Orient Expert Technology’s (OET) web page shows an interesting music player, which they call, ahem, their “IPOD Mini” (pictured at left). Orient Expert Technology Co., Ltd.(HK) has a manufacturing factory in Shenzhen City, China.
Although the “Click Wheel” of this knock-off doesn’t really scroll (it seems to use the thing, you click the upper half of the “wheel” to move up in menus and click the bottom half to move down), OET’s idea of changing the capitalization of select letters in the product name “iPod mini” probably isn’t going to cut it with Apple Computer.
An obvious rip-off of Apple’s iPod mini, OET’s “IPOD Mini,” seems to infringe on Apple’s trade dress protection which is governed by the same set of laws that protects unregistered trademarks, while also offending plain old good taste.
The OET “IPOD Mini” features a 4GB 1 inch hard drive, USB2.0, supports MP3, WMA, DRM WMA, and ADPCM, and features line-in recording, voice recording, multiple languages, a 4-minute anti-shock buffer, claims 12 hours playback time, and includes an FM Tuner and MP3 line-in encoding.
For those wondering, Apple has won similar cases in the past, for example, the original iMac and Daewoo/eMachines knock-off eOne. This iPod mini rip-off brings to mind Luxpro’s recent “iPod shuffle” rip-off, what they call the “Super shuffle” (see related articles below).
More information about the OET “IPOD Mini” is on their website here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
iPod shuffle rip-off maker Luxpro’s Chairman: patents do not cover appearance – March 15, 2005
Apple moves to stop CeBIT presentation of Luxpro’s ‘Super shuffle’ iPod shuffle rip-off – March 14, 2005
Attention Apple Legal Dept: LuxPro debuts blatant ‘iPod shuffle’ rip-off called ‘Super shuffle’ – March 10, 2005
this is GARBAGE!
Just so sad…
It’s really looking desperate for the WMA camp, isn’t it? If this continues, Apple is going to make more money from suing people than sales.
People want ipods, not knock offs.
What flattery! Everyone wants to be like Apple.
The larger problem is that this sort of rip-off will intensify because there will be no way to deal effectively with all the thieves. Apple is an easy target now because it has exceeded “popularity” to become somewhat of a phenomenon. No one is trying to copy a Sony Walkman– it’s easier to make your own piece of crap…
People who buy these rip-offs to try and look like they have a real ipod almost deserve the crappy product they’re gonna end up with. I feel sorry for the kids who end with one of these things as a present.
Won’t somebody please think of the children.
Dagblammit, WHEN can I buy one of these? I want the super shuffle and I want this mini. Smaller pricetag and more features? Yes, please.
Would you people please think like regular consumers just for a minute? Yes, Apple has set a standard. Good for them, but now the world’s going to USE that standard to produce off-branded items. Apple, like all innovators, has just got to smile, enjoy that they’ve succeeded in creating the standard, and get busy setting the next one.
Meanwhile, I *will* own these knockoffs. They’re much more accessible to the common income.
The reference to Apple’s past success at combatting this kind of blantent rip-off may not help at all. In the past they were dealing with South Korea and Japan. Countries that respect the “rule of law”. China does not respect the rule of law. Chinese companies have for decades stolen western product designs/trademarks etc. with impunity.And there is nothing in their recent behavior that would indicate they plan to change. Allowing China to enter the WTO was a huge mistake.
This is part of a much larger problem. With our assistance, China is becoming an economic powerhouse on top of being a military power. The bottom line is they can act with impunity and we are really powerless to stop them. They also hold 200 BILLION of US treasury notes with which they can seriously disrupt our economy.They and their partner Walmart are the most powerful force in the US economy.Not to mention, the Europeans plan to start selling them advanced weapon systems.
Whether it’s ripping off Apple, or their future plans to invade and control Taiwan, we are powerless to stop them.And once in control of Taiwan, they’ll control most of the technology that we depend on.
The future’s so bright, I wanna wear shades!
PS…this is the 4th prong of the horrific Clinton legacy. The others are the disasterous DMCA, the Telecommunications act, and of course NAFTA.
What if they just sell them overseas? Can Apple stop that?
I wanted a Landcruiser but bought an Explorer. It was close enough.
Not.
Simply pathetic
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transgeek
God forbid. An economic powerhouse/military power being able to interfere in the internal affairs of your country.
Anyone else spot a parallel here?
I doubt this unit will be sold outside of China or Asia. China is notorious for blatant copyright violations and outright copying of other manufacturers equipment. It’s rather interesting that the Chinese government says it can’t control it, yet the vendors hawking unauthorized gear with the Olympics logo are agressively being pursued and prosecuted. Funny how they can enforce it when it effects them….
The name alone is illegal. Looks like Apple Legal will be busy for awhile with two companies blatenley trying to take advantage of Apple’s design and name.
Who needs ease-of-use and world-class software integration anyway? I’d much rather listen to bad-quality FM commercials
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I was reading an article in Japanese magazine last night. Their cover story was on copy cat manufactures and how Japanese companies are combating against them. Under comminist rule, they really cannot go after these companies in China (no IP. IP is capitalist thing). So, first they prevent China from exporting these copy cat devices into Japan. Second, they say they are learning from these copy cat devices to to help make their own device cheaper. In previous articles they talked about many Japanese companies keeping manufacturing of key components in Japan. May be Apple and other US manufacturing companies should begin using same tactics.
LOL!!! Not as good, as the Walt Mossberg comic by Joy of Tech, but this still has me giggling that they would think IPOD Mini is different enough from iPod mini to qualify as a different product name. Hell, most PC users can’t even figure out that the Macintosh should be Mac not MAC when writing about it. Wait, wait here’s one, try iPoD MiNi its a totally different name and product thank you (lol).
God, that thing looks ugly. And with its phony click wheel that doesn’t really work, it’s like something from FisherPrice… “Baby’s First iPod”
Dave H: Cry me a river.
Why does the US still award the P.R.C. with Most Favored Trade status when they continue to violate copyrights and patents?
Hopefully the general public will associate Windows/WMA with cheap knock offs of the real thing (which we all know to be true).
Dell et al can only imagine what it must be like to have all these imitators! Hope Apple is going to have a museum of them all one day!
If you think this is impressive, wait til you see the knockoff of an F16…
Hmm…Remember it was a Chinese company the bought IBM’s PC business. Wonder how long before we start seeing Mac Mini, iMac, etc. rip-offs?
wether we like it or not, the Asian market will absorb enough of this units to create a power shift in the choise of music format. in the meantime MS will sit and watch the Chinese do their dirty work for them. If old Bill plays his cards right he could be given the music market in a platter without lifting a finger