What do you do when your product is knocked off?

[96z28ss]

Originally Posted by Stuart Adams

Put yourself in RB situation. You go thru the design, engineering , production, etc. Which takes alot of work, time and money. Then you hopefully are lucky enough for it to be likeable and purchaseable. Then you take the expensive plunge to make some for sell. Now you must make enough to pay for some of the costs to bring it to market.

Then someone copies your piece bypassing the events in the first paragraph. That would make anybody upset, right. No matter what the product is, in any arena.

Competition is one thing, making a better product is great, but copying really goes across the line IMO.

I guess very few people here understand that this happens every day in a lot of everyday products that we buy and don't realize it.

I'm a product design engineer. I know what it feels like to have a product re-designed and produced. This situation as I see it is a bit different.

1. RB was very innovative and came out with a billet hinge to market. First one to do this.

2. Fesler made a billet hinge after RB, but re-engineered, the base, the arms, and the shock position, allows hood to open more. Takes less material to make and easier to mass produce. At this point it's not considered a knock-off in any respect.

3. RB copied the Fesler design and changed their current design. Considered a knock off.

4. Fesler comes out with a similar air-frame design. Considered a knock-off.

5. RB upset and makes it public.

This is a "pot calling the kettle black" situation.

Buy whatever product you want. If Quality is important buy the one that offers that. If price is more important buy that one. Don't buy based on which company you think has better morals and integrity cause both companies have done it to each other.