Honestly, I think the general Les Paul shape would be easier for another company to defend using. Gibson didn't actually "invent" the basic shape. The Les Paul is really just a shrunken, solid-body, jazz guitar. The thought of using it as a rock instrument didn't come until the likes of Clapton and Beck in the late sixties, after Gibson discontinued it.Ah interesting. There we go. Lazy Leo!!
Seems like a Les Paul would be considered so common as well .
Anyway, the general shape of a rounded-body, single-cutaway guitar was firmly entrenched in the hollow-body jazz boxes of the day across multiple brand names. Of course, Gibson's version of that general shape, as applied to its solid-body guitar, is unique and recognizable to those of us who live in the land of guitars. And, Gibson is free to protest against those who make identical copies of what has become known as the "Les Paul shape", but Gibson really didn't do anything drastically innovative when they first incorporated the design. They merely applied the existing paradigm to their new solid-body.
As a side note, unrelated to the actual OP, I will say that I think the Gibson Les Paul is the most wonderfully executed design of a single-cutaway, solid-body guitar among all manufacturers. The proportions and aesthetic are quite beautiful, actually. I could certainly understand Gibson wanting to defend its particular iteration of the design.






