Nice-to-know
Product piracy is the illegal imitation, copying, or counterfeiting of products. At the very minimum, an industrial property right – patent, utility model, design – is breached.
The manufacturers of piracy products usually have no development or technological expertise for the imitated original product.
Indicators are prices that are unusual for the market and products being offered via previously unused sales channels. Unfortunately, nowadays often only specialists are able to clearly identify counterfeit or falsified products and replica.
Usually inferior materials are poorly or carelessly processed in piracy products. In terms of steering parts and chassis components, this leads to cracks in the rubber. Oscillations and vibrations are not absorbed; in fact, they reach the vehicle body in an unfiltered manner.
Inferior products can lead to uneven tire wear, increased wear (also to other components), poor ride comfort, and/or unstable cornering behavior in the steering system and chassis. In the worst-case scenario, the component can break while driving and, as a result, endanger the lives of the passengers.
If you have a suspicion, contact the manufacturer as soon as possible.
The ZF Aftermarket experts are on hand at all times:
Anybody who puts counterfeit products into circulation is liable to prosecution. Here, it is sufficient if the purchaser has obtained the goods from a dubious source at low prices that are unusual for the market.
Further information regarding the liability risk can be found at:
Brand piracy is when a third-party brand, i.e. a brand not licensed by the product pirate, is used in order to deceive with regard to the true manufacturer. Brand piracy is often linked to product piracy.
Imitation is where third parties legally manufacture an existing product without violating industrial property rights such as proprietary rights, utility model rights, or patent protection rights.
Automotive suppliers with development expertise from the original equipment sector provide imitations purposefully in order to close product range gaps on the free spare parts market.
Manufacturers often advertise that their products present improved characteristics compared to the original parts. However, their statement is often only based on one certain feature. In this context, it should be taken into consideration that the respective original product has specially been tailored to its operational environment. The improvement of a feature may lead to deterioration of the overall system.
For manufacturers of cheap imitations, the prescribed quality tests for the automobile application are not usually profitable. Strength and endurance problems of individual products may not be noticed.
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