[Amps] Knock off copies of US/Jananese/EU designs

[Merit Arnold]

Regarding the proliferation of "Chinese Copies" of US/EU/Japanese products,
it is ironic that MFJ/Ameritron is now being knocked off  by the Chinese.

MFJ has duplicated designs from Palomar Engineers (the Noise Bridge, et.
al.)
and of course DIAMOND ANTENNA (Japan) with their Chinese imports,
which is of personal interest to me.

What goes around, comes around, I guess.

Merit Arnold W6NQ



> If you don't have a patent or an industrial design protection, anybody can
> copy, manufacture and sell the product. That's how the world works - if
you
> like it or not.
>
> 73 Bert, VE3OBU
>

>
> On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:05:52 -0400, Tom W8JI wrote:
>
> >It is a very nice copy of an American linear. Not many
> >people are so comfortable so closely taking other people's
> >products.
>
> Yes. The company Behringer has earned a rotten reputation in
> the pro audio world because they have been caught red-handed
> copying the products of other manufacturers. They have, for
> example, copied signal processors from Aphex (convicted in a
> German court), and mixers from Mackie (settled out of court).
> In the latter instance, they copied mistakes on the circuit
> board, and bought the entire production of OEM parts that
> were made OEM to Mackie's specs -- Mackie couldn't get them
> to build their own mixers! Behringer products are sold very
> cheap, for several reasons.
>
> 1. It costs a lot less to build a product if you didn't have
> to pay someone to design it.
>
> 2. It costs a lot less to support a product if your policy is
> not to provide support. They have a reputation of really
> awful support.
>
> 3. It costs a lot less to build a product if you use cheap
> parts and cheap construction.
>
> 4. It costs a lot less to build a product if you pay slave
> wages.
>
> Reputable pro audio folks won't touch them -- we view their
> products as stolen intellectual property. I feel the same way
> about any other copy for which the owner is not properly
> compensated, whether it's music CD, films on DVD,
> microphones, or ham power amplifiers.
>
> Jim Brown K9YC