-raid-gibson-guitar-to-save-endangered-foreign-trees
 

jimdgoulding

Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #1 on: 30 Aug 2011, 01:08 am »
You have got to be shitting me!  And we pay their salaries.

irishsammy

Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #2 on: 30 Aug 2011, 01:08 am »
If removing wood from endangered trees was indeed what they were doing, I'd have to say I'm OK with it.  As much as I love the sound of a nice Gibson, I like oxygen better.  And there's nothing wrong with companies like them using sustainable wood sources. 

Zero

Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #3 on: 30 Aug 2011, 01:23 am »
Unless Gibson A) knowingly imported endangered material or B) failed to cross some pretty big T's and I's in the paperwork to obtain this timbre, I'd say this is yet another fine example of why so many American businesses have turned to different boarders... 

irishsammy

Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #4 on: 30 Aug 2011, 01:49 am »
You raise a good point.  In this case, I almost wonder if they weren't importing as a cost-cutting measure.  I mean, we have plenty of wood here. 

The only other thing I can think of is that maybe they were going for the exotic wood angle, maybe.  Either way, you have to pay attention to where you're getting your material. 

Wayner

Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #5 on: 30 Aug 2011, 02:04 am »
Seems to me that they went after the wrong party. First, who was the party that cut the tree down? Then, who was the party that sold the wood? Then who was the party that shipped the "illegal" wood? Then what federal agents missed the "illegal" wood at one of our ports? Then, what trucking company shipped the illegal gotten music making timbre?

By the time Gibson got the material, the damage was already done. What's worse, now the wood will probably be destroyed because it's illegal. This is all what happens when you become a tree-hugger.

Wayner

macrojack

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Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #6 on: 30 Aug 2011, 02:11 am »
Gibson is a very old company. They may have had that wood stashed since before it became endangered.

JerryM

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Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #7 on: 30 Aug 2011, 02:14 am »
*Sigh*

Bemopti123

Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #8 on: 30 Aug 2011, 02:23 am »
While it is not clear that Gibson had the wood pre ban or post ban, one thing is clear, that while there are plenty of company that flagrantly violate certain laws, it matters not that others do it, it matters when YOUR company gets caught.  So, there goes for Gibson. 

I have been hearing several disturbing things about Gibson and their labor practices, thus, I do not sympathize with their "plight"(which seems to me more self induced.) 

Now, compare Gibson to another American icon, Martin, did Martin ever get raided?  I doubt it. 

I do not think it has anything to do with being tree hugger and the like about this raid, sooner or later, laws, regardless of the roots of the crime, needs to be upheld.  It sounds bad that an instrument company was hit but there are many entities and people that do have a brush with the law everyday. 

OzarkTom

Re: Feds Raid Gibson Guitar to Save Endangered Foreign Trees
« Reply #9 on: 30 Aug 2011, 02:25 am »
Gibson was innocent in 2009, chances are best they are innocent now. India would have halted the sale if it was illegal That is just too much lumber to ever smuggle out of the country.