Ripping Off Boat Designs

[clyde]

Does anyone have any idea what we can do to stop manufacturers in different countries stealing boat designs ?

Even National Squads are now using boats produce by manufacturers who are stealing designs and failing to either come to some agreed arrangement or even contacting the original designers to ask permission.

In the case of the ripped of Mystere and Xcell, the rogue manufacturer has simply included a non performance deck modification identical on both boats. Even a rear deck sized manufacturer name and telephone number is included on one of these boats used in the Spanish Squad teams.

There are very few players out there in the world of polo who have any idea what effort goes into the design and development of a new polo boat from scratch. I promise you, it's not something that happens over night unless you simply wait for someone else to do the work and then steal the design !

So, if anyone has any ideas of what is possible and practical to punish a company making money from someone else's efforts, then let me know.
I would be particularly keen to hear from anyone who has any professional experience in this kind of matter.

If you know of any manufacturer who is producing a polo boat that they have stolen the design for, then please also contact me.
If you have had your design stolen, please contact me.

If you are a manufacturer who has stolen a design and are producing boats from it even if you have made a minimal modification tell me why you are doing it !

ONLY BUY ORIGINAL BOATS IF YOU WANT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN OUR SPORT !!!

Clyde

[Stuart Midgley]

I suspect legally there is almost nothing you can do unless they copyright or patent the design or claim their interlectual property has been infringed.

One solution might be that each design gets registered with ICF and a list of "licenses" manufactures for that design is listed. If boats turn up at a world champs which come from an un-registered manufacturer for that design, then they are not allowed to play.

BUT, this would require a changes to the polo rules. That is, the rules currently only say that a boat needs to meet certain physical dimensions/weight. Nothing is mentioned about the manufacturer etc.

I think that people should be free to get what ever boat design they want from who ever they want. Manufacturers will make their money by producing quality boats at a good price in a reasonable time.

I don't see any reason to impose restriction as you put it "ONLY BUY ORIGINAL BOATS IF YOU WANT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IN OUR SPORT !!!"

I think that is completely false. Boat manufactures will develop the sport if it is profitable. To be profitable, they need to sell boats. To sell boats, they need to produce boats which people want at a suitable price. Its very simple.

Take for example, Duncan Cochrane in OZ. He has basically captured the market by building quality boats at an affordable price. Most people now realise that yes, they could rip it off, yes they could build their own. But they realise they wouldn't save any money in the long run. So, why impose restrictions?

Stu.

[clyde]

The ICF are reluctant to even realistically consider the possiblity of approving boats, that in itself would help at major championships.
To list the designs and registered manufacturers sounds good, as it might prompt would be buyers to find a design they like and then have an easy way to contact a "local supplier".
The reason why I say buying from licenced manufacturers does not promote the development of kit is because these boat/paddle builders, have no risk. They simply make an existing design.

I also reconginse the more people making stuff should reduce the prices. But once these alternate manufacturers have their mould, they can simply and do say they don't make enough or stop paying the licence fee, while continuing to make the products.

Duncan might be competing against the back shed industry of Australia, and Quality wil prevail I'm sure. Here in Europe there are well established manufacturers ripping off desings.
Is this something you support ? Even for the sake of the paddler getting their gear cheaper. Or would you like to return to those golden days of paddling a Wooka (spelling?) becuase no one wants to spend any more time and money developing new kit ?

Personally I think the ICF can support the sport which it governs. Your idea of banning a known copy is brave, I think I have the balls to do the job of telling those teams they can't play with their kit and why, but I don't see the ICF doing their bit.

Ultimately the cost of taking someone to court is not something most leading manufacturers would like to consider, but I can see things are getting closer. With some boats there is little or no difference, so it would be easy to prove, but how much of a deterant. You right I think in that stopping the boats being used would sort it, rather than trying to recover lost income. But this would have to run from ICF events down to Domestic federation run events.

Any manufacturers want to comment - particularly those who are ripping boats off ?

Clyde

[Duncan Cochrane]

As a manufacturer I can understand where Clyde is coming from. I know of at least 6 countries in which a direct copy of my boat is built. I know of several others where a significantly modified version is built. The latter I have no problem with- someone has used my boat as a starting point and tried to improve on it. Whether or not they were successful or not is debatable but at least they tried.

For those countries that have direct copies I am realistic enough to know there is little I can do, flattered that they think the boat is worth copying, and frustrated (as Clyde is) that the builders are profiting from my efforts.

For those that don't know a new design involves thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of testing, cutting, filling and retesting. For these companies to profit from someone elses efforts is disapointing- particularly when a licence fee from me is only a token amount anyway.

One of the Italian manufacturers even approached me a but a licence fee, agreed to it and then ripped the boat off anyway and I've never seen a cent. I believe I Spanish builder has now done the same after initial negotiations.

At the end of the day as long as they have the courtesy to at least call it a Vampire Bat so that it gets acknowledged as my design this is about all I can ask for because realistically thats all I will get.

Personally I would like to see the ICF take some countrol to protect boat manufacturers but like Paul I can't see them doing it- particularly when thee are certain European made designs that are quite clearly in breach of the current rules but they still pass scrutineering. Unless the ICF take control there will be little chance of protecting boat manufacturers and little point having boat specs.