FORD REQUESTING NAMES FROM E-BAY FOR SELLERS OF UNLISCENSED NERCHANDISE

[Art Anderson]

IS THIS STORY TRUE? I HEARD IT ON THE NEWS YESTERDAY!

This is an old issue, frankly! To understand it, Ford (or any other company in the US) is under the requirement (supported by US Supreme Court decisions BTW) to either "protect it, or lose it" with regard to any and all intellectual property--which includes even model kits and toy cars. if they do not go against the makers and sellers of unlicensed toys of model kits or toy cars, they stand to lose the right to protect any of their designs from unauthorized reproductions--period! And for them, that includes repair and replacement parts of all kinds.

You may not like it, but that is a fact of life in business in the US--and come to think of it, I would not like it if some chinese (or other third-world country operator!) were able to rip off the designs etc. of products made in this country by American workers--would you? Incidently, this is a problem faced by manufacturers all over the developed world, not just we Americans in the US. So, bluntly put: Deal with it. End of statement.

Art

[Dingo5162]

My brother years ago had a Holden Panel Van here in Australia that needed a new door so he went to a shop that deals in so-called authentic parts, he paid for and picked up the door took it home and set to work tranfering all the gear needed to work the window and lock system only to find out it wasn't fitted with an anti-intrusion bar the van needed it by law as it wasn't an earlier model, after returning to the reputal dealer of these so-called repo parts he was told too bad ( language left out due to censordship) he was not happy as it made his van unroadworthy and could have copped a heavy fine. Upon inspecting the door later he found a stamp saying "made in Vietnam" who'd think that hey guys and this was back in the 80's not now or the 90's.

Dingo

Edited May 27, 2012 by Dingo5162

[Howard Cohen]

There have been a lot of parts copied over the years, more than you may ever know. I am in the car parts business as a sales agent for a warehouse. We buy a lot of mechanical parts from overseas and they are all legal replacements for factory parts, safety included and meet all original specs. But not all companies make safe parts, there are a lot of very bad parts copied from originals and then 'cheapened down' to increase the profit margins. None of our aftermarket parts have a Ford logo on them, or any other OEM logo or name. Doing so would cause a lawsuit and a huge loss of money and often, bankruptcy. Most parts are marked with a trade number rather than an OEM number.

I have seen windshields made in China that are not safety glas as they should be, as well as being greatly distorted, so badly you get a headache looking through the glass.

I commend Ford for going after those guys on Ebay and anywhere else. I was working at a car show in Toronto about 20 years ago when we had a simialr incident. Friday morning about 9AM, a group of men walked in with badges and a warrant. They were from the sherriff's office and were accompanied by Provincial Police officers. They were looking for any illegal items from Warner Brothers. They found a few vendors who had stuff but could not or would not tell where they bought it. All of their goods were impounded, everything, and they were arrested.. One vendor told me after that he had bought some Warner Brothers stuff and had his bill with him. He gave the police the stuff along with the bill. They gave him a receipt and he stayed in business for the show.

How would you like it if you bought a car that said FORD on it but was made from non-Ford parts? What would happen if you were in a collision and the non-Ford parts failed? What if the non-Ford seat belt failed and you flew through the windshield? OUCH! Maybe you would live but maybe not. Would you be happy because you saved some money?