Filed under: Car Buying, Economy
Chinese copy-cats
While reading this article about how super-low priced Chinese SUVs have cut into the low priced Jeep Cherokee 2500 in China, it's impossible not to notice that the Shuanghuan S-RV is a Honda CRV. The company even went out of their way to name it to remind everyone that they stole the design. I decided to do some investigating on the subject.
At least I found that Honda (and Audi, since the S-RV used two of the rings on an Audi grille as the symbol) had sued Shuanghuan for the blatant rip-off. Upon further research, it looks as though no company that has sued a Chinese automaker for intellectual property rights has won a case. Chinese automakers are stealing the popular designs, teaming it up with old powertrains and cheap interiors and selling them for thousands less than the originals. Is it any wonder why the Chery name looks so much like Chevy? Hows that Pradda bag of yours holding up?
Other fun We swear we didnt steal the design! vehicles:
Great Wall Motor Company was accused by Nissan for stealing their Frontier nose for an SUV. We did not infringe the IPR of any other motor producers, was the response from Great Wall. You decide.
A company called Geely chopped the front and rear from a Mercedes C-Class and grafted them on a
compact car. Not only a rip off, but a joke.
Some more can be found here, including the Toyota Tacoma copy, also by Great Wall.
It will be very interesting to see what Chery brings to the table design-wise when a few of their U.S.-bound cars break cover at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month. If the clay mock-up is any indicator, Nissan once again will want to get a piece of the action.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
tt 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
So everything is made in China anyways...........
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Tom 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I'm looking forward to a $15,000 Chinese copy of a Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
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Steve B. 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
LOL... Or maybe a BMW (wouldn't that become PMW!) 5 series with that Chinese-built pushrod that is in the Chevy Equinox and a 4 speed automatic. They could even copy the interior: just put the cigarette lighter under the I-drive knob!!!
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Joel 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Isn't Hyundai usually accused for copying designs? While I've never seen anything as blatant as the Chinese CR-V ripoff (which they publically admit they're proud of!), I've constantly mistaken several Hyundai vehicles for other brands.
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Steve B. 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
http://www.orangezippo.com/archives/2003_09.html
Here's some more. Check out the bootlegged Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes!!!
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ebp2k2 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
it's kinda hard to get it out of their blood, chinese havent been known for innovations since, what, the bronze age and those fircrackers.
jokes aside, if China is to become a relevant economic superpower (it's still trading on its "potential" and cheap labour market), it needs to understand protection of IP is of utmost importance.
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James 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I remember several years ago seeing a Chinese copy of the Jeep Cherokee, so I'm not surprised that they are still up to it. They're going to have to start cracking down on this mess if they expect to be taken seriously.
And, if that Chery ('Chevy' rip-off?) is expected to sell, they'd better start over. Ick!
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ed 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
This is such a bigger problem than anyone realizes..I work in the apparel industry and can't even begin to tell you how utterly corrupt the chinese are on a moral level. They will lie, steal and copy ANYTHING they feel is capable of making them a profit. It's really unreal to watch and go through from a manufacturers standpoint. So, as humourous as this seems it's going to be a HUGE issue for manufacturers trying to tap that market...
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Scott 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
#7, That's extremely amusing coming from someone who works in the apparel industry--arguably the largest contributer to sweatshops/child labor. "Utterly corrupt on a moral level?" Pot, meet kettle. I'll take IP violations anyday over a 10 year old kid working 80 hour weeks for 5 cents an hour, thank you very much!
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Mad Anthony 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
So do any of the Chinese knockoff SUV's have an input for a Super Shuffle?
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000857035387/
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Kevin 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
First Hollywood gets ripped off by Chinese punks stealing movies and putting them on DVDs. Next, they rip off automakers. Hasn't China always gone out of the way to show the world that it was vastly different from it's neighbor, Japan? It's a wonder why someone in CHINA would RIP off the design from a Nissan (a JAPANESE automaker)???
But on a more serious note, China and Japan are actually guilty off ripping off German designs. Have you seen the upcoming redesigned Mercedes S-class? Although the rear end looks like the Maybach, the front end looks exactly like a Toyota Camry. And then the W163 (first generation M-class) was ripped off by Kia. Now the W164 (new ML) has been ripped off by the Chevy Equinox (GM's Chinese design studio).
Well, what goes around comes around and if Nissan is being bitten in the ass, it's because they did it to someone else. LOL. We should just sit back and enjoy the ride. ;)
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kevin 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Software, technology, motion pictures and video....you name it, it gets bootlegged, or ripped off. Nobody is willing to stand up to them because of the huge size of the market. This is all going to end very badly, in any one of a number of ways.
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mr 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Size of the market for what... more bootlegged media and knockoff products?
Plenty of manufacturers are willing to step up, but the Chinese government doesn't protect "Western" copyright. Heck, some companies that rip off Western products are subsidized by the Chinese government - Huawei comes to mind.
You think the RIAA doesn't want a piece of this?
It's an amazing problem, but Western (and Japanese) companies' hands are mostly tied.
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tim 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
china is backed by walmart 100% in every IP
infringement and labor attack on their products. walmart has lobbyists and lawyers
who petition to legislators, in favor of the chinese labor and goods. WalMart buys $15 billion dollars worth of goods from China every year. that amount is larger than the entire gross national product of Israel and Ireland combined. whole american towns with small industries have folded because walmart outsourced to the chinese for cheaper product. if we wanted to start, it would be right here in our own country against walmart buying foreign.
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James 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
And you know where most of the $$$ goes? Refitting the People's Liberation Army of China. That's right, all govt. run companies, all Chineses freighters, and more are fronts for the Chinese Army. Peter Jennings did a huge story on this a ways back, but it was overshadowed by the Lewinski mess. Several years later and we're still no paying attention.
The Chinese have also been contracted by the Panamanians to run the Panama Canal, and they are building airstrips in Haiti.
It doesn't look good, and as someone already mentioned, it's bigger than stupid looking knockoff cars.
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Chris 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Would you expect anything else from a communist nation trying to find its way in a capitalistic world?
It is the stated policy of the Chinese government, err companies to avoid any and all payments for IP. The government has "recommended" and gotten cellular protocols that are rip-offs of old technology, just so the country doesn't have to pay for patent licensing. Same goes for DVD technology.
Why oh, why did we let them into the World Trade Organization?
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Nyanta 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
It's about time the Japanese get a taste of their own medicine! After ripping off countless American companies, NOW when the tables are turned they start to scream about IP...and in 10-20 years where will they be?
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Blake 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I find it amusing that the Chinese ripoff has body color bumpers.
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Steve B. 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Yep... The Japanese ripped off the American idea for sensible FWD unibody V6 sedans before Americans even had a chance to build them. To top it off, they perfected it and always manage to keep their ripoffs one step ahead of the American competition.
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James 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
#18 that is funny. Maybe that's why it's not a rip of the new Kia Sportage?
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