Knockoff vanquish methods on ebay???

[Johnnysplits]

Originally Posted by The Doc

OFF Road Unlimited of AZ actually went to my web site and copied my web pic of a product I designed years back and put it in a magazine and told people that they made them and sold them......That was a BULL SHIT move on there part, and I should have sued their ASS for it

Was the pic copyrighted? Did the product have a design patent?

[Eric0424]

Originally Posted by The Doc

If I would have sued their ASS OFF maybe people like that would think twice before doing what they did or people coping people.

Yeah, your lawsuit (had it been filed in Arizona) would have stopped the Chinese knock-off manufactures dead in their tracks.

Lawsuits like the one you could have filed are filed everyday. Unfortunately Chinese laws are different and much larger entities than you have tried to sue (in China) and failed. China simply doesn't care.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by sawhead

Basically everyone that's talking about it isn't fair to copy anything needs to take a good long hard look at everything under the hood do their cars and around their house...just how much is there that's copies of copies? A lot and that's guaranteed....

To a degree, yes. But there is a legal difference between a blatant copy and something similar that has the same purpose. The Chinese Methods are blatant copies. Sometimes it depends on how you define "copy".

Any of us vendors *could* swipe and reproduce any other vendors product and put it up for sale. 99.9% of us don't, because its a dick move and we all understand how much work is involved in creating and developing something unique.

[WHITE-TRASH]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

To a degree, yes. But there is a legal difference between a blatant copy and something similar that has the same purpose. The Chinese Methods are blatant copies. Sometimes it depends on how you define "copy".

Any of us vendors *could* swipe and reproduce any other vendors product and put it up for sale. 99.9% of us don't, because its a dick move and we all understand how much work is involved in creating and developing something unique.

It happens HERE all the time. I realize on some things there are only so many ways to skin a goat but there are several parts that are photocopies of the original sans cast in logo sold here and at least 2 companies selling a unique part that another vendor designed and built originally and still sells. It is what it is really and the world keeps on spinning.

[Eric0424]

Originally Posted by sawhead

Basically everyone that's talking about it isn't fair to copy anything needs to take a good long hard look at everything under the hood do their cars and around their house...just how much is there that's copies of copies? A lot and that's guaranteed....

There's a difference in similar products and identical clones. Anyone can produce a round wheel that's 1.9" dia. x 1" wide, or a 6 cylinder engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, or a 46" LCD TV, but when it comes to a specific/unique pattern or design it's considered someone else's properly if/when it's patented.

[dirtman71]

Here is another twist....Yes china may copy some stuff...but how much stuff has been designed in china and rebranded for the US market. It seems to me most lipos are made in china...cells may be put together in the States. Same with a lot of esc's and other electronics. I kind of come down to which came first, the chicken or the egg?

I don't think there are too many company's left that make 100% USA products. They cant cause its a business that needs to make money. Its sad that parts can be made and shipped over seas to the US and still be way cheaper than making them here.

I have always wondered about Novak Electronics. Most of the stuff I have ran over the last 30-35 years has been Novak...Made in Irvine Ca....Or assembled in Ca. Who really knows. But I did run across a china clone of one of my Novaks quite a few years back.

Yes we have copyrights but for some products its probably not worth spending the money to fight, cause at the end of the day the cloning probably doesn't affect their bottom line to much. For me personally I would never spend $100-200 on wheels. I would spend $60. Those USA companies would never have my business in the first place. Don't get me wrong. I support and would much rather buy American and I do when I can. But this is a hobby and I am on a tight budget

[honchojoe]

Can someone who has these wheels take some photos of the centre slw hub for me?

[Mr.Joshua]

post #155 what you're looking for?

[honchojoe]

Originally Posted by Mr.Joshua

post #155 what you're looking for?

Yeah I realised I'd missed a bunch of posts and went back through looking for pics and found that one. It should do the trick. Was just about to post to ignore lol.

[sawhead]

Here's my hub if that's what yer liking for...

[sawhead]

Originally Posted by Eric0424

There's a difference in similar products and identical clones. Anyone can produce a round wheel that's 1.9" dia. x 1" wide, or a 6 cylinder engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, or a 46" LCD TV, but when it comes to a specific/unique pattern or design it's considered someone else's properly if/when it's patented.

so have you measured and dialed in in every difference or similarity of the eBay specials and vanquish or vanquish to the rest of ridiculously similar wheels for that matter...lol

[Hotrodvw]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

You don't understand "free market" either.

All it means is that market price is not regulated by an agency (a business or government entity). Example: Company A makes a product and sells it for $5, while Company B makes a similar (but different) product and sells it for $3.

It does not mean you can freely copy and distribute other peoples products or designs.

Says who?? Clearly there is no law against it, but apparently you think you get to make that decision.
I refuse to spend $200 on a set of wheels. That's me. If you feel so inclined, get on with your bad self.

[Johnnysplits]

Originally Posted by aztitan

4 beadlock bolts on the back, not 5 like the methods

Looks like 5 to me

[aztitan]

Originally Posted by Johnnysplits

Looks like 5 to me

Post number #74 shows 4,

the 2nd set posted with round holes have 4, the first set has 5

[Johnnysplits]

Originally Posted by aztitan

Post number #74 shows 4,

the 2nd set posted with round holes have 4, the first set has 5

I took a look...wonder why that is?

[aztitan]

Proally due to spoke design, to hide the bolts, 8 holes make 4 symetrical spots

Where as the other are 10 spoke, so 5 symmetrical spots

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by Hotrodvw

Says who?? Clearly there is no law against it, but apparently you think you get to make that decision.
I refuse to spend $200 on a set of wheels. That's me. If you feel so inclined, get on with your bad self.

Says every definition of "free market" ever. You even quoted it.

There is no law against it specifically, unless paperwork has been filed. Otherwise, it is an ethical and moral issue, and that is a huge grey area.

I own one set of VP wheels. They are very nice and I like them quite a bit. I am in no rush to spend that amount on more, but at the same time I have enough respect to not buy obvious knockoffs, especially since VP paid money to reproduce the Method design and logo.

I could quite easily produce a set of knock-off wheels or parts from several manufacturers, but I don't. It's a shitty thing to do and I've got enough brains to come up with my own stuff.

[djjiz]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

I could quite easily produce a set of knock-off wheels or parts from several manufacturers, but I don't. It's a shitty thing to do and I've got enough brains to come up with my own stuff.

I can vouch for that. Been asking for custom trail readies from the beginning and I'm still left with buying from Chinese.

[Eric0424]

Originally Posted by sawhead

so have you measured and dialed in in every difference or similarity of the eBay specials and vanquish or vanquish to the rest of ridiculously similar wheels for that matter...lol

If you can't see a difference in the various brands of wheels on the market, you're just not looking. These e-Bay Vanquish clones are identical to the original design and clearly a copyright violation, but not in China.

Doesn't really matter whether or not there's a slight variation in hole diameter or spoke width, or metric vs SAE hardware. If it takes a micrometer to separate a knock-off design from the original, then it's clone. If there's an easily discernible difference between the two designs that 99.99% of the population can see, then it will probably slip under the copyright infringement radar.

Considering these e-Bay knock-offs are CNC, mass produced using the Vanquish wheels as a pattern, I'm willing to bet the dimensions are pretty close to the original. Certainly too close for the "they all look the same" consumers such as yourself to ever know the difference. Especially if the manufacture procured actual Vanquish wheels to measure.

[sawhead]

There's lots of possibilities and everyone looks at it In a different light