YuXin/FanXin Timer Now Illegal

[camcuber]

I received this email from SpeedStacks today and it seems legitimate. I asked for more information about the specific violation. Thoughts?

"It has come to our attention that your company is advertising a cubing / sport stacking timer for sale on:

https://speedcubeshop.com/products/yuxin-timer?variant=9048336005 https://speedcubeshop.com/products/fanxin-speedcubing-timer?variant=7726238405

The Yuxin and Fanxin Timers you are offering are an illegal copy Timer that violates our company’s intellectual property rights. We can provide more details pertaining to the specific patent violation. Prior to involving our lawyers, I am writing to ask that you remove these images from all websites and other online platforms and that you immediately cease all sales of those items and destroy any remaining inventory. Failure to do so is likely to bring legal action from our company.

If you are interested in purchasing legitimate products from us, we would be willing to discuss that with you once the offending products are removed and destroyed.

We hope you will appreciate that this is an extremely serious matter affecting Speed Stacks’ intellectual property rights. Please let us know how you would like to proceed.

Larry Goers CEO, Speed Stacks, Inc."

 

[Ordway Persyn]

interesting, does speedstacks still have an active patent or are these just too familiar looking? the fanxin does look a lot like the speedstack now that I look at it.

 

[camcuber]

I am awaiting Larry's response about the specific violation that he is referring to as well as proof to that violation. I'll keep this thread updated!

 

[DTCuber]

Hmmm... Interesting. Keep us posted!

 

[MoyuFTW]

Oh this is not good? It'd be a pity to see your company lose stock/money... This is interesting though, from what I found, I don't think the patent applies to speedcubing, maybe. But what do I know about patents.... nothing really. I hope it all works out smoothly for you.

 

[IamSpeedcubing]

Wow... I feel bad for you... I love your company and don't want it to be hurt financially.

 

[Loiloiloi]

Turns out they patented the word "Timer" here come the lawsuits

 

[IamSpeedcubing]

Oh, so SpeedStacks turned into Vcubes? Well, at least their quality is good.

 

[MoyuFTW]

Turns out they patented the word "Timer" here come the lawsuits

Oh wow. That would be funny except they're filing lawsuits now...

 

[Loiloiloi]

Oh wow. That would be funny except they're filing lawsuits now...

That's a shame. Seems like they just want a monopoly, hope their lawsuits don't succeed. If the products were really so similar, reviewers/speedcubers would all just recommend/use the Yuxin timer, since it's the cheapest of all 3. Obviously there's differences and Yuxin/Fanxin just trying to make a good timer for speedstackers/speedcubers to use.

 

[DTCuber]

That's a shame. Seems like they just want a monopoly, hope their lawsuits don't succeed. If the products were really so similar, reviewers/speedcubers would all just recommend/use the Yuxin timer, since it's the cheapest of all 3. Obviously there's differences and Yuxin/Fanxin just trying to make a good timer for speedstackers/speedcubers to use.

Speedcubeshop has been concurrently selling SpeedStacks products and Fanxin/Yuxin timers for a while. I wonder why this issue is brought up now...

 

[tiramisu]

Because they can. That said the 2 timers are a pretty blatant ripoff. They don't even offer Cubing functionality

There is probably a good opportunity for a real cube timer

 

[Loiloiloi]

Because they can. That said the 2 timers are a pretty blatant ripoff. They don't even offer Cubing functionality

There is probably a good opportunity for a real cube timer

The speedstacks timer doesn't offer Cubing functionality either. Also, how is the domination of the market by one company a good thing for anyone except that company? If the timers are such a blatant rip off, what makes them a rip off? There are very distinct differences, many people choose the other timers because they don't require an obscure battery type, other differences like sounds being played when you complete a solve, different shape of timer, etc.

 

[mark49152]

Whether there's a patent infringement is for the lawyers to decide, but Speedstacks are within their rights to try to defend their business. Patents exist for good reason. Consumers often don't care because they want more choice or cheaper stuff, but if you depended on your patented product to put food on your kids' table, you wouldn't want it ripped off either.

 

[Loiloiloi]

Whether there's a patent infringement is for the lawyers to decide, but Speedstacks are within their rights to try to defend their business. Patents exist for good reason. Consumers often don't care because they want more choice or cheaper stuff, but if you depended on your patented product to put food on your kids' table, you wouldn't want it ripped off either.

If they cared that much about their "patented product that puts food on their kids' tables" they would have known about their competitors timers which have been out for over a year. Typically if someone "blatantly" steals your product you would want to say something as soon as you find out, not let them sell your stolen product for a year and then decide to sue them.

 

[IamSpeedcubing]

Speedstacks is just being greedy. At least they haven't turned into moyu yet and started releasing new timers every week.

 

[stoic]

The speedstacks timer doesn't offer Cubing functionality either. Also, how is the domination of the market by one company a good thing for anyone except that company? If the timers are such a blatant rip off, what makes them a rip off? There are very distinct differences, many people choose the other timers because they don't require an obscure battery type, other differences like sounds being played when you complete a solve, different shape of timer, etc.

"Domination of the market" seems a bit strong. Unless I'm mistaken, the "market" consists of basically a single product and only exists because of speedstacks taking the trouble and financial risk to develop it. If some KO (or alleged-KO) company improves on the design marginally by eg changing the battery type it doesn't mean they now own the intellectual property.

But hey, I'm no lawyer.

 

[Loiloiloi]

"Domination of the market" seems a bit strong. Unless I'm mistaken, the "market" consists of basically a single product and only exists because of speedstacks taking the trouble and financial risk to develop it. If some KO (or alleged-KO) company improves on the design marginally by eg changing the battery type it doesn't mean they now own the intellectual property.

But hey, I'm no lawyer.

How can the market consist of a single product if there is competiton? And Yuxin/Fanxin don't also take a financial risk? There are substantial differences between the products, I listed multiple, not just battery type.

 

[aolong boy]

That's a shame. Seems like they just want a monopoly, hope their lawsuits don't succeed. If the products were really so similar, reviewers/speedcubers would all just recommend/use the Yuxin timer, since it's the cheapest of all 3. Obviously there's differences and Yuxin/Fanxin just trying to make a good timer for speedstackers/speedcubers to use.

The reason people buy Speedstacks is because they are competition legal.

 

[stoic]

How can the market consist of a single product if there is competiton?

Well, the market for speedstacks-type timers that pretty much look and work like speedstacks timers exists because of the existence of speedstacks timers.

And Yuxin/Fanxin don't also take a financial risk?

Not to the same degree, no.

There are substantial differences between the products, I listed multiple, not just battery type.

Like I say, I'm not a lawyer. I guess some of them will now be employed to test that theory.