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Chinese government rules in favour of Alpa in counterfeit cameras case

18 Apr

Swiss camera manufacturer Alpa has won a case in the Chinese courts against a company that was making and distributing cameras and accessories copied from its own models. Chinese brand GuoZh has been told to pay damages to Alpa over its FY-2015 camera which is a direct copy of Alpa’s A12 series models. The company had copied the camera, backs and accessories and was selling under its own name, and had even started camera clubs for users of its copied products.

Copied Alpa camera and accessories shown on the GuoZh website

Some of the products produced by GuoZh were branded Alpa and sold as convincing counterfeits to Alpa users, while others were branded with the GouZh name and sold in China to potential Alpa users at a much lower price.

It looked at one stage as though Alpa would not win its case as it hadn’t applied for protection under China’s complicated copyright law, but in the end the company was able to file a claim that Alpa cameras come under China’s ‘applied art’ rules that state that everyday objects can be seen as art.

Genuine (left) and fake (right) Mamiya roll film backs

According to an article on the case by Swiss newspaper NZZ GuoZh owner Guo Zhonggen was nonchalant during the final hearing and tried to give the impression that he owned the intellectual property, which helped move the judge to rule against him. At the end of the final of three hearings he was ordered to pay ‘six-figure damages’ and to apologise on his website, as well as to cease producing Alpa cameras and copies of them. At the time of writing though GouZh is planning an appeal and is still adverting it’s products on its website.

Andre OIdani, Head of Products at Alpa, is quoted as saying “It’s a good feeling that you’re not powerless in the giant system of China after all,” according to NZZ.

The case will give some hope to other photographic manufacturers that feel their products are being copied and sold cheaply by Chinese companies. The report in NZZ says that the Chinese courts are becoming more interested in copyright claims as China’s own products improve and become subject to copies themselves. Journalist Matthias Kamp also says that judges now have better training and are being paid better salaries, but none of the judges is independent as a communist party committee can always step in to have the last word in any case.

For more information on Alpa cameras see the Alpa website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Gary Fong warns of counterfeit Lightsphere flash diffusers

11 Feb

Photographer Gary Fong, the creator of the Gary Fong Lightsphere, has published a video that warns about counterfeit Lightsphere products being sold on Amazon. Fong showcases the authentic product alongside the counterfeit product, highlighting differences that will help consumers spot the fake, as well as issues with the counterfeit product’s design.

The Lightsphere is a collapsible flash diffuser that is made from clear material sporting horizontal rings. The counterfeit version sold on Amazon, Fong points out in his video, is made from flimsy material that doesn’t hold its shape. As well, the counterfeit product is made from material dyed white rather than left clear, which impacts the diffuser’s performance.

As the video explains, the differences between the real diffusers and counterfeit diffusers are nearly indistinguishable.

In addition, the dome doesn’t stay fixed in the counterfeit product and instead easily falls out. The entire product, including the package, shows multiple signs of being fake, including poor print quality on the diffuser’s strap, a shiny rather than a matte box, a product insert that has poor print quality and poor image quality on the package’s label.

Fong shows images to prove that not only did Amazon sell this product, but in fact presented it as its ‘choice’ to buyers and shipped it directly from its own warehouse. In order to avoid a fake product, consumers can purchase the Lightsphere directly through Gary Fong’s website, though it should be noted that not all Lightspheres sold by Amazon are fake.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon wins lawsuit against eBay sellers accused of peddling counterfeit batteries

18 Jan

Canon USA has announced a successful lawsuit against two eBay sellers who were allegedly peddling counterfeit ‘Canon’ batteries. The camera company had filed a complaint against the defendants in October 2019, claiming the sellers were using its trademarks and that doing so could ‘mislead the public as to the source and authenticity’ of the products, potentially to their peril.

The legal victory took place on December 12, 2019, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. According to Canon, the defendants in the case were barred from ‘infringing and counterfeiting the valuable Canon trademarks.’ The sellers will also be required to pay Canon a ‘significant amount of money,’ according to the camera company.

Below is a copy of the court documents, obtained by PetaPixel:

Counterfeit batteries put both the operator and their camera at risk, Canon explains on its website. These products may be poorly made and prone to overheating; they may also offer lackluster performance when compared to the real thing, resulting in frequent recharging and shorter lifetimes. Signs of a counterfeit battery include lack of an anti-hologram sticker on the bottom, modifications to the company’s logo and an inability to communicate with the camera.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm issues advisory after discovering counterfeit 35mm rolls of Fujifilm-branded film

26 Jun

Fujifilm Japan has issued an advisory (Japanese) warning customers that counterfeit 35mm film featuring the ‘Fujifilm’ brand has been found on the market. The fraudulent products were discovered when a customer took the counterfeit film to a photo developer in Japan, according to a statement from the company.

Fujifilm warns the counterfeit 35mm film products are packed with ‘movie film’ that can’t be developed using CN-16 and C-41 processes; attempting to develop these products may contaminate the developer, putting other customers’ film at risk. Shops that attempt to develop this counterfeit film are advised to change the developer solution and clean the machine.

It’s unclear how widely the counterfeit film products have been distributed. Fujifilm provides three sample images featuring the non-genuine ‘Fujifilm’ film. In addition to the 250D roll featured in the advisory, Fujifilm says there may be other counterfeit products including 250T and 64D.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Nikon confirms some counterfeit EN-EL15b batteries were sold by authorized retailers

29 May

Last week, B&H Photo began emailing customers who had purchased Nikon EN-EL15b rechargeable Li-ion camera batteries, advising these buyers that they may have received units from a ‘subpar batch.’ The company didn’t elaborate on what subpar meant in this instance, but did state that it would replace all Nikon EN-EL15b batteries it had shipped because it couldn’t determine which customers had received the bad units.

Following a leak that claimed as much, Nikon has confirmed counterfeit EN-EL15b batteries have been sold by authorized retailers to some of its camera owners. In a statement to DPReview, a Nikon spokesperson said:

We have been made aware that some customers who purchased individual EN-EL15b batteries from authorized Nikon retailers received defective product. These batteries are not genuine and were not manufactured or distributed by Nikon USA. Concerned users can find a guide for determining if the battery they have purchased is a genuine Nikon battery at this link.

Counterfeit batteries may be poorly constructed and cause damage to the camera hardware; lithium-ion batteries are known to be volatile and counterfeit units are particularly prone to overheating, which may result in fire or explosion. In addition to the fake EN-EL15b batteries, Nikon says it has been alerted to other counterfeit batteries intended for its hardware, including fake versions of its EN-EL11, EN-EL10, EN-EL9a, and others.

Nikon customers who have purchased camera batteries from third-party sources can evaluate their products for signs of being counterfeit using Nikon’s guide. Indications may include font differences in the logo and text on the battery and the possible inclusion of the battery model number on the front of the batteries.

B&H Photo encourages its customers to recycle the EN-EL15b batteries they received from the retailer. These customers will receive free authentic replacement batteries from B&H, which will send both order processed and shipment emails to the customers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon advisory warns of counterfeit EF 50mm F1.8 II lenses

17 Dec

Canon has issued a service notice advising users of counterfeit Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II DSLR lenses that ‘fraudulently display the Canon logo’ and company trademarks. Canon became aware of these counterfeit lenses after customers began bringing them into company service centers seeking repairs.

According to the service notice, Canon was not involved in the design or manufacturing of these fraudulent lenses, which can be identified based on the ‘Canon Inc’ company name molded into the mount. Genuine Canon lenses feature a space between the words ‘Canon’ and ‘Inc’ while the counterfeit lenses do not feature this space.

The counterfeit EF 50mm lenses are made using electric circuits and parts on the interior, Canon warns, which fail to meet safety standards in multiple countries. Canon further advises that it isn’t liable for any issues that could result from using these fake lenses.

Via: Canon USA

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon warns about dangers of counterfeit camera gear

03 Jul

Canon made an announcement this week warning of counterfeit 600EX-RT flash units being sold as the real deal. Equally as disconcerting as the idea of being ripped off is that these counterfeits are also incredibly difficult to tell apart from the real thing. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Clever Counterfeit: Vacant Shops Pretend to be High-End

25 Jan

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

Street of Fakes China 1

There’s something a little off about the highly recognizable logos splashed across this retail complex in the Chinese city of Wuxi: beside a round green & white approximation of the Starbucks logo, for example, green lettering spells out ‘SFFCCCKS OFFEE.’ Try saying that out loud. Zara has become ‘Zare’, and H&M is ‘H&N.’ These aren’t shops producing counterfeit versions of the goods offered by the real brands. They’re just facades. The entire building is actually vacant.

Street of Fakes China 2

The shopping district has earned the name ‘Street of Fakes’ for these and many more fake high-end boutiques that look real from a distance, potentially luring in excited shoppers who approach an Apple store only to find that it’s ‘Appla,’ and the door is locked.

Street of Fakes China 4

The signs were erected to appeal to potential property buyers, ostensibly by making the district feel more luxurious than it really is. There’s a good chance that some of the signs will have to come down, since they’re infringing on copyright laws. But in China, there really are counterfeit versions of all sorts of businesses that sell actual goods, like KFC ripoff ‘KLG.’

Street of Fakes China 5

Property owners often get creative in their efforts to spruce up vacant shops. In North Tyenside, England, where more than 140 businesses closed up shop due to the flagging local economy, the council erected fake storefronts with murals that create an illusion of the real thing.