Dislike of Freilein ?
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 8:59 pm
Hi,
I see lots of dislike of the Freilein brand off kites, especially on US websites, as they have made a clone of the Revolution quad-kite, a 25+ year old design where all patents has expired. It seems like it is one of the largest brands in Asia.
Yet elsewhere I read that their clone, the Windrider, is of better build-quality than the Revolution. And they are also making and selling their own designs, like the Windrider Transeye. And it seems in the UK, there is less loyalty to the US brands, and many are using the almost-clones from Albatross. In Germany there are many Rev clones on the market, also sold locally, but it seems nobody will touch the Windrider "classic" as if that model will give you dirty hands. But the Transeye is not frowned upon anywhere, as it looks a bit different. And their vented kites are vented in a very different pattern than the Rev.
So why this dislike of Freilein here ? They at least put their own logo in large typeface on the kites, and do not try to market them as anything else. And the layout of the stripes on the sail is different. Are other kites of theirs clones, and of what ? I see they are making a couple zero-wind kites, but they are supposedly not nearly as good as the real thing, and not sold as clones as far as I know.
For me, buying a clone long after any patent has expired is nothing I will worry about. And China is the worlds largest market.
I understand that we want local development and competition, but also that protecting a shape of that of the Rev (the W) after more than 25 years is not holding up.
So why the hatred of Freilein ? Yet the accept of others.
I see lots of dislike of the Freilein brand off kites, especially on US websites, as they have made a clone of the Revolution quad-kite, a 25+ year old design where all patents has expired. It seems like it is one of the largest brands in Asia.
Yet elsewhere I read that their clone, the Windrider, is of better build-quality than the Revolution. And they are also making and selling their own designs, like the Windrider Transeye. And it seems in the UK, there is less loyalty to the US brands, and many are using the almost-clones from Albatross. In Germany there are many Rev clones on the market, also sold locally, but it seems nobody will touch the Windrider "classic" as if that model will give you dirty hands. But the Transeye is not frowned upon anywhere, as it looks a bit different. And their vented kites are vented in a very different pattern than the Rev.
So why this dislike of Freilein here ? They at least put their own logo in large typeface on the kites, and do not try to market them as anything else. And the layout of the stripes on the sail is different. Are other kites of theirs clones, and of what ? I see they are making a couple zero-wind kites, but they are supposedly not nearly as good as the real thing, and not sold as clones as far as I know.
For me, buying a clone long after any patent has expired is nothing I will worry about. And China is the worlds largest market.
I understand that we want local development and competition, but also that protecting a shape of that of the Rev (the W) after more than 25 years is not holding up.
So why the hatred of Freilein ? Yet the accept of others.