Copy Cating A Product...

[degrom]

What is the implications of copying a overseas(USA) product and producing it locally?

I am not sure if there is a pattern on the design but I have seen that there are about 3 companies in the USA that makes it.

Reason I was wondering is because I can produce the same unit in a few months time at almost a third the cost.

The item will of course be a bit different because it will have to use local consumables...

What do you think?

[Motu]

Velly good idea,make you happy all night long.

Patents and copyrights don't bother some people....just depends on what slant your eyes are on.....

[Laava]

So is it an iPod made from pine or what?

[TerminalAddict]

So is it an iPod made from pine or what?

been done
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zapwizard/sets/476089/

[deathstar]

as far as i got from the man who makes the oxford gear in the uk that as long as their are 3 noticeable differences then you can exactly copy the rest

[Fub@r]

Velly good idea,make you happy all night long.

Patents and copyrights don't bother some people....just depends on what slant your eyes are on.....

My missus had a run in a few years ago over what turned out to be a copy cat product. The woman that owned the patent made a living sueing the shops that sold the product even though they were unaware that it was basically a rip off at 50% less than this womans version.

Her product was never successful but found it was extremely lucrative to sue the offending shop owners rather than the knock off company. Was sooooo wrong

[Quartermile]

I have often wondered this as it is the U.S. Patent Office which has nothing to do with NZ, anyway half of America doesn't even know we exist, will we watching this one........

[James Deuce]

I have often wondered this as it is the U.S. Patent Office which has nothing to do with NZ, anyway half of America doesn't even know we exist, will we watching this one........

Half? More like 9/10ths.

[JimO]

Half? More like 9/10ths.

11/10ths i would say having spent some time there

[degrom]

I think I will give it a go....

It's a low volume item, I will make one and see if it will sell. If it does I will just have to make another one cause I want to use it my self to...

(No... It ain't a Wood Ipod... But come to think of it I have not seen a solar powered Ipod)

[Guitana]

You can get away with it if you make some subtle changes! But be very wary if you are making it for yourself and not to market it as a product that's fine,but if you market it and get caught they could prosecute you!
Just look what happened to the Blackball Hilton on the westcoast!!!!!
We are not untouchable by international law here in NZ so once you get this product up and running go to china and get a company to mass produce the item with slave labour and sit back and watch the dinero's roll in until they decide to steal it for themselves!!!!!!!

[MacD]

What is the implications of copying a overseas(USA) product and producing it locally?

It's all good until the copyright/patent owner decides to take action...

My Brother-in-law is an IP Lawyer, he makes a good living.

[KATWYN]

Natural copyright. If they ever challenge you on copyright
you can't say you didn't copy....regardless of if (as someone in here suggested) "suble changes are made" to it. Copyright isn't always about the look of it.

Its about where you got the idea from and how you have gone about designing and producing it.

Those 0ther 3 companies may be producing under licence.

To be safe, think up your own idea's from scratch so you can always say
with an honest conscience that you didn't copy someone elses works.

[degrom]

Natural copyright. If they ever challenge you on copyright
you can't say you didn't copy....regardless of if (as someone in here suggested) "suble changes are made" to it. Copyright isn't always about the look of it.

Its about where you got the idea from and how you have gone about designing and producing it.

Those 0ther 3 companies may be producing under licence.

To be safe, think up your own idea's from scratch so you can always say
with an honest conscience that you didn't copy someone elses works.

What you are saying is very true and I agree with you. It's always better to use your own ideas. One also needs to be save and get the copyright to your ideas.

Okay here is a better picture of how I see it....

New Zealand is a very isolated country.Business wise this can be very hard and limiting on new business. (It can also be seen as a great opportunity)

Making a break as a new business you need to have a really special product that is very special to your company or you should go the China way and produce it at very low prices in big volumes.

The particular item I am looking at are not really available locally or even in Australia. The products that are available will work but their designs are a few decades behind.(They are hard to work with and takes a lot of time.)

Importing machinery from the states are out for almost all start-up companies.

So what are we to do?

What I can do,is build one for my self... Improve some more on the design,build the new planned design and sell the old one. That way at least I can cover my costs and not really get into trouble.

People say life is hard..... I think they should try to start a business!!! (10x harder,especial if your not the kind that bullshit people!!!)

[Busy]

Do a search on the internet for an international patent on the item, if it is only a local (US) patent then you can copy it.
If it does have a international patent you can copy it but it has to be a minimum of a 10% difference.
The patent is not for the product as such, it's for the way the product used, and how used.

Lets use a fish tank for example, a square tank is different to a rectangle tank which is different to a hexagon. The tank itself can not be patented because it is really just a container, if it was patentable then everything down to a jam jar (really small fish) would be sue-able. Some things just can not be patented.

Another example (hard to think of items when coffee hasn't kicked in), lets say toilet paper, if the patent was issued it would be to wipe ya butt, but if you use the tp to blow your nose, stop a blood nose, wipe up a mess ... then it is outside the patent description. I haven't looked to see if there is one on tp, I doubt it, but when you apply for a pattern you have to describe everything about it, the material, the operation, intended purpose ...
Say you made a roll of paper - same as toilet paper but square sheets instead of rectangle and sold it as a nose wiper, mess wiper ... basically no mention of wiping your butt then you have a totally different product although it can be used the same as the toilet paper. I'm sure a smartass lawyer would try sue you but as you never used the word toilet in your advertising or patent they wouldn't have a leg to stand on, they would have to turn the other cheek

copyright is for written or drawn, not products. Everything, this post included has an automatic 50 year copyright but no one worries about it. The song "happy birthday" actually has a filed copyright on it but everyone still uses it.