!!!Fake UC100 controllers on e-bay!!!

[cncdrive]

!!! Counterfreit UC100 motion controllers are sold on e-bay !!!

We got notified that some chinese sellers selling counterfreit UC100 devices on e-bay.
The device listed on e-bay is basicly a chinese motion controller packed into a DSUB-25 shell sold as UC100 motion controller.
This device has nothing to do with our UC100 motion controller and will not work with our softwares.
Please be aware of this issue and we recommend you to not buy any of our motion controllers on e-bay, especially not the UC100 from China and Hong Kong,
because it is likely that you will receive a counterfreit device which will not work with our softwares.

We have reported the issue to e-bay and will see what they have to say about this.

If you would like to help us with fighting against these counterfreits then please let e-bay know that these items are counterfreit and what you think about this,
there is a Report item link on every listing page which you can use to report the item to e-bay.

Some links to the counterfreit devices:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10cm-CNC-USB-to ... SwIWVY-Otw
http://www.ebay.com/itm/UC100-CNC-USB-C ... SwgZ1XvBmo

!!! Counterfreit UC100 motion controllers are sold on e-bay !!!

[A_Camera]

Reported both sellers, eBay will probably remove the items but not sure that the seller will be banned. Good luck fighting it. Unfortunately, if it works with your plugin and Mach3, it means that they have cracked the firmware, perhaps also the serial numbering scheme. Unfortunately, if it is based on Microchip PIC products that it is easy to copy it.

[cncdrive]

Thank you.
No, ofcourse they do not work with our drivers and with our plugins.
Cracking the microcontrollers we used is fortunately very hard to impossible as they have advanced code protection.
Also it is not possible to sniff the firmware download, because it is coded very well and each download is different, random looking.

These fake controllers are basicly the same chinese ones sold under the name DDUM on e-bay, they just repacked them to a DSUB shell
and selling them under the name of our UC100 controller to misslead customers.

[A_Camera]

So buyers will detect pretty fast that they are not working... that's good, because they will complain. The problem is that it gives you a bad name because many buyer will believe that they are real UC100, especially since the price is the same as your originals, so reading that item description, there is not much indication about it being a fake, only you know that by looking at it. Yes, the DSUB looks different from yours but that can be a change in your manufacturing as well, so I would not suspect it being a fake just by looking at it.

[Robertspark]

I have already reported them to ebay when I first saw them a few weeks ago, and provided a link to your genuine working product in the statement for the report.

The problem is the reporting system works on weight / number of complaints / reports received.

Also it's not technically a copyright / fake goods issue..... saw and read through the listing a few times on ebay, and the problem that you will have is that UC100 is not a copyright.... sure it is a product name / reference ... but I don't believe that you have the copyright on it.... also from the listing I saw they did not say that it worked with uccnc, just with Mach3.... essentially I understand how annoying it may be that someone is selling a similar product to the uc100 and advertising it as such but I think you'll have a hard time with the copyright as it looked inferior to the uc100 (i.e. it didn't look the same), the product that I saw did not have a serial number and it does not include any branding of logos of cncDrive or UCCNC etc .....

Best way forward as a suggestion, is provide a link to the auctions on ebay within this thread that you find, I for one am happy to report each listing that I find (or that someone lists here) that way the more reports that ebay receives the quicker they will remove the product. There is no cost to anyone for doing this other than a few clicks of your time, and if you are happy with a product you should be keen to support it and its manufacturer as it should be a symbiotic relationship on a product that is being continuously improved and developed.

Your call on a way forward.

[cncdrive]

The problem is that it gives you a bad name because many buyer will believe that they are real UC100

Yes, that is the real problem we see, that it can misslead buyers to think it is a real UC100 while it is not and then they can think the issue is with our device, however it is nothing to do with our device.
I hope e-bay will soon realise that this is a problem, however I'm not very optimistic about it, I remember I read about the fake LEGO case when e-bay did not remove the fake chinese LEGOs until the LEGO company filed and won a lawsuit against them.

[cncdrive]

Hi Rob,

Thank you for reporting them and for your comments.
Yes, the issue is that the name itself is not copyrighted, but as far as I know the the law understand the terms missleading which is the case now, these people missleading buyers with using the same name for their product and their intention is clearly to misslead, otherwise they would name this totally different.
I think I will talk to my Niece and will ask for legal advice as she is a lawyer and her husband is a judge, so hopefully they can give some good advices about what we could do.

[Robertspark]

The problem is world wide enforcement... European union.. Ok, USA... Ok... then it's down to individual countries...

What about putting your cncdrive logo on the products?

Laser etched?... even a sticker label etc... note on your website and eBay shop about fake goods which look clearly inferior and also simply won't work (I can guarantee you they won't do thc or m10/m11... none of the Chinese motion controllers do!)

.... buy genuine at a similar cost... guaranteed to work and receive support...... buy check... buy twice... avoid buying twice and buy our genuine working and supported product.

[Robertspark]

Also maybe in your marketing photos, add the cncdrive logo either as a small symbol or as a watermark.... that way it's clear it's your product and you've taken ownership of it... plus send a copy of the updated images to your worldwide resellers...

[A_Camera]

The problem is that it gives you a bad name because many buyer will believe that they are real UC100

Yes, that is the real problem we see, that it can misslead buyers to think it is a real UC100 while it is not and then they can think the issue is with our device, however it is nothing to do with our device.
I hope e-bay will soon realise that this is a problem, however I'm not very optimistic about it, I remember I read about the fake LEGO case when e-bay did not remove the fake chinese LEGOs until the LEGO company filed and won a lawsuit against them.

LEGO is a registered and protected Trade Mark and is also copyrighted because of the special design. Unfortunately, unless you can claim the IPR and provide evidence that the fake UC100 is actually a copy of your specific product, you don't have much chance in a court process. Also, if you'd go to court you must be prepared to lose and that might cost you a lot of money in the end. I think LEGO has more money and a larger organization with corporate lawyers as support to deal with such things than you have. It can be difficult to fight these kind of people and businesses for a small company. If I were you, I'd buy one of these and would examine it carefully, to see if they just use the name "UC100" or the design is copied as well.