Micro Mark knocks off and sells NWSL products

Ethically wrong? Yep, in my opinion.

Legally wrong? Nope.

It's up to the individual modeler to decide where to spend his or her hard-earned cash. Some of us choose to factor in a company's business ethics when making that decision, others shop strictly by the bottom line.

As Hawkeye said so well, if you're not going to patent your product, then you're assuming the risk that someone is going to copy it.  While some may feel moral or ethical outrage, if a product isn't patented then it isn't a legal issue.

As far as the products being discussed, I would question whether or not they would actually be patentable.  There's really not anything that unique about them, they're just scaled-down versions of alignment jigs that are used everyday in manufacturing.

I'd have a hard time justifying paying $30 for something I could put together in just a few minutes with the stuff I have on my workbench or in my toolbox.

Even if the ideas were patentable, I can't imagine that they sell enough of those tools to justify the cost of a patent search.

Mark  

 

From my understand the original creator of the products never patented them. Many companies take this risk both knowingly and unknowningly. It is an added cost that many cannot not afford, only to find later it was much cheaper to spend the money then to do so, as opposed to dealing with a situation like this.

Even when the current owner of a company or product line acquires them they should seek protection to protect themselves. Again there is a cost involved and many chose not to do it. I have seen products that have profited the mfr handsomely, yet they didn't spend a nickel to keep the product safe as a viable income stream. Sort of like leaving the keys in your car unisured, unlocked and parked in plain sight in a busy section of town. Eventually someone will take it because they know it isn't protected. 

I hope others use this example to understand the consequenses of how their choices effect their business and livelihood by not protecting themselves. It is a cost of doing business and there are those out there that play to win, even if it means playing ruthlessly.

does NWSL hold patents on these products?

renarts wrote:

...A trip to the NWSL site will quickly show you that they are aware of the copies and call them pirated....

I did in my first post....

renarts wrote:

I have, and they are. From NWSL website. Please Note: New Jersy-based catalog retailer Micro Mark is importing and selling their own pirated versions of these tools. NWSL tools are designed, developed, and manufactured in the USA. We urge you to help stop piracy by not supporting those who practice it. We do not provide service or support for pirated versions of our products. I have also read e-mails from Dave Rygmyr (NWSL's owner) that state the same.

That point wasn't clearly expressed in your initial post.  That sheds a whole new light on this situation.

Interesting, If true MM should be in some kind of hot water leagally. Shouldn't they?

Thanks for the heads up renarts.

I have, and they are.

From NWSL website.

Please Note: New Jersy-based catalog retailer Micro Mark is importing and selling their own pirated versions of these tools. NWSL tools are designed, developed, and manufactured in the USA. We urge you to help stop piracy by not supporting those who practice it. We do not provide service or support for pirated versions of our products.


I have also read e-mails from Dave Rygmyr (NWSL's owner) that state the same. Along with more info that gives an insight as to what and how. Regardless of whether or not there may be patent protections or not, this is still a dirty deal and stands to character and ethics. No assumption here Hawkeye. Just an understanding of ethics and an understanding of the cancer on american businesses and the ability of some to sell out principles and fair market for a buck. If they had redesigned the tool and made significant changes and had them produced off shore, no foul, why not? I've long accepted that we're a country of fat, greed driven user/consumers using 3rd world labor to make our cheap products because we don't want to pay to have it made here. But they didn't and shamelessly copied the designs so that if you stripped the labels you couldn't tell the difference. This isn't fair market and pretty much has the stench of piracy and greed about it.

Before you accuse you might want to get the facts. Many of the products Micro Mark sells that appear to be look a likes are actually made for them by the OEM. There may be slightly different appearance because MM had them made to their specifications. This keeps the OEM's cashflow flowing and their employees gainfully employed.

Why don't you contact both MM and NWSL to see if your assumptions are true?