Chinese knock-off

[Rick in PA]

I work for a company that makes small industrial appliances. Today we recieved a "knock-off" that was made in mainland China (to be sold in China). It's hard to describe how I feel. This copy is so exact, so complete, it's unbelevable. They copied everything (at least external, we haven't opened it up yet). The face label is a perfect copy including our company name & logo. The serial label is a perfect copy too, right down to our phone number. Sheetmetal's the same. Controls are the same. They even molded the custom plastic parts. A lot of effort went into copying this unit.

I'll tell you, I wouldn't have thought twice about picking-up the unit and thinking it was ours... and I was one of the main designers of this unit some 10 years ago. Disapointing, shocking, welcome to the new reality.

 

[SteveD2]

Don't you just love communists?

 

[wulimaster]

quote:

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Originally posted by ZmOz:
Don't you just love communists?

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Actually this is capitalism at its finest. US companies copy other products patented designs all the time. This one is just stealing the name recognition and selling it where the injured company probably cannot compete due to economics. Capitalistic laws make it easy to do and expensive (litigation) to fight against. Only when super large corporations with deep pockets are infringed upon is any action taken. Usually the large corporations use this to their advantage against the little guy inventors. Just because it is illegal doesn't mean you have protection. Only those with deep pockets are insulated. This includes both the thieves as well as the victims.

 

[sprintman]

It's all American money just Chinese labour.

 

[Pablo]

ZmOz - This has zero to do with communism. Why would you think that? Really, I'm curious.

Rick in PA - As for Chinese even copying your phone #, sounds like they are purposely making this for you? I mean you don't write that they stole the whole design. Are they contract manufacturing for you? Why did you receive this "knock-off"? Before I say more you need to tell us if this was purposeful.

 

[Rick in PA]

quote:

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Originally posted by Pablo:
ZmOz - This has zero to do with communism. Why would you think that? Really, I'm curious.

Rick in PA - As for Chinese even copying your phone #, sounds like they are purposely making this for you? I mean you don't write that they stole the whole design. Are they contract manufacturing for you? Why did you receive this "knock-off"? Before I say more you need to tell us if this was purposeful.

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No, they are NOT purposely making it FOR us. wulimaster hit the nail on the head when he said "This one is just stealing the name recognition and selling it where the injured company probably cannot compete due to economics." This is NOT a case of contract manufacturing. I'm not sure how we got the unit, maybe one of our reps exchanged a genuine unit for the copy, don't know.

If they tried to sell this copy unit in the US, our parent corporation would stop them cold. Because they are selling it in China, it's a more difficult problem...

I always knew that it was just a matter of time before our industry would face competition from the Chinese. I just didn't expect it to be in the form of an exact copy.

 

[Pablo]

Sorry Rick. Now that you are clear, there ARE steps your company can take. First do the undercover work....it won't be THAT hard to find out who made it. You will eventually go to the authorities, but first your company needs to find out all it can. Contact me off line if you want some help.

There is zero reason to just put up with this.

I have been contract manufacturing in China for over 4 years, and yes we have fought some rip-offs, but first and foremost you need in country allies, and you need to be on the ground.

 

[Gary Allan]

This has more to do with Hong Kong and Third World than it does communism.

Rolex knock offs are available in the USA ..and most would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

When I had a very brief career with a company called AIM Energy (harmonic conditioners -great product ..internal sabotage) ..our VP and head of marketing told me of when he was at Emerson Electric (motors) and some Asian company copied their motor. The petition was filed and lots of money was spent and in the end the Asian company had to modify some minor inconsequential part to be allow to continue importing the motors. Too bad.

This is counterfitting however....

 

[Matt_S]

I just read today that there's a big crackdown on counterfeit products going on in China right now. Apparently it was started when 40-something babies died after being fed a fake infant formula with no nutritional value. This might be a good time for your company to raise a complaint like this.

 

[ALS]

Don't feel bad Lou Dobbs had a piece on this problem a few months ago. Heck they copied a complete GM economy car. The only difference was there was a Chinese emblem in place of GM's.
The whole report was how if you bring it over to be sold or manufactured in China it WILL be pirated and copied for sales to their people. The spokesman for GM's China's sales said it is the price of doing business over there. CNN reporter pulled out at least 20 products that were being openly pirated and copied by chinese companies. The chinese officals were putting on their best face saying they were fighting the problem. CD's, DVD's, and Videos are only a tiny fraction of the true pirating going on.

 

[ALS]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:

Rolex knock offs are available in the USA ..and most would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

---

My sister bought a Knock off on Ebay a few months ago. While she was at the mall she stopped into a Jewelry store to get a few links taken out. The manager waited on her and went back and removed the links and made the comment when he handed it back that she had a really nice Rolex. She said she got it on Ebay and it's a fake. He asked her if he could see it again. She handed it to him and he went over it again and again and couldn't believe that it was a fake.
You see this store sold and serviced Rolex's and he could not tell the difference from the real one and a fake from the watches exterior. There is a cheap fake at
[ May 10, 2004, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: ALS ]

 

[tom slick]

the company i work for finally decided "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. at our US plant we manufacture premium professional products out of US made parts. in malaysa many of our same designs (with our license) are manufactured then resold here at 1/5 the price to make us competitive in the beginner/cheaper market. if we didn't do this there would be an entire market segment we couldn't touch, and the average person wouldn't be able to afford. they don't compete with each other because they are two different markets, one driven by price and the other by quality.

 

[Gary Allan]

The typical format goes something like this (for the past 25-30 years.

75% of the utility for half the price. Eventually that becomes the standard of "quality". I goes down hill from there. Just go to Advance Auto vs. Napa.

We just can't afford to produce our own consumerism. As we get poorer ..the field opens to cheaper and cheaper producers. Everything of true quality still costs as much as it ever did ..it only seems so much more expensive because our $$ buy so much less.

 

[needtoknow]

Gary I fully agree. The consumer now looks mostly at price because he sees no reason to pay more. When I go into stores I look at all the products trying to equate price with value, trouble is the manufacturers do not also try to equate their higher price with more value. The only decision factor they give you is price. Case in point, Toyota parts, way more expensive, 1 year warranty but good quality. Advance auto parts, less cost, way less quality, lifetime warranty. Advance knows that most people won't keep their cars long enough to get the warranty, for those few that do, no big deal. When I go into a Toyota dealer and say why should I pay more he can't answer because he does not know the benefits of the higher price. Toyota expects me to "just know" the difference instead of working to sell me the higher price.

 

[John S.]

Living only 60 miles from Mexico they sell a LOT of knock-offs there. The watches are the biggest joke. Donaldo el Pato and Michael el Raton, guarenteed to work untill you get across the border.

 

[ikeepmychevytoo]

My friend bought a Swacth. I couldn't tell it from the original ones. "-Why counterfeit knowingly" I asked. He said: "-Because the original went off just in three years and this is just ~4 dollars. 4!"