Chinese LEPIN like company copying again?

[Ankoku]

Came across this, is this somebodies MOC or have they actually designed something themselves?

 

[Jerry McGlade]

Yes, this set is a knockoff product. 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Jerry McGlade

[mpj]

Well, Cada usually has its own designed sets, the parts are 99.9 % copied from Lego but for example the panels have some recessed lines so you can easily distinguish them from the Lego ones.

In this case I don't know if the set is a copy of a Moc or not.

[Mechbuilds]

2 hours ago, Jerry McGlade said:

Yes, this set is a knockoff product. 

A statement like this would require some proof. 

[Bartybum]

So since it's a Lamborghini Huracan, I did a quick Google image search for Technic Huracan MOCs, and nothing remotely similar has come up except for the occasional picture of this set. I think it may actually be an original

[allanp]

21 minutes ago, Bartybum said:

So since it's a Lamborghini Huracan, I did a quick Google image search for Technic Huracan MOCs, and nothing remotely similar has come up except for the occasional picture of this set. I think it may actually be an original

But it's still mostly knock-off Lego and I doubt they have an agreement with Lamborghini either. Doesn't TLG still own the copyright for Technic pieces?

[Bartybum]

7 minutes ago, allanp said:

But it's still mostly knock-off Lego and I doubt they have an agreement with Lamborghini either. Doesn't TLG still own the copyright for Technic pieces?

I mean, I don't think it's advertised as a Lamborghini Huracan, nor does it have any markings, so technically they're safe. TLG doesn't own copyright for piece designs I don't think, or at least that's what I gathered from AustrianLegoFan's English review.

[LvdH]

Cada does actually design their own products. I believe we have a topic somewhere for their RC products. 

[allanp]

7 minutes ago, Bartybum said:

I mean, I don't think it's advertised as a Lamborghini Huracan, nor does it have any markings, so technically they're safe. TLG doesn't own copyright for piece designs I don't think, or at least that's what I gathered from AustrianLegoFan's English review.

So it may be somewhat legally ok competition? Not necessarily a bad thing but it's still rather lazy of them to copy Lego pieces so closely. Would much rather buy the Lesu RC hydraulic forklift, which I'm quite tempted by actually! 

[Gray Gear]

19 minutes ago, allanp said:

So it may be somewhat legally ok competition? Not necessarily a bad thing but it's still rather lazy of them to copy Lego pieces so closely. Would much rather buy the Lesu RC hydraulic forklift, which I'm quite tempted by actually! 

LEGO is "copying" Bricks from other brands as well, like the new Bracket variations or the rounded 1x2 plate. This is just being smart.

[allanp]

Just now, Gray Gear said:

LEGO is "copying" Bricks from other brands as well, like the new Bracket variations or the rounded 1x2 plate. This is just being smart.

Now that's interesting, I was not aware of that. 

[M_longer]

23 minutes ago, allanp said:

Now that's interesting, I was not aware of that. 

Polish COBI had some parts (like brackets) earlier than LEGO, really :)

[mpj]

1 hour ago, allanp said:

So it may be somewhat legally ok competition? Not necessarily a bad thing but it's still rather lazy of them to copy Lego pieces so closely. 

They have some panels in colors that Lego doesn't produce yet, so sometimes it is useful to add these parts to our Mocs.

I also know that Cada has many original Technic parts very very useful (for example some liftarms with alternate holes on 4 sides)

[aol000xw]

There is no copyright for Lego parts, at best they might hold some design patents if they filled for them and got them granted but I that is not the case anymore for most of them, and anyways those expire after 20 years.

As far as I know they hold 134 design patents under de company Lego A/S based in Denmark.

For example:

For the second one they still got 10 years, however most technic, be it studded or studless is free domain now. And a few of the patents are being contested.

By the way patents are funny... just check this:

(a design patent for a box)

[Maaboo the Witch]

There's also a "new" company calling themselves Mould King; their product range includes ripoffs of 42028 and 42094 that include an app-capable control brick.

And whoever thought up that "Glory Guardians" name needs to be fired... from a cannon into the sun. 

[M_longer]

4 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

from a cannon into the sun.

They use a translator :)

[Maaboo the Witch]

Just now, M_longer said:

They use a translator :)

Then the translator needs to be fired... from a cannon into the sun. 

[Gray Gear]

41 minutes ago, mpj said:

They have some panels in colors that Lego doesn't produce yet, so sometimes it is useful to add these parts to our Mocs.

Exactly!

Hate them chinese knockoff Brands all you want, but I have Wheelarches in Black, white and red, and y'all purists are stuck with orange and bugatti blue 

[Lipko]

1 hour ago, M_longer said:

Polish COBI had some parts (like brackets) earlier than LEGO, really :)

OFF: Actually COBI has pretty awesome looking military sets and some very prolific designers ON

[LvdH]

11 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

Exactly!

Hate them chinese knockoff Brands all you want, but I have Wheelarches in Black, white and red, and y'all purists are stuck with orange and bugatti blue 

Don’t forget purple  

[Rudivdk]

2 hours ago, allanp said:

copy Lego pieces so closely

I think we can't blame them for developing further on something that has proven succesfull. At least they create their own designs (MOC if you will), so how different from us AFOLs are they...?

I have watched part of ALF's review, and I must say that some of the CADA parts are rather smart moulds that are not available in LEGO as a single piece. I think with CADA you would be able to even build stronger constructions compared to LEGO.

But still, I could never bring myself to buying anything non-LEGO...

[nerdsforprez]

Some new information I had not heard of on this thread.  Specifically, that TLG may be using molds eerily similar to molds first created by other brands.  Thanks for the information. 

Honestly though, there are now so many knock-off brands it is not worth trying to keep track anymore.  I recently got back from living in downtown Seoul, Korea for a whole year.  When I was first there, when I would go sight-seeing, I would see so many examples of knock-off brands.  Initially I had the goal of taking pics of sets every time I came across a knock-off brand.  However, there were so many, I just gave up.  In fact, they have a whole neighborhood dedicated to children's toys and adult hobbies.  In that section of the city alone, I came across dozens upon dozens of different knock-off Lego brands....

[Gray Gear]

15 minutes ago, LvdH said:

Don’t forget purple  

Why did you remind me of its existance, the purple one is the worst one of them all. The first time I saw the model my  partially colorblind eyes made me think they were blue, until the guy in the review started complaining why they had to be purple 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Gray Gear

[ozacek]

6 hours ago, mpj said:

Well, Cada usually has its own designed sets, the parts are 99.9 % copied from Lego but for example the panels have some recessed lines so you can easily distinguish them from the Lego ones.

Actually I just finished building a CADA set out of curiosity, and just about every part down to the pins is distinguishable from Lego. 

[Maaboo the Witch]

1 minute ago, ozacek said:

Actually I just finished building a CADA set out of curiosity, and just about every part down to the pins is distinguishable from Lego. 

CADA did start out doing partial copies of Technic sets, in particular the 2014 pullbacks with a couple of missiles attached (seriously).