Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake
Honestly, I have to wonder how much the "big boy" gear manufacturers actually care about airsofters using cloned gear, beyond the knee-jerk "zomfg infringement" reaction. It's not like any of those companies ever produced something with airsofters in mind and the market share they lose to companies like Pantac is a market share they wouldn't have had in the first place.
Those airsofters who do care for the real deal items DO go out and buy bona fide Eagle and whatnot; but for the average player for whom $600+ for a CIRAS is NOT going to happen? Eagle never had that sale and companies like Pantac are offering players an affordable lookalike product for their hobby. Repro gear isn't taking away sales from the real target market, no one in the military or law enforcement switched to Pantac, and it's not like Eagle had a cheaper Consumer-grade line of products. (I actually do support Magpul since they actually bothered to do something for airsofters; IMO they have grounds to complain about knocked off items.)
|
If you designed a product, went to the trouble of having it tested and the production templates made, then sourced the production and managed the entire marketing cycle of that product, it doesn't matter one iota who steals it and who they sell it to.
Not *exactly* the same thing, but "Wyvern" did this to me a few years back with a chest rig I modded for a customer. The basic rig was fucking useless, but cheap. I reinforced it, added molle panels, enhanced the shoulder straps, added all kinds of funtionality to it and wouldn't you know it, a few months later the "Improved" model showed up in eBay stores, with all my modifications "standard" on the new model.
FYI, the only place I posted those photos was...ironically, here on ASC.