That is one beautiful D-101 and it will be interesting to see the auction result. I have two of them, but they have been reconed and are not pristine examples like this one.
Altec Lansing never got to the point of suing Jim Lansing, but they did express their displeasure over his use of the term "Iconic" once they got wind of it. Altec considered the term to be theirs with the purchase of Lansing Manufacturing Company. Jim Lansing had coined the term for his two way monitor system in 1937, and may have thought it was still his to use for the new two way system he was creating. Altec felt differently, so Lansing ceased using the term. Interestingly, the early San Marcos D-101s were the first speaker products to actually bear the name "Iconic", as it had never appeared on the LMCo. or Altec products. Altec Lansing applied for a trade mark on the "Iconic" term and artwork in 1947, and continued to use it sporadically on their 800Hz. two way systems for decades after.
Altec was also concerned over Jim's use of the term "Lansing", as they thought it might confuse the buying public. Altec highly valued the Lansing name at the time of the acquisition due to Jim's reputation in the industry, and widely used the term "Loudspeakers by Lansing" until Jim left Altec. Lansing's friend and marketing consultant Norman Neely created the "A Jim Lansing Signature Speaker" tag line. This allowed Lansing to identify his products while clearly differentiating them from those of Altec Lansing. Jim also agreed to change the name of his company to "James B. Lansing Sound, Incorporated."
Things then settled down between Altec and James B. Lansing Sound until the mid 1950s, when the new company had grown to become a major competitor. Altec again expressed displeasure over use of the "Lansing" name by the newer company, which settled the matter by agreeing to most prominently use the term "JBL" while still retaining their full company name.
