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
Beware the Chinese!!! They are out to ruin the western world´s economies.
The world let them off the hook with the Kyoto Treaty – they don´t have to meet the pollution requirements – yet 1 billion + oppressed Communist chinese make one heck of a lot of uncounted pollution – even if it is just burning a carbon based fire to heat their noodles.
China produces 40% more steel than the U.S. (lots of pollution in that production).
The Chinese are hoarding gas – that is why oil prices are going up so much. (They planning to have on hand a month´s supply of oil for each Chinese. Why? They are planning to go to war with Taiwan in 2006 or 2007 and they are getting prepared.)
Almost all factories are owned or run by the communist govt. so this Orient Expert Technology Co is probably owned/run by some commie boss in China. So in effect the govt. is giving the green light to steal from the west.
Meanwhile China is preparing to invade Taiwan…
China is the next gigantic huge problem for the west – time for the people of China to overthrow the Commies!
Gackle
we owe China a f#@ing trillion in deficit. It is our own stupidity that they one day will repossess the US economy and we’ll all be working for them making t-shirts – this will happen in our life time.
Fakes!
The global counterfeit business is out of control, targeting everything from computer chips to life-saving medicines.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_06/b3919001_mz001.htm?chan=gb
Looks cheap and crap.
Lacks everything that is Apple – from style, functionality to image.
Looking at this make me remember how lucky I am using Macs at work and home.
Makes me realise how crap all the other computer companies are!!
Im gonna be using macs until im old and grey!!
Gackle, you devil!
“The world let them (China) off the hook with the Kyoto Treaty”
“The Chinese are hoarding gas – that is why oil prices are going up so much.”
“Meanwhile China is preparing to invade Taiwan”
Careless polluters, worldclass energy hoarders, and illegal invaders make for a despicable bunch indeed. But wait! Doesn’t that sound awfully familiar?
Patz: Cry me a river, too.
“Careless polluters . . . “
Yaah, right. Blah, blah, blah. The United States is one of the cleanest countries on the planet. (Iceland tops the list, of course.)
“. . . worldclass energy hoarders . . . “
Pffft. Get real. The American economy drives the world economy. That energy we’re consuming (read: not “hoarding”) does immeasurable good everywhere.
” . . . illegal invaders . . . “
Double pffft. Go read the U.N. sanctions list against Saddam’s regime after the conclusion of hostilities in 1991 (note: there was NO first and second Gulf War — there was jsut a continuation of the original). Hussein was brought down because he refused to abide by interntional requirements which the U.N. was too weak to enforce.
Call me in 5 years when the democracy known as Iraq is running full steam and the rest of the radical fundamentalist regimes start to topple. Luddite.
wow, interesting discussion here. I came to read about an iPod knockoff, and now I’m up to speed on the brewing Chinese-spawned global armageddon.
Spelunking Troglodyte ya brainwashed moron, pull out your head from Dubya’s ass, ya redneck
Shameful. We live in an unethical world.
Personally, I like being able to see all the screws on the side. It is so……….professional? LOL!
whoa, at least the supershuffle did a good job of actually mimicing the ipod, this took the name and looks pitiful, you can’t really match buttons for a clickwheel, pos!
and damn, how many times are you guys gonna say ‘blatant’?
Couldn’t have said it better myself “ya fucktard”.
Spelunking Troglodyte should just stay in his cave. I’m not even sure he knows what a “luddite” is. There was no argument that supported that, ahh, nevermind…
I thought about moving to Canada, but decided it would be better to just gather all the people in the ‘red states’ and pull the drain plug on that particular gene pool.
Holy cannoli
Retarded Troglodyte:
“Careless polluters . . . “
Blah, blah, blah. The United States is one of the cleanest
countries on the planet. (Iceland tops the list, of course.)
Buffoon. The US represents less than 2% of the world’s population, yet consumes over 20% of all the fossile fuel, and accounts for almost 25% of the CO2 emisions. And both consumption and emissions are getting worse by the year.
Anyway. You still fail to realize that by shitting on China for mocking Kyoto, polluting the atmosphere, and planning illegal invasions, you are in fact shitting on yourself. But you’re free to you enjoy the smell.
Patz: Waaaaaaahhhhh!!!
Let me call the Waaaaaam-bulance for you.
Liberal whining pukes.
More of a worry than Asian countries making duplicates is that in the US Troglodytes-like creatures are replicating.
That is what nightmares are all about
Spelunk
The only tears I’m crying are from laughing too hard…..at you. Go hide under the bed before big, bad China gets you.
Irony: Apple can sue these bastards who keep copying their shit, and.. pay off Apple Records..
transgeek
Your message:
“PS…this is the 4th prong of the horrific Clinton legacy. The others are the disasterous DMCA, the Telecommunications act, and of course NAFTA.”
27-12-01 Bush Grants Permanent Normal Trade Relations Status to China
President Bush signed a proclamation December 27 granting permanent normal trading relations (PNTR) status to the People’s Republic of China, terminating the annual Jackson-Vanik trade certification process for China.
A White House statement accompanying the proclamation called the move “the final step in normalizing U.S.-China trade relations and welcoming China into a global, rules-based trading system.”
It was George W. Bush that approved WTO status for China at the begining of his 1st Term.
I’m waiting for the mini to go with it.
Just goes to show you how much the Chinese value western laws.
Dave H:
That’s SPELUNKING, tool! Get over the ADD. They’ve got drugs for that now!
Troglo-dick.
Spelunk
Yeah, like it’s your real name.
Sad twat.