Enough with the knock-offs!
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:33 am
I figure you all won't mind me saying this here, rather than over at Ric forum. It's a little rant, but worth it. If it needs to be moved to another place, by all means remove it.
When is Rickenbacker International Corp going to be able to stamp out once and for all the HORRIBLE GHASTLY HORRIBLE Rockinbetter and Rebelrocker "copies" and end the Chinese practice of "imitate-rather-poorly"?!?!
A local music store, who I was loyal to, have been selling these knockoff guitars and now basses for over 12 months. I try not to shop there now out of principle. I know the owner, haven't yet decided whether or not to ask him WHY?!? Sad that I feel they have sold out. I mean, sell some budget instruments for sure. But sell instruments that are clearly the most blatantly flagrant of copyright law ever seen? Most, if not all other copies these days are licensed right!
So I happened to be travelling for work, a couple of hours from home. Needed strings for my acoustic guitar, so I popped into another shop. GASP... MORE BAD COPIES of guitars and basses. Lack of greeting/acknowledgement of my presence in the shop aside, I walked out without buying said strings. I took a look at the black bass and was shocked.
We all remember the original knock-offs. We will all admit that a small number were reasonable instruments. I have to say, the worst vintage Ric copy I have ever seen is nothing compared to these Chinese abominations.
It is sad to also think that part of the reason for the influx is a lack of official Rickenbacker presence in Australia. I am not having a go at Ric, I understand the situation. But if someone can enlighten me, if Ric were officially in Australia, couldn't they then represent their IP in Australia and go after the trademarks, protecting their products?
PLEASE GOD (yes I am a legitimate praying man, so no blasphemy here!) - Let there be a way for Rickenbacker to claim what is rightfully theirs and rid the world of terrible copies!
The bad man in me wants to buy one of these copies and commit many many many bad acts against it while a video camera is rolling, then publish it worldwide...
When is Rickenbacker International Corp going to be able to stamp out once and for all the HORRIBLE GHASTLY HORRIBLE Rockinbetter and Rebelrocker "copies" and end the Chinese practice of "imitate-rather-poorly"?!?!
A local music store, who I was loyal to, have been selling these knockoff guitars and now basses for over 12 months. I try not to shop there now out of principle. I know the owner, haven't yet decided whether or not to ask him WHY?!? Sad that I feel they have sold out. I mean, sell some budget instruments for sure. But sell instruments that are clearly the most blatantly flagrant of copyright law ever seen? Most, if not all other copies these days are licensed right!
So I happened to be travelling for work, a couple of hours from home. Needed strings for my acoustic guitar, so I popped into another shop. GASP... MORE BAD COPIES of guitars and basses. Lack of greeting/acknowledgement of my presence in the shop aside, I walked out without buying said strings. I took a look at the black bass and was shocked.
We all remember the original knock-offs. We will all admit that a small number were reasonable instruments. I have to say, the worst vintage Ric copy I have ever seen is nothing compared to these Chinese abominations.
It is sad to also think that part of the reason for the influx is a lack of official Rickenbacker presence in Australia. I am not having a go at Ric, I understand the situation. But if someone can enlighten me, if Ric were officially in Australia, couldn't they then represent their IP in Australia and go after the trademarks, protecting their products?
PLEASE GOD (yes I am a legitimate praying man, so no blasphemy here!) - Let there be a way for Rickenbacker to claim what is rightfully theirs and rid the world of terrible copies!
The bad man in me wants to buy one of these copies and commit many many many bad acts against it while a video camera is rolling, then publish it worldwide...
