Colonelboom
Vendor
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 3,609
We have been asked if we are likely to be stocking certain models from China that are blatant clones of others IP and I wanted to clarify my personal stance on these things as I am the one doing the ordering. Having had my head snapped off by another vendor when I asked them if they stocked an item I wanted that is a clone of another product I felt their response was particularly snotty and it put me off dealing with them- there was a way to explain their stance and they chose the wrong way IMO.
There are a number of blatant clones out on the market currently and a lot of them seemingly great quality replica's and others that use designs based on others but with slightly different styling to deliver a quality product. As an example the iSmoka Magoo which we are awaiting stock of and the original on which it was based, the Ithaka by GG.
Some would argue that iSmoka have ripped off the inner workings of the Ithaka and that it is a blatant rip off in all formats and I agree to a lesser degree, not so much about being a blatant rip off though. I am also very much aware of and appreciative that all technology innovation stems down from the very first product on the market which evolves and changes to suit not only new designs but also budgets. Where clones are getting released like the nemesis, with full company logo's, imitating serial numbers and the like we lean more towards the original marque and find this is perhaps taking things too far. I would be all for ordering the likes of a Nemesis modelled mod had the manufacturers not used the Atmomixani logo's, there are also a great many things they could have done to use the same design overall but with subtle differences that mean is is not just a 1:1 rip off.
With the example of the Nemesis clone used in the example above, if people want a good looking mod that imitates the style of the original, how important is it for them to own one with the logo's and serial numbers? Is it the device you want or is it the perceived prestige of having a serialised item? For me I just like a functional device and if the form looks good then great!
Expanding on this. I use and love a Sigelei 8W, sure the fire button was a bitch to start with and took some fettling to soften and make nice but as far as a tube with a connector goes it is a nice little mod and one I will likely stock. Calling this a Caravela clone in my mind is not the same as the types of clone mentioned above - it has a bottom button that is the same looking as the 'vela but a steel tube and different brass top section is not a 1:1 clone, a dedication to the original perhaps but I cannot agree with the utter outrage shown by some that it looks similar - I just can't.
So on that note, where a product is a blatant 1:1 copy I doubt we would stock them but if something perhaps offers similar styling while not being exactly the same, we may just look at getting them in stock eventually. We want products to come out and be widely adopted if the tech works better than the last, we don't want the industry to be stifled from improvement but not at the cost of those modders who work hard on standing out from the mainstream stuff we can get on the cheap.
There are a number of blatant clones out on the market currently and a lot of them seemingly great quality replica's and others that use designs based on others but with slightly different styling to deliver a quality product. As an example the iSmoka Magoo which we are awaiting stock of and the original on which it was based, the Ithaka by GG.
Some would argue that iSmoka have ripped off the inner workings of the Ithaka and that it is a blatant rip off in all formats and I agree to a lesser degree, not so much about being a blatant rip off though. I am also very much aware of and appreciative that all technology innovation stems down from the very first product on the market which evolves and changes to suit not only new designs but also budgets. Where clones are getting released like the nemesis, with full company logo's, imitating serial numbers and the like we lean more towards the original marque and find this is perhaps taking things too far. I would be all for ordering the likes of a Nemesis modelled mod had the manufacturers not used the Atmomixani logo's, there are also a great many things they could have done to use the same design overall but with subtle differences that mean is is not just a 1:1 rip off.
With the example of the Nemesis clone used in the example above, if people want a good looking mod that imitates the style of the original, how important is it for them to own one with the logo's and serial numbers? Is it the device you want or is it the perceived prestige of having a serialised item? For me I just like a functional device and if the form looks good then great!
Expanding on this. I use and love a Sigelei 8W, sure the fire button was a bitch to start with and took some fettling to soften and make nice but as far as a tube with a connector goes it is a nice little mod and one I will likely stock. Calling this a Caravela clone in my mind is not the same as the types of clone mentioned above - it has a bottom button that is the same looking as the 'vela but a steel tube and different brass top section is not a 1:1 clone, a dedication to the original perhaps but I cannot agree with the utter outrage shown by some that it looks similar - I just can't.
So on that note, where a product is a blatant 1:1 copy I doubt we would stock them but if something perhaps offers similar styling while not being exactly the same, we may just look at getting them in stock eventually. We want products to come out and be widely adopted if the tech works better than the last, we don't want the industry to be stifled from improvement but not at the cost of those modders who work hard on standing out from the mainstream stuff we can get on the cheap.
