Modding Ripped off by Thermaltake?

Remember when i built this? Check the Colossus mk.II project log if you haven't seen it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/minerva2/IMG_0244.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/minerva2/IMG_0176.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/minerva2/IMG_0177.jpg

Well check out the latest offering from Thermaltake:

http://www.rbmods.com/Articles/Thermaltake/Aquabay_m1/1.php

 

umm.. none of those links work!

 

You need to get rid of the ... !

 

Should be good now.

 

Meh, when have Thermaltake ever come up with there own idea. Besides, it looks much more like an AquaBay from AquaComputer.

 

It does look suspiciously similar.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way because i don't mean to sound like a jerk, but this is the reason that you apply for patents when you develop something. especially something that you display on a public forum.

I guess you could think of it as a compliment? a company put the time and money into manufacturing something you designed?

 

they ripped off aquacomputer tbh

and besides, with so much stuff already out there its pretty damn hard to make a truly original product, although thermaltake seem to have a bit more difficulty than most, in particular, every single product they sell

 

How can they not get sued though? Surley companies can sue them....

 

Yeah, i understand why Patents exist, you just never think you might see something like that happen. And we Modders can't go patenting every innovative idea that we come up come up with, will we?

I modelled my design on the AQ ones, TT probably did the same.

 

Can't see too much of a similiarity between yours and their's tbh.

While TT have "borrowed" ideas in the past and don't think this is one.

And while they can be sued its very expensive and time consuming there are quite a few modders who've had stuff stolen and they don't sue as they can't afford it.

For example on most cheap boxes of EL wire is a stolen picture of a well know modder

 

The only straight rip-off I can recall is HiPer's power supply with xlr connections thats identical to the one Zap made...

 

I would have to agree, Thermaltake always rips off other peples designs, then makes something similar but no where near the priduct they ripped off. ThermalRight comes to mind.

I have to admit though, SOME their products(im talking about the SmartFan2) are kickass.

 

You cant steal connectors that are an industry standard..

 

XLR are for audio though, not power ?

 

Let me make myself more clear with an image of Hiper's PS.



Thats no indutry standard connection right there.

 

Sorry I should of made it clearer xlr connectors are standard connectors for all manner of uses. Yes they arent a psu or computer specific standard but could and are used for that use. You cannot copyright the idea to use them in a psu.

A good case in point is that there is no copyright on led fans because they are considered a progression of two idea's in the main stream. You can as coolermaster have patent the method you use to fix them to the fans.

 

I don't know american or brittish patent law, but swedish patent law requires patented objects to have a level of originality high enough and different enough to be called a new invention. Meaning you could not just take an allready existing invention (water cooling), fit it in a different way, and then patent the new place to mount it.

You can get a pattern protection, but going around a pattern protection is pretty easy since it only protects the specific design, not the method.

You can patent completely new ideas like the mounting method for LEDs in the coolermaster fans, but that only gives you a patent on that mounting method, other people can still produce LED fans with other means of fixing the wires.