Pff....not unexpected.
The thing to understand about the little man is that the guitar game is a hobby for him. But he will defend that hobby's heritage, certainly since he took the reins. He is litigious, make no mistake. I would never buy another new Rickenbacker again, solely because of John Hall.
That aside, there are some signs of change going on at RIC. I'm not going to hold my breath, though.