Okay, we’ve heard the old saying, “Copying is the sincerest form of flattery.” Is it? Is it really? We're sure that a screenwriter who finds that a script he had submitted to one of the TV shows was produced but he never got credit for it because somebody else copied his work would be upset. Same with a craftsman who does an elaborate statue only to see one just like it in a museum wouldn’t be too thrilled either.
So, it would make sense that car manufacturers, who no doubt consider their vehicles as “works of art”, are a little peeved when they see another car maker, like one from China, introduce a vehicle that looks exactly -- and we mean exactly -- like their car.
AOL Autos reports that there are clones of the BMW X5, the RAV4, the Honda CR-V, the Rolls Royce Phantom, and more, all from Chinese automakers. The problem is intensified by the fact that automakers are making joint partnership agreements with Chinese manufacturers to assemble their cars for sale in China. This gives the Chinese companies the opportunity to do some reverse engineering to learn about the new technologies. Would you consider, therefore, the blame is that of the Chinese or the western auto makers? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Worse, the Chinese manufacturers who are making the knockoffs then turn around and offer the knockoffs for a price for less than the original. Moreover, by copying or knocking off models the Chinese manufacturers will learn from the vehicle technologies and ultimately produce their own vehicles that are not knock offs but have superior technology than the vehicles they had been knocking off. Intellectual Capital Group said that China will “harvest” western intellectual property and use it to “leapfrog” to a better product. So, it is more than pride that is involved here. BMW, Ferrari, Toyota, Honda, Audi, Daimler, Fiat, Rolls Royce, General Motors appear to be the brunt of China’s "flattery". BMW, Daimler and Fiat have gone to court. Others have threatened Chinese manufacturers that they would be sued if they exhibited knock offs at any of the world’s auto shows. Regardless, it is necessary that some international organization take the responsibility to keep an eye out on this and do what they can to limit or prevent it. Whether you like big multi-national companies or not, a rip off is a rip off. Fix the problem and allow good, clean and fair cooperation and all the manufacturers and the world as a whole will benefit.
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