Replica alloys?

[Bund]

Replica alloy wheels for sale in the uk, do they go through safety tests? I would like to think they do.

[kambites]

Bund said:

Replica alloy wheels for sale in the uk, do they go through safety tests? I would like to think they do.

I don't know the answer, but why would "replica" alloys be any different from any others?

[davepoth]

Bund said:

Replica alloy wheels for sale in the uk, do they go through safety tests? I would like to think they do.

They certainly should be. Look for the "e" mark.

[Bund]

As a copy are they not breaking patent laws making it difficult to gain the correct safety recognition?

[Baryonyx]

kambites said:

I don't know the answer, but why would "replica" alloys be any different from any others?

Made from a cheaper, softer alloy or with inferior construction methods rendering them more liable to be damaged?

[kambites]

Baryonyx said:

kambites said:

I don't know the answer, but why would "replica" alloys be any different from any others?

Made from a cheaper, softer alloy or with inferior construction methods rendering them more liable to be damaged?

Why would replicas be made less well than other cheap alloys?

Or are you really asking whether cheap alloys have to go through safety tests?


You couldn't patent a wheel design, although you could probably copyright it.

Edited by kambites on Sunday 16th September 17:24

[Bund]

kambites said:

Why would replicas be made less well than other cheap alloys?

Or are you really asking whether cheap alloys have to go through safety tests?

My question was really towards obvious copys of expensive premium manufactured wheels. I cant see why the cheaper alloy wheels should not be able to go through the correct safety tests. I thought copys might have a problem due to copyright design laws?

[Dracoro]

kambites said:

Why would replicas be made less well than other cheap alloys?

No one mentioned "cheap" alloys. Some cheap alloys may also be crap. I assume, if they're replica alloys, they're a replica of something originally good & not cheap.

[kambites]

Something has to be genuinely innovative to be patent-worthy. You couldn't just patent the looks of an alloy wheel.

[kambites]

Dracoro said:

... something originally good & not cheap.

That's a very dangerous correlation to draw.

[Bund]

kambites said:

Something has to be genuinely innovative to be patent-worthy. You couldn't just patent the looks of an alloy wheel.

ok.

Can you copyright a design of a wheel? To be fair I haven't ever heard of an accident being caused by a replica alloy wheel.

[kambites]

Bund said:

Can you copyright a design of a wheel? To be fair I haven't ever heard of an accident being caused by a replica alloy wheel.

Interesting question - you certainly could, but whether you could actually then enforce it is an interesting one. Wheels are all so similar and there's been so many designs over the years that the chances of there being very similar prior art are probably pretty strong.

I don't think cheap/replica/whatever wheels are likely to break under normal usage; but they might destroy a car's handling by weighing ten times as much as the originals.

Edited by kambites on Sunday 16th September 17:33

[Captain Muppet]

kambites said:

Bund said:

Can you copyright a design of a wheel? To be fair I haven't ever heard of an accident being caused by a replica alloy wheel.

Interesting question - you certainly could, but whether you could actually then enforce it is an interesting one. Wheels are all so similar and there's been so many designs over the years that the chances of there being very similar prior art are probably pretty strong.

I don't think cheap/replica/whatever wheels are likely to break under normal usage; but they might destroy a car's handling by weighing ten times as much as the originals.

Edited by kambites on Sunday 16th September 17:33

You can register a design of anything, including alloy wheels. http://www.ipo.gov.uk/design.htm

I've registered the design of some stuff I've done. I don't have the funds for anything like the legal grief to stop someone copying them though.