Lumens Factory ripped off TnC's E2C adaptor.

TnC's design:

http://ogazent.com/cscart/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=165

Lumens Factory's design:

http://www.lumensfactory.com/online_shop_product.php?id=217&cid=14&sid=&page=1

Excerpt from a recent email conversation:
"I have been making this E2C for probably around 7 years if not more. There really isn't much I can do as they are copied in Hong Kong. I sold one and shipped it to Hong Kong last year. I thought it was strange I was shipping to Hong Kong and I have never shipped to that country before. Obviously they took the adapter they bought from me and copied it exactly."

I'm not trying to rile up a torches-and-pitchforks mob, just passing along info. Send your business to TnC if you can.

A lot of this garbage going on lately. Against McGizmo, Data, now TnC, and probably others of our esteemed custom builders. Very frustrating. I hope people continue to buy the real thing and support ingenuity, creativity and high quality work wherever possible.

McGizmo got ripped off too? I missed that one. Link?

Link me to the rip-off

nbp said:

A lot of this garbage going on lately. Against McGizmo, Data, now TnC, and probably others of our esteemed custom builders. Very frustrating. I hope people continue to buy the real thing and support ingenuity, creativity and high quality work wherever possible.

Click to expand...

I assume you both saw this thread in regards to the Niteye copy of the 007.

Here's a nice example of a Nitecore clip that looks strangely familiar as well as a certain replacement switch.

There was also a thread about a CrapFire from DX or KD that looked just like a PD, but with a Clicky switch, I'll have to find it.

Oh right, I forgot about the McGizmo switch and clip. Duh. I did know about the SPY 007 ripoff though.

I had one of the E2Cs that was made by DSpeck back in 2003.
Googled a pic. I know, it doesn't look similar at all

To some large extent a thread size adapter or other fitting or tool is going to look the same if it does the same job, here a groove for o-ring needed, etc. if it is made without embellishment. The outside angles and overall length are kind of a giveaway though.
I'm glad to learn about this though before ordering one, I've never heard of TnC before, going to check him out now.

The "dead giveaway" features that make it clear it was TnC's design that was copied are: the O-ring groove, and the outer circumference of the exposed portion. TnC's design has a 45-degree bevel along the forward edge of the groove; it also has a flat bevel along the outer circumference of the exposed portion, presumably to reduce the likelihood of the anodizing getting chipped off that area.

The DSpeck design does not have those design elements. The Lumens Factory design does have them, and they are headquartered in the same city that TnC shipped one single E2C adaptor to a year ago.

To the extent that there are ornamental features to the design, and depending on the date of first public disclosure as well as the strength and distinctiveness of the design as an indicator of a product from a certain source, either design patent and/or trade dress protection may be available.

A design patent protects the ornamental features of a device for 14 years from the issue date, and can be applied for before or within 1 year after the first public disclosure.

Trade dress protection comes into play as the design becomes well known as being from a specific source, and works in a manner similar to trademark protection.

If such protection were established, importation of the allegedly ripped off design could be stopped at the border by customs.

Although there are limits to the extent of protection available, there are steps that can and should be taken to determine whether a design is protectable, and to secure that protection where it is available.

Has anyone contacted LF about this? I think at least a PM to Mark@LF (or email to mark [at] lumensfactory.com) would be in order...

I notified TnC. I decided not to notify Lumens Factory because I have no rapport with them and I'm in no position to be talking to them about any topics which could become legally actionable. Also, it seemed out of line for me to "go over TnC's head" and contact LF on TnC's behalf without knowing what TnC plans to do about it, if anything.

I think we'll close it here for the time being - that is good work by you in drawing it to people's attention, but I don't think this is quite the right place for this type of thread.

We'll listen to representations by PM from affected parties (such as TnC and LF) if they would like the thread to be re-opened, but perhaps the discussion belongs more properly in the Jeers section in the MP, or possibly even in a Court of Law.