Durango Rip Offs

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by Candyman

all this reminds me of this schumacher (?) clone

http://www.r2hobbies.com/eng/proddet...od=rcve3301002

thats what i was on about it even has the same name

[Si Coe]

Originally Posted by Alfonzo

Who wants a world where people stop designing whole cars? Small parts industry won't be sponsoing events / race series etc, such as the current manufacturers do. They won't have the clout to develop and evolve the product. The RC world be a lot worse off in this scenario.

Really? Cos thats how it works in full size cars. People that make parts for modified cars sponsor events for them, not the cars manufacturers. Works that way for a lot of things that are available in a capable but dull stock form, but with a range of custom parts.

RC cars weren't originally even designed for racing. People started having competitions and since their cars weren't suitable they started making custom parts to fix the problem. After making one, others would ask, and they'd make more, and next you know they are aftermarket suppliers.
Couldn't happen now? Oh it can - like the many people who can supply you with brass B4 bulkheads etc - an innovation entirely created aftermarket.

Basically what I'm saying is it wouldn't harm the hobby, though it might hurt the current industry and will radically alter the way things work.

BTW I'd like to point out that the original Durango was an aftermarket conversion of a TC3! Indeed, its been shed engineered for a decade before it was finally launched. Who says the little guy can't innovate?

[Alfonzo]

You cannot draw a true parallel between the real car scene and the RC car world. There's that much more money in the real car scene that a lot of the aftermarket tuners are quite big businesses in their own right. I'm sorry, but Trishbits and Nortech etc are not going to have the same clout as Schumacher, AE, Losi etc when it comes to promoting and sponsoring our hobby.

The current situation is healthy. It's great that the aftermarket RC guys are doing their thing. But if we lost our manufacturers then the aftermarket guys would suffer too, because it's our manufacturers who have enough resources to innovate new models etc and keep the game alive. And what about supporting our own talent and skills? Does that not come into the equation?

At the end of the day, I don't suppose that enough people will abandon the Original's in favour of the Clones. But if they did, it would be harmful to our hobby - that's not in doubt.

We've all benefited materialistically from the Chinese. My computer, your computer, our mobiles, TV's, clothes etc etc. This stuff has never been so cheap. But there's no such thing as a free lunch as the old saying goes.

[HyperFX]

Originally Posted by Si Coe

... BTW I'd like to point out that the original Durango was an aftermarket conversion of a TC3! ...

Got that right...conversion...not copy. They know copying is illegal.

[telboy]

Originally Posted by Pablo668

Durango themselves seem to have borrowed the B4 front end holacebolace for their dex210.....which is a beautiful design btw. So......???

I think you got it right with 'borrowed'. They obviously hadn't got a fully designed front end when the car ran at Petit, so probably just draughted a B4 ront to compete at the event.

I think it now has a complete front end from what I've seen in other pics now.

[Pablo668]

Originally Posted by telboy

I think you got it right with 'borrowed'. They obviously hadn't got a fully designed front end when the car ran at Petit, so probably just draughted a B4 ront to compete at the event.

I think it now has a complete front end from what I've seen in other pics now.

Ahhhh wouldn't happen to have a link to those pics would you?

I am really liking the dex210.

[Chris Ashton]

Originally Posted by mark christopher

thats what i was on about it even has the same name

And most of the text I wrote!

For us there is simply nothing you can do, you just hope that people see sense. If customers are looking to buy a competition TC they are not going to spend £150, more like £300+

But rest assured its VERY frustrating!!

[Alfonzo]

There you go lads, straight from the horses mouth. Chris did all the hardwork, someone else stole it.

[mes]

Found this:
http://www.rc-news.de/wp-content/upl...buggy_2010.jpg

Familiar?!

[Alfonzo]

That's the picture that kicked this thread off Mes!

If you see one, stamp on it

[Northy]

It's also not just a photo-shopped 410 or 410R pic as the shocks are not TD like

G

[telboy]

has no boots on shocks or outdrives either.

[rcdunk]

neo now has more photos of the copy (cannot do links lol) shocking copy

[Bungleaio]

Looks like an exact copy to me.

http://www.neobuggy.net/modules/news...p?storyid=7939

Originally Posted by neobuggy

A few days ago, Team Durango issued a statement regarding a possible copy of their 10th scale electric buggy the DEX 410, "a Chinese company is testing the market interest in a DEX410 copy – we have no idea if this car has been made yet or if they are just using our car to test interest.
From what we can tell this is an exact copy, which of course breaks copy write laws in almost all markets worldwide; if these copies do arrive into markets where we are protected under copywriter law, we will take action against any company wishing to profit by reselling these copies. "

Neo Buggy has found the offending copy called the TK410 (sounds rather like the DEX410 ?!) which is currently being advertised for pre-order online on a Chinese website, we believe the company or brand behind the alleged copy is called Top Toys, they have several other products using the 'TK' naming convention. The website claims the car was supposed to be available by mid-march but that seems a little unrealistic. From the looks of it, the quality is far off the DEX410, plastics, no laser engravings like Team Durango. The extent of the copy is all a little blatant even down to the similarities of the logo...

[b4pete]

Oh Dear oh dear, it doesnt look to bad that (apart from I bet the turnbuckles are like butter!!)

[Northy]

Originally Posted by Bungleaio

Looks like an exact copy to me.

Nope, I've spotted differences.

But I will say it is totally shocking what they've done

I ran my 410R at RHR yesterday, and enjoyed every single second of it! - just chucked that in,

G

[DCM]

Well, thanks to Durango and Neobuggy, if I wanted one, I now know where to go to get one...... how NOT to draw attention to it....

[Chris Doughty]

what would annoy me the most would be that they have copied even the smallest non-important details (the shape of the face of the wheel as an example)

this is the equivilant of the 'bad boy' at school stealing your homework and copying it letter for letter, even the spelling mistakes.
(and sometimes handing it in before you so you get acused of copying them!! )

robocopy springs to mind here.

there is ABSOLUTELY no designers 'creation' here at all.

EDIT: actually, let my change my analagy from 'bad boy' to be 'retarded kid' at school (retarded as in actually thick and lazy, not actual retardation)

[HarlowS]

As said before, the bottom line is that Durango will make more on spares by getting more cars out there, so im sure they wont worry too much.

[Darren Boyle]

Originally Posted by HarlowS

As said before, the bottom line is that Durango will make more on spares by getting more cars out there, so im sure they wont worry too much.

I think Durango are worried all right, far more than some people think.......