57 replies to this topic

[uscmCorps]

This is pretty funny... From Airsoft-News.eu

"HurricanE: Response to Chinese Clones
Naturally, HurricanE is not very happy with Chinese clones of replica Eotech sights. They are hurting their sales as they are several times cheaper than their product. They proclaim that design is "multinational patented." Just for comparison's sake, HurricanE 552 Holo-Sight is 225 USD:

Description :*Red & Green Dot Color Changeable. *20 Section Manual Brightness Adjustment. *Auto Brightness Adjustment. *Low Power Indicator. *2 Hours Auto Shutdown. *UV Tempered Lens. *Moist – Resistance, Stronger. *Battery: AA × 2. *Multinational Patented. IN STOCK!"

Uhhh... yeah... HurricanE... tell that to EoTech! So basically HurricanE tried to clone EoTech's patented Holosight (it's more of a copyright infringing replica really as there's no holography involved)... and then the Chinese come along and clone HurricanE's replica. And now HurricanE is mad because the Chinese were smart about it and didn't overprice their replica. The fact that HurricanE actually thinks it has a legal ground to stand on is just too amusing. That just had me ROFL!!! Wow... great way to start off the week!

-Alex

[otherrandomhero]

[Leadmill]

Soon as the decent clones hit the market i'm getting one for my MP5 and G36!

[freq88]

well if hurricane got a licensing agreement with L3/eotech then they've got every right to be upset.

[frogfish]

HurricanE did not "clone" EOTec they simply used a similar body style to house a red dot sight, not a holosight. That difference probably overcomes the 20% difference needed to negate intellectual property rights. However the Chinese companies are making RDS not holosights therefore they are illegally cloning HurricanE's property, and thats probably how HurricanE sees it.

However HurricanE makes an excellent RDS, and those Chinese clones look like unfinished cheap POS.

Edited by frogfish, 09 July 2007 - 07:04 PM.

[Jonny]

How about all the aimpoint and acog clones that exist that are all done by a million different companies. Like this is hardly a real issue. They invented an RDS that resembles an EOTech, and not some ground breaking technology so why HurricanE has their pants in a bunch is beyond me. And IS it actually a clone of the HurricanE is another question.

[freq88]

There's no 20%+ that will negate EOTech's intellectual property rights. The external look is proprietary and is unique to EOTech. Precedence was already been set by Apple when they sued a company for such an infringement. In which a Windows PC clone copied the external look of the original iMacs.

[frogfish]

In which a Windows PC clone copied the external look of the original iMacs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm a mac user but still, why, those things were ugly. I think there are also other subtle differences as well I have yet to scrutinize my HurricanE.

Edited by frogfish, 09 July 2007 - 07:25 PM.

[Kurtz]

I'm a mac user but still, why, those things were ugly. I think there are also other subtle differences as well I have yet to scrutinize my HurricanE.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I´ve put the Hurricane and the chinese copy (xdoptics, the one that red dragon airsoft is selling for 84$) side by side and I can assure you thats it´s the same red dot.

Saludos

[yuxi]

Pot calling the kettle black, one copy cat company accusing another of the same crimes.

[Wild_XIII]

Seems to me that HurricanE are simply trying to say "Get off, we were here first!". The HurricanE looks to be a clone of the EOtec's external features, however as said the internals arn't exactly too different from a normal RDS so HurricanE can hardly claim the RDS as thier own make as it's a system used in thousands of other sights.

Just a big hissy fit over something that can afford to be cheaper and of equal quality (if they get the finish right).

[stewball]

Well as long as the internals are different to the HurricanE's internals it should be fine seing as HurricanE's replica is infringing on EOTech's externals or do HurricanE have a licence for the externals from EOTech for the external look. The chinese could easily change some minor details so the overall look is there and it shouldn't be against the law.

[my_plague_666]

doesnt this belong in humour and jokes?

[uscmCorps]

Well as long as the internals are different to the HurricanE's internals it should be fine seing as HurricanE's replica is infringing on EOTech's externals or do HurricanE have a licence for the externals from EOTech for the external look. The chinese could easily change some minor details so the overall look is there and it shouldn't be against the law.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's assuming that HurricanE can prove that their RDS is a unique patentable product that will hold up in a International court of law. Which as freq88 pointed out, there is no way in hell that would ever happen. This isn't like Noveske, Madbull, Crye Precision, Gemtech or VLTOR pursuing copyright infringing replicas. HurricanE is just mad that they're loosing sales. Sucks to get beaten at there own game. I'm just surprised that they didn't see this coming.

[freq88]

I'm a mac user but still, why, those things were ugly. I think there are also other subtle differences as well I have yet to scrutinize my HurricanE.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well the "clone" iMacs also had a lot of "subtle" differences to make it not so exact. The point is that intellectual property is based on overall concept, brand identity and industrial design rather then a percentage of technical/subtle changes. It was close enough that your ordinary joe could mistaken it for the original/real item. Put Hurricane's or the chinese ones side by side with a real eotech and a not so well informed person could not tell which is which.

[uscmCorps]

Well the "clone" iMacs also had a lot of "subtle" differences to make it not so exact. The point is that intellectual property is based on overall concept, brand identity and industrial design rather then a percentage of technical/subtle changes. It was close enough that your ordinary joe could mistaken it for the original/real item. Put Hurricane's or the chinese ones side by side with a real eotech and a not so well informed person could not tell which is which.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very well put. Apparently at one point Noveske was concerned over the replica Flashhiders, not because of the loss in sales (as their market is RS, not airsoft), but because a few RS users were mistakenly buying replicas and trying to put them on their RS rifles and complaining to Noveske directly.

[tome]

It could be a simple case of HurricanE putting out a half hearted complaint after the retailers that stock their Eotech clone threw a fit and demanded Hurricane take some action over stock that will now never get sold

[uscmCorps]

It could be a simple case of HurricanE putting out a half hearted complaint after the retailers that stock their Eotech clone threw a fit and demanded Hurricane take some action over stock that will now never get sold

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Possible... but the same could be said about any higher priced Japanese made product that was then cloned by a Chinese company. This happens all the time. You don't hear about retailers complaining to Tokyo Marui about the cheaper all metal clones out there. Nah, I have a feeling it's just HurricanE freaking out over having 5000 units sitting in a warehouse somewhere and realizing they're just going to collect dust because people would rather pay US$90 for a replica non-holosight RDS than the US$225 that HurricanE is asking.

[Spedz]

Is the HurricanE replica a holosight?

[tinkle60]

Hurricane did not make a holosight, but they did do the r&d for the electronics from scratch. Something which the clone manufacturers probably didn't do.