The Chinese (collectors) have landed!

[GrahamB]

Currently 20 'guests' and 1 user (me). It's often like that.

[Hadoque]

Yes, I know, that´s quite usual.
I just wanted to say imho this thread has been read very much in less then one day (and much more views then I expected it might attract) and in relation to the number of signed-in members and guests at any given moment, and also in relation to other topics.
Another "btw": The number of guests on the forum suddenly dropped from 27 to 16 within a few minutes after my previous post in this thread. Thereafter it went up again slowly over a few hours to about 20. Life is full of coincidences.

[Oliver]

[quote author=PlaymoCollector link=topic=17027.msg306490#msg306490 date=1569691094

As for Lepin – I know nothing about copyright laws and I can't help wondering: how do they get away with producing Star Wars sets? I truly doubt they have a license to do so.
[/quote]

They don't, they just ignore copyright law, and Lego are constantly battling them in court.

[Macruran]

Probably use poisonous plastic too.

[tahra]

I thought the forum was going (very) "slow", but apparently there are MANY more lurkers then (active) members around.

Yes, that is the issue. And people get tired talking to themselves, and so less posts. And people come here and there are not new posts, and so they come less.... it's a cycle.

Though we do have some pretty active new members now! 

As for Lepin – I know nothing about copyright laws and I can't help wondering: how do they get away with producing Star Wars sets? I truly doubt they have a license to do so.

They don't, they just ignore copyright law, and Lego are constantly battling them in court.

I had never heard of "lepin", but I was shocked at the sets on their site. I agree with PlaymoCollector - how in Hades is that possible?!

[Hadoque]

I had never heard of "lepin", but I was shocked at the sets on their site. I agree with PlaymoCollector - how in Hades is that possible?!

I had never heard of "lepin" either, so I looked it up and it is very disturbing, but I am not surprised. The Chinese stole (and copied) f.e. top-secret aircraft-technology from "Lockmart" several years ago, and that is just one tip of many icebergs.

[Oliver]

I hadn't heard of them until I was in Vietnam, and I actually initially assumed Lego traded under a different name in South East Asia until I looked them up. It's completely blatant, but it's no different to books and trainers and bags in SE Asia.

I don't get too exercised about copyright infringement to be honest - I doubt it actually impacts hugely on Lego sales, especially since the AFOL seem ferociously loyal and the average consumer in the West isn't aware of it, and is unlikely to seek it out and have it imported. In the 19th century the USA famously did nothing to enforce copyright laws - Dickens went there in a (fruitless) attempt to stop pirated copies of his works being produced.

[PMatt]

I don't get too exercised about copyright infringement to be honest - I doubt it actually impacts hugely on Lego sales, especially since the AFOL seem ferociously loyal and the average consumer in the West isn't aware of it, and is unlikely to seek it out and have it imported.

You're most certainly right, yet it still surprises me that Disney itself isn't going after them in full force.

[Macruran]

Disney vs China, not sure I'd bet too strongly on a winner either way

[playmovictorian]

Good morning dear Friends 

I looked a little further into the matter and found out that Ali Baba offers wholesale "Playmobile" fake figures made in a Chinese factory named Shenzhen Yongzhi Plastic Mold Co., Ltd., also called Shenzhen Dianman Toys Co., Ltd.

Their Ali Baba ad page features original Playmobil figures and reads  :

"Custom make your own mini Playmobile figure toys Kids Children Statue Landscape Model Toy

FOB Reference Price: $1.48 - $2.89 / Pieces | 1000 Piece/Pieces (Min. Order)

Color: customized 

Quantity(Pieces) 1 - 1000 >1000

Est. Time(days) 25 negotiable

Material: PVC, PVC,ABS

Place of Origin: Guangdong, China, Guangdong, China (Mainland), Shenzhen,China

Brand Name: SRX, OEM/ODM

Model Number: 8AF015
 
Eco-friendly,Phthalate free

Sample: can be provided

Size as you demand

Color muticolors according to custom's requirement
 
Prototyping time 5-7 days for prototyping

Mold time 25-30 days

Export experience more than 14 years

MOQ 1000pcs ( minimum order )

Package 1.Inner: 1 pc /opp bag 2.Outer: Carton box Option1: 72*46*36cm

Payment  TT/Western Union

Sample Have similar sample in hand, can be sent at any time

Sherlock Karim