My product has been copied in China - Advice appreciated.
Discussion
Morning all,
I like to be a positive person, but today I am feeling a little low. I am a small one man band working from a small workshop in Northamptonshire, where I make a specialist tool for panel making. Its small volume stuff, maybe 1 a week.
I have recently found out that the product has been copied, and is being produced in China, although I couldn't afford to protect the design being such a small concern, some advice on what I could do about the blatant copies that are turning up on the market. Mines the one on the right in green, developed and improved over several years, as you can see quite a blatant replica, I am a little disgruntled, and demotivated presently. Any advice good, or bad would be appreciated.
I have had no luck with the ebay Vero program (as its on their US site), who state "Upon review of your notice, we see that you are reporting the item for infringing upon your copyright. However, the machine you reported does not look exactly like yours and appears to be functional in nature. As such, we are unclear as to how the item would be infringing upon your copyright".
I like to be a positive person, but today I am feeling a little low. I am a small one man band working from a small workshop in Northamptonshire, where I make a specialist tool for panel making. Its small volume stuff, maybe 1 a week.
I have recently found out that the product has been copied, and is being produced in China, although I couldn't afford to protect the design being such a small concern, some advice on what I could do about the blatant copies that are turning up on the market. Mines the one on the right in green, developed and improved over several years, as you can see quite a blatant replica, I am a little disgruntled, and demotivated presently. Any advice good, or bad would be appreciated.
I have had no luck with the ebay Vero program (as its on their US site), who state "Upon review of your notice, we see that you are reporting the item for infringing upon your copyright. However, the machine you reported does not look exactly like yours and appears to be functional in nature. As such, we are unclear as to how the item would be infringing upon your copyright".
The Chinese generally lack capacity for creative and original thought and copying ideas is embedded within the their nature. I've heard many a tale from people at Volvo (owned by the Chinese) about being directed to mimic BMWs Audis, etc to the point of them being a near copy.
You can have all the protection and patents money can buy and it will still happen.
The only thing that you can do attain some from of protection in the UK and other prime markets so it makes it more difficult for agents of the Chinese firm to sell them.
You can have all the protection and patents money can buy and it will still happen.
The only thing that you can do attain some from of protection in the UK and other prime markets so it makes it more difficult for agents of the Chinese firm to sell them.
OP you have my sympathy.
As far as advice goes, I'm sure you will already be thinking about strategies to keep your business going. Have you had a chance to examine one of the copies yet? You will certainly want to do so in order to be able to inform potential customers about the differences and why yours is worth the difference.
I daresay the customers for this sort of product will already be tool users and will know how good tools are worth more than shoddy ones. A couple of Austrian machines that I bought recently cost three times as much as the Chinese versions and every time I use them I'm glad I paid the extra.
Direct your efforts to marketing rather than trying to do anything about the copies.
As far as advice goes, I'm sure you will already be thinking about strategies to keep your business going. Have you had a chance to examine one of the copies yet? You will certainly want to do so in order to be able to inform potential customers about the differences and why yours is worth the difference.
I daresay the customers for this sort of product will already be tool users and will know how good tools are worth more than shoddy ones. A couple of Austrian machines that I bought recently cost three times as much as the Chinese versions and every time I use them I'm glad I paid the extra.
Direct your efforts to marketing rather than trying to do anything about the copies.
Singlecoil is right, I used to work for someone who invented and marketed a unique product, he copyrighted it, at massive expense for a start up business. However it was so difficult to protect, even in Europe that he eventually licenced the copiers to make and sell it.
Each time a copier was stopped, another firm sprang up and the expensive legal process had to start again. In the end he survived by making the product way better quality than the far east and having superb POS material, not ideal but a real life solution.
I cannot see any way to stop the Chinese selling cheap and nasty English Wheels, apart from making yours the stand out sensible choice.
Marketing is the key, making a product is the easy bit, selling is where your effort must go,.
It's a hurdle many one man bands have to jump, I sympathise.
Each time a copier was stopped, another firm sprang up and the expensive legal process had to start again. In the end he survived by making the product way better quality than the far east and having superb POS material, not ideal but a real life solution.
I cannot see any way to stop the Chinese selling cheap and nasty English Wheels, apart from making yours the stand out sensible choice.
Marketing is the key, making a product is the easy bit, selling is where your effort must go,.
It's a hurdle many one man bands have to jump, I sympathise.
Justin. I found the photo of the green machine on an old ebay listing. The copy read;
"Here we have a wheeling machine, this machine as had one owner for the past 38 years. With this machine we have a new set of anvils 6 off. The machine stands 65" in height and a 30" throat. I can not see a makers mark on the machine"
"Here we have a wheeling machine, this machine as had one owner for the past 38 years. With this machine we have a new set of anvils 6 off. The machine stands 65" in height and a 30" throat. I can not see a makers mark on the machine"
Morning all, I am not suggesting I have invented the Wheeling machine, in fact on my own website, I give its history, where is origins were likely to have been French and 100's of years old. There are many manufacturers of this type of product, Frost, Ranalah, Baleigh etc, I have made various versions over the years.
Its more the fact that in every dimension, and style my product has been copied, its almost an identical casting.
I appreciate the comments, some are very helpful.
Its more the fact that in every dimension, and style my product has been copied, its almost an identical casting.
I appreciate the comments, some are very helpful.
The Chinese generally lack capacity for creative and original thought and copying ideas is embedded within the their nature. I've heard many a tale from people at Volvo (owned by the Chinese) about being directed to mimic BMWs Audis, etc to the point of them being a near copy.
You can have all the protection and patents money can buy and it will still happen.
The only thing that you can do attain some from of protection in the UK and other prime markets so it makes it more difficult for agents of the Chinese firm to sell them.
You can have all the protection and patents money can buy and it will still happen.
The only thing that you can do attain some from of protection in the UK and other prime markets so it makes it more difficult for agents of the Chinese firm to sell them.
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