Staun Tyre Deflators Legal Action

[incisor]

received this


We have been advised that Staun Tyre Deflators have commenced proceedings against a number of companies selling & distributing imported copies of the Staun Tyre Deflators. Injunctions are in process through the Federal Law Courts against a number of resellers who have infringed registered patent and trademarks, as well as misrepresenting the imported product by associating with the Staun name.
The proceedings will ensure the integrity of the Staun Tyre Deflator brand, which was designed in Australia and continues to be manufactured in Australia. Action will also include restraint against internet selling sites and related websites.
It is unfortunate that faulty and ineffective copies of the Staun Tyre Deflators continue to be sold to an unsuspecting public. In recognition of this fact, Staun have taken this important step to ensure that these inferior products are not linked with the original quality product.


there you go :p

[Ranga]

Methinks something similar may be coming for sellers of fake Maxtrax.

[dobbo]

Methinks something similar may be coming for sellers of fake Maxtrax.


but milk crates have been around for donkey's years. ;) I wonder where Maxtrax got their tooling pattern from?

[CraigE]

Half the problem is a lot of these companies think they have invented the product and have the intellectual rights. Often they do not. There were tyre deflaters before Staun, just they made a commercially viable alternative.
Same with Maxtrax.
Where does the line get drawn on copyright infingement.
As said sand mats tracks etc in one form or another have been around long before Maxtrax.
I own both of these products as they were the better of the units available.

[dullbird]

you no what I have a set of stauns and I have an unbranded set of dtyre deflators that look just like Stauns which I got free with a snatch strap I bought..

you know what the unbranded ones have been better the bloody stauns, the Stauns kept un doing them selves, yes I can put lock tight on them but haven't needed to with the unbraded ones just set them and away they went.

[slug_burner]

Interesting that it is the concern of subjecting the public to inferior products that has these companies take action.;)

[incisor]

an update


Attention The Manager,

Subject: August 2012 Information Newsletter

Please note the following :

· Staun Tyre Deflators Legal Action

As an update to our June 2012 Information Newsletter, Staun has now taken legal action to the next level against a number of companies selling & distributing imported copies of the Staun Tyre Deflators. Whilst several resellers have voluntarily removed the copies from their sales range, legal action , including injunctions to the Federal Magistrates Court, are now under way against a number of resellers who continue to distribute copies that infringe registered patent and trademarks, as well as misrepresenting the imported product by associating with the Staun name.
Action also includes restraint against internet selling sites and related websites, as well as recovery of costs and damages incurred from breaches of the registered patent.
The legal action comes at a substantial cost to Staun, but it is important to understand that the proceedings will ultimately ensure the integrity of the Australian designed & manufactured Staun Tyre Deflator brand on behalf of the reseller and end consumer.
It is unfortunate that faulty and ineffective copies of the Staun Tyre Deflators continue to be sold to an unsuspecting public. In recognition of this fact, Staun have taken this important step to ensure that these inferior products are not linked with the original quality product.

[DT-P38]

It seems there are a few busy litigators out there at the moment... I had a couple of purchases on ebay crunched in the last week due to copyright infringements by the seller. One was LR parts the other was, of all things, stickers (which the brand owner doesn't even offer to the market).

Times are getting tough, instead of increased competition and reduced cost to the public, just sit back and watch the system take care of the profiteers at the top end of the tree again.

P.S. If you have been thinking of buying a few bits and bob's from places like Tigerz11 or any other market price slashing importer then buy quick. No doubt they will be targetted by the big boys soon and forced out of business.

[Tombie]

I would suspect you'll see more of these against the bullbar, roof rack etc offerings being distributed out there...

There are many which look exactly like local offerings...


Questioning who owns a design is like Mazda offering and exactly copy of a Range Rover... They are after all, just cars ..... :angel:

[Tank]

an update
I hope Staun take these bastards to the cleaners and I hope all the fake ones end up stuffing the tyres of those that bought them, Regards Frank.

[p38arover]

I would suspect you'll see more of these against the bullbar, roof rack etc offerings being distributed out there...

There are many which look exactly like local offerings...

It would be indeed interesting if the copyright holder could demand that all copies that have been sold to unsuspecting owners be seized and destroyed. Now that might stop the purchase of imitation goods.

[Tombie]

It seems there are a few busy litigators out there at the moment... I had a couple of purchases on ebay crunched in the last week due to copyright infringements by the seller. One was LR parts the other was, of all things, stickers (which the brand owner doesn't even offer to the market).

Times are getting tough, instead of increased competition and reduced cost to the public, just sit back and watch the system take care of the profiteers at the top end of the tree again.

Increased competition is not the issue...

I designed and made a product which took hours to develop and test...

Sold 1 kit to a guy who then 'went underground' on a forum I was on...

When he reappeared a few weeks later he was selling a very, very similar item. All he did was machine 2 flat faces onto it (mine were round profile).

He then undercut me on price, until I stopped selling and then upped his price to the market...

At the time he didnt have any products...

He now has a product range - all of which are reverse engineered from other manufacturers with some slight changes...

Who is the winner there? Not those who work hard to develop the items thats for sure. Where do they (we) get return on our hard work???

I've been stung like this many times now... And wont be again!!!

[Lotz-A-Landies]

an update
It is unfortunate that faulty and ineffective copies of the Staun Tyre Deflators continue to be sold to an unsuspecting public. In recognition of this fact, Staun have taken this important step to ensure that these inferior products are not linked with the original quality product. Wouldn't it be nice, seeing we are advertising their actions, if they took the important step and offered our members a discount on their genuine product?

[460cixy]

I got some no name jobs 1/4 the price and work fine now seing how they work I can't see the money in them to me honest maybe staun needs to sharpen there pencil and be a bit more competitive

[Tank]

I got some no name jobs 1/4 the price and work fine now seing how they work I can't see the money in them to me honest maybe staun needs to sharpen there pencil and be a bit more competitive
Maybe their costs come from paying Australian workers and suppliers a decent price and the horrendous costs of worldwide patents and providing a warranty, Buy Australian, even if it hurts, Regards Frank.

[dullbird]

I hope Staun take these bastards to the cleaners and
I hope all the fake ones end up stuffing the tyres of those that bought them, Regards Frank.

I think that's a bit harsh Frank!!:mad: I have what looks like staun imitation deflators but they came free with the genuine black rat strap I bought which is why I have stauns and imitation set.

There may also be people out there that dont know they are imitations of stauns.. and think they are a product in their own right!!

[rijidij]

I'd be curious to know how much it actually costs Staun to manufacture their deflators. A mate got a quote from a Chinese manufacturer, but decided not to import them as they were such a close copy. I asked him how much they quoted and he said $8 per unit plus freight. I commented how cheap that sounded for all that machining of the housing, valve etc etc...........then he said, "That's not $8 per single unit, it's $8 per set of 4"

Purely out of interest, I'd like to know what the genuine one's cost to make and what the mark up is. I have some of my products made on CNC lathes and it's pretty economical, so I can't see the deflators costing a lot to produce, especially considering the small amount of material required.

By the way, I own a genuine set of Stauns and they have performed brilliantly every time I've used them. I'll definitely support an Aussie manufacturer when I can, but I'll also buy Chinese made products if the quality is there.

Cheers, Murray

[dullbird]

I wonder how many people are running genuine parts on there land rovers on this forum..and im not talking about the new cars

I'm not supporting people completely ripping off designs but at the same time I'm not against someone making a similar product that's how prices come down, the market becomes competitive and how things become affordable.

Seriously I would like to know how many people in gods honest truth could afford to run a land rover if all they had was genuine parts at what we all know can be inflated prices.

[clubagreenie]

So where does it come in where a company like Ryco as soon as a new model comes out buys a spare filter and then copies it for dimensions but potentially improves ability to filter with better materials. It's still a filter, same size, copied from a genuine article. It's how it works, had a discussion when I found that their D2 filter was listed the same as the D1 whih is similar but slightly different in one dimension. Looks like it fits but doesn't seal if the D1 is fitted to D2, D2 into D1 you just need squeeze it in.

[V8Ian]

Western culture generally respects intellectual ownership, Asian culture does not understand it at all. Asian cultures believe the clever part is in manufacturing/copying an item cheaper. Asians have no issue if their inventions are copied.
There can be years of R &D go into the development of some gear, that risky investment has to pay a dividend when the end product is marketed. How much money is spent on R & D for products that never eventuate? That money has to be recouped on the items that succeed.
In a nutshell, how would you as an average wage earner feel, if you took a year off work to develop a product, ie a perpetual motion engine, to have it reverse engineered, ripped off with inferior materials/tolerances/labour and sold for a song on eBay China, two weeks after you sold your first one?
China............the world's biggest photocopier.

Genuine products, cheaper from overseas...............totally different story.

[turps]

I would just be happy if someone could find my set. I want to use them to build my own tanami style pump. I found them useless at tyre deflating. So brought the ARB copy of the currie enterprises deflator (I think they are built under licenses though).

[Tank]

I think that's a bit harsh Frank!!:mad: I have what looks like staun imitation deflators but they came free with the genuine black rat strap I bought which is why I have stauns and imitation set.

There may also be people out there that dont know they are imitations of stauns.. and think they are a product in their own right!!
Sorry, didn't mean it, was angry, Regards Frank.

[Tank]

So where does it come in where a company like Ryco as soon as a new model comes out buys a spare filter and then copies it for dimensions but potentially improves ability to filter with better materials. It's still a filter, same size, copied from a genuine article. It's how it works, had a discussion when I found that their D2 filter was listed the same as the D1 whih is similar but slightly different in one dimension. Looks like it fits but doesn't seal if the D1 is fitted to D2, D2 into D1 you just need squeeze it in.
Clubagreenie, car manufacturers do not build oil filters, Ryco et al supply OEM filters to GM, Ford etc., and to the aftermarket, Regards Frank.

[Tank]

I would just be happy if someone could find my set. I want to use them to build my own tanami style pump. I found them useless at tyre deflating. So brought the ARB copy of the currie enterprises deflator (I think they are built under licenses though).
Why did you find them "useless at tyre deflating", they are possibly the easist deflator on the market to use as well as the quickest, I could deflate all 4 tyres before you could do one with the ARB deflator, Regards Frank.

[weeds]

I would just be happy if someone could find my set. I want to use them to build my own tanami style pump. I found them useless at tyre deflating. So brought the ARB copy of the currie enterprises deflator (I think they are built under licenses though).



Why did you find them "useless at tyre deflating", they are possibly the easist deflator on the market to use as well as the quickest, I could deflate all 4 tyres before you could do one with the ARB deflator, Regards Frank.

I agree frank, I have watched from a distance many a time guys using the ARB deflators....I do one lap of the car to put the stauns on than have a kick of the footy, when I hear the last staun shutting off one more quick lap around the car to retrieve

[newhue]

I think sadly its all an unpredictable mess. Politicians have failed to protect their people. Failed to keep the lawyers under thumb; and people are generally greedy. Go the US way and its all too expansive, go the Chinese way and cheaper and cheaper will also have it's poor results eventually.
Somehow with all its injustices we have perhaps the best outcome. Want genuine, want Aus jobs or alleged quality then we pay for it. Want a lucky dip on the previous and by Asian.
It is frustrating that within weeks the people who think of nothing just rip someones else's work off. That's here in Aus with online sellers or in Asia manufacturing.
But the west who lead the charge with inventing need to somehow twist it so Asia simply cant do what they do. Foreigners cant pull out of Chinese industry without leaving substantial investment in the county I hear, and there is no intellectual property there. Where over here it seems grab what you want if you have the money.
Once again an Australian entity is subject to the level playing field the polies have created. I bet Staun are enjoying "free enterprise" at the moment which works boths ways.

[Bigbjorn]

But the west who lead the charge with inventing need to somehow twist it so Asia simply cant do what they do.


and there is no intellectual property there.

I knew a Brisbane manufacturer of lightweight steel goods, mostly furniture, using high tensile steels for lower weight. He was a great innovator and held a few patents to do with tooling and processes he had developed. Mid to late 1970's he became aware that his patents were being openly manufactured, sold, and used in Japan. He sought legal advice and commenced legal action in Japan in order to either stop these infringements or get some royalties paid. He told me he knew he was on a hiding to nothing when he realised his was the only white face in the court. He reckoned he would have had a better result if he had spent the $300,000 on beer, girls, and sports cars.

[Roverlord off road spares]

staun imitation deflators but they came free with the genuine black rat strap I bought which is why I have stauns and imitation set.


I bought a subscription to 4WD action mag once and got a set of Genuine Stuans in a leather carry pouch with Staun embosssed on the leather.

[newhue]

snip
He reckoned he would have had a better result if he had spent the $300,000 on beer, girls, and sports cars.

hooyeh that's a LOT of fun for a long time...aahhh

[isuzurover]

So where does it come in where a company like Ryco as soon as a new model comes out buys a spare filter and then copies it for dimensions but potentially improves ability to filter with better materials. It's still a filter, same size, copied from a genuine article. It's how it works, had a discussion when I found that their D2 filter was listed the same as the D1 whih is similar but slightly different in one dimension. Looks like it fits but doesn't seal if the D1 is fitted to D2, D2 into D1 you just need squeeze it in.

Ryco/GUD are a minor player in the international filter scene, and their products are unobtainable outside AU/NZ/ZA. I doubt any of their filters are improvements over OEM designs. The largest filter manufacturers (Donaldson and MANN) have barely heard of GUD...

But yes, filter manufacturers do this sort of thing all the time, but they are careful to make them different enough to skirt around patents.

A a conference a while back, someone from Filter company B was asked by an audience member "what is the diference between your product and the (equivalent/original) product from filter company A. The presenter foolishly answered "If I was to be honest, I would say the colour". Immediately following, Filter company A lodged a lawsuit.

Most of the claims of filter company A were dismissed in the lawsuit, however there are now a couple of countries where Filter company B is not allowed to sell that particular product.

IP is meaningless unless it is patented. If the companies which have (allegedly) copied staun's products were smart enough when developing their products, then staun will not be able to touch them. I think any threats against retailers are hollow.

[NB - I am not a lawyer]

[drifter]

I went to an international electronics trade show many years ago and was surprised (back then) to see Russian and Chinese copies of the Tektronix oscilloscope I had spent a motza buying for my workshop.

When I enquired I was simply informed that Russia and China did not recognise international patents.

Mind you, that was back in the 1970's....

[V8Ian]

I went to an international electronics trade show many years ago and was surprised (back then) to see Russian and Chinese copies of the Tektronix oscilloscope I had spent a motza buying for my workshop.

When I enquired I was simply informed that Russia and China did not recognise international patents.

Mind you, that was back in the 1970's....Still the case for China at least, but any countefeit or copy cannot be sold within the copyright area. A copyright may be taken out in Australia, North America Europe or worldwide. No doubt Africa and South America also have agreements, but each area is a seperate copyright and cost.

[turps]

I agree frank, I have watched from a distance many a time guys using the ARB deflators....I do one lap of the car to put the stauns on than have a kick of the footy, when I hear the last staun shutting off one more quick lap around the car to retrieve

Had two set up for 25psi and two setup for 18psi.
I was getting variance of between 3-5psi on each one. Maybe the tolerances on mine where in correct.
Also when deflating a 35" tyre it took for ever. I actually went back to just pulling the valves out till I used a mates curie deflator.

[FenianEel]

Stauns are a great bit of kit, and they were Australian designed and made.
They're not owned by some fatcat multinational either (not that it makes a difference), but still locally and Australian owned.
The rip offs aren't anywhere as good, in terms of quality or accuracy.
I think it's sad people are so quick to buy Chinese rip off stuff and don't think about it.
I understand affordability, but supporting intellectual property theft, and overseas rip offs does Aussies out of jobs.

[dullbird]

Stauns are a great bit of kit, and they were Australian designed and made.
They're not owned by some fatcat multinational either (not that it makes a difference), but still locally and Australian owned.

The rip offs aren't anywhere as good, in terms of quality or accuracy.
I think it's sad people are so quick to buy Chinese rip off stuff and don't think about it.
I understand affordability, but supporting intellectual property theft, and overseas rip offs does Aussies out of jobs.

Sorry I beg to differ, I have already stated that mine are and I have both

[weeds]

Sorry I beg to differ, I have already stated that mine are and I have both

send em my way......:cool: