What do you do when your product is knocked off?

[Ringbrothers]

I think that we have kept quiet long enough. We would like everyone to know that Ringbrothers DID bring the first billet hood hinges to the market. Once they were quickly knocked off Mike and Jim came out with a new design to set us apart for all of the copies on the market. In NO WAY are we private labeling for the company below that blatenly ripped off our design not once but twice.
Mike and Jim are car builders first - so they know what it takes to make a product that works. When you are looking for hood hinges please keep in mind that development and prototyping cost a lot of money - reverse engineering is little to no cost.
I guess we should feel honored that someone would copy EXACTLY what we design (twice) becuase they can't come up with it on their own. The only problem is I get calls weekly of not daily that the knock off's product doesn't work. Please support original innovators in the industry.

[dontlifttoshift]

What do you do? Exactly what you just did, make sure everyone knows that the product was yours first.

Some peoples idea of R&D is rob and duplicate.....it is not acceptable.

Donny

[Blown73]

Wouldn't it make sense to have a cheaper product if it were RE'd? Not more expensive such as the hinges in question.

[dhutton]

I've spent over 30 years in product development/engineering and although it seems unfair this is just normal product life cycle. When you first introduce something new and innovative profits and margins are high (at least they should be). Eventually competition comes on board followed by price erosion as each tries to maintain/gain market share. The best way to survive is to find lower cost ways to manufacture the product to help maintain margins. That and moving on to the next great new idea which starts the cycle all over again. In essence this is what you did when you introduced your geometric version. No one can expect to have a market all to themselves forever. Sooner or later someone notices your success and wants a share.

I know this is not what you are wanting to hear but this has been my experience/observation.

[rwhite_692]

Putting all emotional elements aside: Did you patent your design?

If you didn't, then, you did not take the steps needed, to protect it. End of story.

There is also no way to prove that the competitor did not simply have the same idea or refinement of an existing idea, as you did.

This is the reason that my company (Semiconductor Co) patents almost everything that we do. If you saw the lengths to which competitors will go to copy competitors designs in this industry, you would (probably) not believe it.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

[sarcasm: ON] isnt copying the finest form of flattery? [/sarcasm: OFF]

man ive been saying if for the LONGEST TIME.. nothing worse than a BITER.

make your OWN design.. or if your gonna take.. take... then change it up!


what would I do?...


punch em the **** out...

thats what I would do, not to Fesler or whatever.. not saying you should..

but thats about all you would get outta it.

[texasdvldog]

Can u tell us who is duplicating your design??

[Bryce]

I've spent over 30 years in product development/engineering and although it seems unfair this is just normal product life cycle. When you first introduce something new and innovative profits and margins are high (at least they should be). Eventually competition comes on board followed by price erosion as each tries to maintain/gain market share. The best way to survive is to find lower cost ways to manufacture the product to help maintain margins. That and moving on to the next great new idea which starts the cycle all over again. In essence this is what you did when you introduced your geometric version. No one can expect to have a market all to themselves forever. Sooner or later someone notices your success and wants a share.

I know this is not what you are wanting to hear but this has been my experience/observation.

Exactly. I work for an aerospace company. We have the best designs in the market as well as the lightest. We dont always get the bid. But we have strived to have the leanest manufacturing. Now we usually have the cheapest product too. Win win win.

It sucks that someone copied.

[Bryce]

Can u tell us who is duplicating your design??

I am guessing since Ringbrothers started the thread and it includes a picture of fesler, its fesler who is being accused of copying by ringbrothers.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

its pretty obvious, Armando..

[MyFriendScott]

I've spent over 30 years in product development/engineering and although it seems unfair this is just normal product life cycle. When you first introduce something new and innovative profits and margins are high (at least they should be). Eventually competition comes on board followed by price erosion as each tries to maintain/gain market share. The best way to survive is to find lower cost ways to manufacture the product to help maintain margins. That and moving on to the next great new idea which starts the cycle all over again. In essence this is what you did when you introduced your geometric version. No one can expect to have a market all to themselves forever. Sooner or later someone notices your success and wants a share.

I know this is not what you are wanting to hear but this has been my experience/observation.

Amen. This is business in general around the world. Only patents can protect your designs in your own country, and only for so long. Either create products that no one else can create because they don't have the tooling or materials, or be prepared for competition to copy designs and compete. With that out of the way, if I do ever get around to spending $600+ on hood hinges (not likely), I will remember who took their product to market first.

[slowcamaro]

I agree, as much as it sucks all you can do is innovate, sell, profit and repeat while trying to stay ahead of the curve. Provide a good product and quality customer service and the better company will stay around in the long run.

[bret]

As we have discussed before...they can only copy what they have already seen. As bittervascit seems in the short term, channel your efforts into producing more applications and refining designs. Any other path ( including patents) is a negative waste of precious energy.

[gkring]

I did see Ringbrothers in the new Summit catalog. They are pretty good about private branded chinese knockoffs so the fact that they chose to showcase your products I take as a good thing. May just be they haven't found the cheaper version yet. People may not pay for the name, but they will pay for the quality.

[andrewb70]

I will affirm the idea that innovation is the key to staying ahead of competition. Don't underestimate the "first mover" advantage and always strive to lower the cost of manufacturing as much as possible.

Andrew

[Mr. Anderson]

The company I work for created the first billet aluminum hood hinge some 20 years ago and it was just a reworked version of a Studebaker hinge.

Advertise yourself as the original and people who respect that will buy your product and not the competitors.

[CraigMorrison]

Is Fesler no longer on here? I'm surprised this discussion is this civil!

Keep innovating - copycats can only copy what they have seen. Or make the quality so good, there will only be one logical choice.


BTW- our teflon coated, billet inconel hinges with helium gas charged struts will debut at Louisville. ;)

[sunkistcamaro]

that sucks! I am a Mechanical Engineer and understand R&D work and cost.
Reverse Engineering has its place but should not be used like a photo copier.
Love your work and I have lots of respect for your craftsmanship.

[novaderrik]

billet hood hinges is such an obvious thing- i remember wondering about 20 years ago why someone didn't make replacement aluminum hood hinges for old cars.

[JohnUlaszek]

I am surprised it took this long. At what they sell for, it's just too juicy a target for some offshore CNC shop.

DSE's offset shackles were copied, if I remember correctly, within a year.

Not to say the copies are of the same quality.