You're missing what I'm saying, I've already shown my dislike towards HKS and Volk.

But you're contradicting yourself. The guys that buy replica parts are buying them because they HAVE the name attached to the product even though it's fake. They want the name brand but they're too cheap to support the company that makes it so they buy some cheap Chinese garbage.

 

Used parts are a substitute for new parts and are very relavant to HKS's and the industry's current state as a whole.

I bought my AP Racing brakes / Carbonetic diff and all my springs and struts for my G used.. In fact the only new stuff I buy is wholesale through my suppliers.

Anything else I wait until I find a deal on used parts

 

You also waited 7? years to buy your G35...

You're coming from a car scene that is abundant with used parts because every car in it is minimum 15 years old. How many used parts are out their for G37s at the moment? Less than there are knock offs of legit products made for the car.

 

parts for brand new cars would make up a minor component of their overall sales since fewer people own then.

350z / G35's are right in the sweet spot because they are all off-warranty and off-lease meaning you are in the sweet spot for modifying to really scale up. guys with brand new cars dont trap turbo kits on and give up their warranties very often... certainly not with the regularity they do after warranty.

My point is not necessarily a counter-point to yours, it's merely an addition to the story.

In the end it is the fault of HKS and the like for not foreseeing and being proactive to avert the situation they find themselves in today. It's entirely their fault for ignorantly beleiving that we consumers would simply pay their premium for questionable value forever.

 

I'm sure a good number of our vendors sell those knock off HKS exhausts...

 

 

Bing you said it yourself. You as a retailer sell and run replica or knock off parts because there is more margin in the sales. I choose not to and I will continue to try and convince others they don't drive a civic.

I'm not going to argue quality because I know the quality of these knock off parts in comparison to the real deal. If you choose to run cheap ****, go for it.

 

i think you're taking it too seriously. there is no downside to what has happened.... unless you're HKS

people are buying and using knocks because they offer better value at all levels of the value chain.

more importantly, doing this does not stunt innovation it simply increases competition and forces new entrants to be EVEN MORE innovative.

Look at companies like Full-Race, SPL Parts, AMS (US Version), among others... these guys came in and built better products than the Japanese big boys, charge a premium and are still very competitive. I would argue that you've better off with Full-Race and AMS parts than with the japanese ones anyways.

Full-Race manifolds are far superior to HKS ones and cost more... maybe HKS should have just built a product?

There are a number of US based body kit companies with original designs and lots of boutique JDM design houses that are squeezing through as well.

 

value is debatable. The Products referred to in this thread, are shitty knock offs.

 

If a company is truly innovative and wants to protect itself there's something called a patent. A company like HKS knows the risks it's getting into without one.

 

All HKS' parts are patented....

You're forgetting that in China trademarks and patents do no matter.

I used the very example in the last time I talked about people ripping **** off.

Check out this fake Gibson Les paul. Sells on alibaba for about $300, a new American made Les Paul custom is about $2500 for a very good reason.

Look at the picture, look at the logos and compare them to real ones. The look at the back of the headstock where they use a fake Gibson serial and it's stamped MADE IN USA. You think this guitar wasn't patented 50+ years ago?

http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm...olesalers.html

 

Patents only last for a term of up to 20 yrs in Canada

Assuming there is a valid patent still in place, im very sure the patent holder will be filling lawsuits left and right to redeem lost profits. They might not be able to go after the chinese companies, but rest assured the North American distributors and vendors on this site selling patent infringing knockoffs are at risk of having claims filed against them.

Btw, I doubt most of the auto parts we're speaking of have valid patents. More than likely they have a "patent pending"

 

^ you'd be surprised how many do yet still have fakes out there...

 

im sure they do, and that's why these companies need to start suing some people

 

Ripping off someone's design is the opposite of innovation. Want to compete? Make something different and better -- that is innovation. Not simply copying what they've done and ignoring or finding ways around patents.