Talk:Knockoff

This page needs a pic of that SEND THE BOOKS Energon Prime KO. --FortMax 16:53, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Done.--MCRG 07:43, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Anyone have anything they want also covered in here? I think it's fairly complete otherwise...--MCRG 08:08, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

"It is probably safe to assume that knockoffs available in stores are quite legally produced and sold, and for those fans who collect them, this is fortunate: they provide a bizarre variety that is (with good reason) not to be found in official products." <-- Knockoffs are legal? Yeah, no. In other news, the number of African elephants triples!

Just a general note - I've never actually seen the names of the various Chinese KO companies thrown around before; can we get a citation/link to an article on these guys? -hx 10:55, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

Also, following up on myself, these guys are some kind of gods of knockoffery. They have bootlegs I've never seen before, but would love to get my mitts on (G2 Powermasters, those Decepticon jets that had the scopes, tons of Real Gears, all kinds of crazy.) -hx 11:02, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

Good lord, that's like the axis of flea market evil. I've seen most of that stuff. Sadly, no G2 Powermasters however.--MCRG 07:51, 19 March 2008 (UTC)a

Hey look, USA Dark Saber and a Shrapnel that wishes he were dead!--MCRG 08:04, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

I'll put citations in later today if I get the chance to. --Might Gaine 15:56, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

done --Might Gaine 23:15, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

Regarding Trendmasters--isn't it more likely that they were just importing Leader Shine/Champion Crown toys themselves rather than KOing off Leader Shine, TFs, and Power Rangers? This would make sense since LS/CC themselves made KOs of Transformers and Power Rangers. By the way, what KO TFs and Power Rangers did they make? Were they the ones that made those small low-detail Dinobot knockoffs that Kay Bee used to sell in the 90s? I honestly had no idea Trendmasters was involved in KOs in the 90s until you brought that up. --Might Gaine 15:56, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

I didn't learn about it myself until I was sorting through some of my old KO cards last year. I'd say they were importing the Leader Shine figures, but there's absolutely no mention of Leader Shine on the cards I've got, which are all Leader Shine insect figures purchased at Kay Bee Toys years ago, which is why I included them here. I have yet to find the figures again, but I recall them still having the Leader Shine mark on them, which they retained on the Tek Toys versions and even some of the Big Lots issues. I know for a fact that Trendmasters made bootlegs of Power Rangers' Turbo Rangers figures without the vast majority of paint applications. I've checked around a bit and believe they may have also been the supplier of the Grandus KO that Toys R Us carried for a short while, although that may have been Tek Toys again (it's tricky to get ahold of these dastardly boxes). I'm also reasonably certain that they were among the loads of companies that marketed through Kay Bee Toys, and are likely the supplier of the toys that ripped off the Dinobot transformations. They might have also been a US importer of the Dai-Lung Master Godzilla-ized Grimlock figure, but I haven't been able to find an old US boxed sample to check.--MCRG 07:33, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

If the Trendmasters insects have the Leader Shine mark on them, then they were probably importing them. The fact that the package doesn't mention Leader Shine isn't really a big deal--Sonokong Brave and TF toys don't mention Takara on their package, after all. The other bootlegs they sold were probably Leader Shine bootlegs as well. Do you have pictures of the PR Turbo bootlegs? When you say Grandus KO, you mean Sky Garry, right? I don't think that was them, but I believe I have one at home, so I can check when I get a chance. I think it was a company based out of Taiwan. I'm pretty sure the Mecha Godzilla Grimlock was just Leader Shine/Champion Crown releasing it directly. As for the Kay Bee dinobot knockoffs--that seems more likely to be Trendmasters given that (a) it was sold at Kay Bee as well, and (b) it fits Leader Shine's M.O. of a toy that transformers the same but is completely retooled. Too bad they were hard to find even back then. It would probably be nearly impossible to find them now. --Might Gaine 19:21, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

I saw McDonalds Manta Ray with some Barbie knockoff at a flea market once. (184.56.18.164 23:57, 6 August 2011 (EDT))

eBay crackdown?

I'm pretty sure I heard that virtually all the auctions for the chinese G1 knockoffs have been pulled from eBay. I certainly can't seem to find a Mirage, Metroplex, or cassette set right now. I'm assuming Hasbro said something to eBay? -hx 18:04, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

Just asking

Should anything be said here about things like iG34r and F4nsPr0j3¢t or would it be best to ignore them? - Starfield 15:04, 28 August 2009 (EDT)

iGear are, at this point, a knockoff manufacturer. FansProject are not.--Rosicrucian^Talk 15:07, 28 August 2009 (EDT)

FansProject has yet to copy anything from a Hasbro mold, even wheels, so that's a resounding no. I think I'll leave iGear out for now as they're mainly just infringing on a copyright currently as opposed to making straight up copies of Hasbro and Takara molds to my knowledge, but I'll suppose I'll wait and see.--MCRG Again 17:28, 28 August 2009 (EDT)

Nope, iGear has actually made the jump with a scaled-down Masterpiece Optimus Prime knockoff.--Rosicrucian^Talk 17:40, 28 August 2009 (EDT)

Uh...

The Chinese even dare to use the modified version logo of TFW2005 on their knockoff package...^[1] --TX55^TALK 11:02, 28 November 2009 (EST)

Well, if you're already stealing molds, and Dreamwave art, that's kind of spit in the ocean.--Rosicrucian^Talk 11:06, 28 November 2009 (EST)

Bootleg vs knock off

Does anyone else see a difference between these two things? I had always thought of bootlegs as unofficial productions from the actual HasTak molds, while knock offs are made using molds produced by the knock off manufacturer. Khajidha 23:56, 20 December 2009 (EST)

Space Warriors: Beast Tech Fighters

I've owned a few for a long time, and I'm surprised they aren't mentioned here. Agglo, a Hong Kong based toy manufacturer known for low-cost children's items and knockoffs of toys from other companies, made knockoffs in this line of Transmetal 2 Rattrap, Transmetal 2 Megatron, RID Megatron, Beast Machines Optimus Primal (but this one is more accurate to the show than the real toy ironically), Leo Convoy, Heinrad, Armordillo, BW Sonar, Transmetal 2 Spittor, Scarem and some others as well. I own all of them except for RID Megatron and the latter 4. (And I lost the Leo Convoy Knockoff, which saddens me sense I loved that toy) they are all however, very low quality plastic which breaks very, very easy. Another interesting thing to note: On its packaging on the front, its main robot it likes to show is Beast Machines Cheetor, which so far I've not seen them have any toys of. Still, I feel they are worth mentioning sense Beast Wars Knockoffs are rather rare.--Chipmonk328

Added to article, sense no one ever replied. I have proof so if you need any pictures as proof, I can provide them. (I own alot of them) There is also this youtube video if you need more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONfMDWCpQ0Y--Chipmonk328 and just in case that wasn't enough proof, I found another one on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKM5LfbFhpY--Chipmonk328

Kid(d)i Toys

Is it "Kidi Toys" or "Kiddi Toys"? Currently both are used in the article. --Khajidha 14:21, 7 September 2010 (EDT)

Quick Change Transforming System

Any word on this line of toys? Pretty much all of them are G1 molds and is known for its enlarged minicons and shrunken Fortress Maximus.

Plus, it has those Robot Masters knockoffs, including a Star Saber that can combine with Victory Leo, but can't transform. Then some other oddities, like that dragonfly robot that is evidently an original mold. 72.35.60.2 11:00, 22 November 2010 (EST)

iGear

As far as I'm concerned, they don't deserve to be shoved into the "knockoff companies" list, especially not without further explanation.

What's needed is an "unlicensed third party products" section that explains the legal problems surrounding them. Groups like iGear, Perfect Effect, the WST Dinobots company and similar collector-oriented garage production companies belong there, not with the mass production "Fitedeformdeform" folks. (Though I admit the G1 counterfeit folks create some sort of link between the two groups.) Transrepro and their "Black Tracks" incident should also belong there.--Nevermore 11:55, 25 November 2010 (EST)

I'm not really an expert on third party stuff, but iGear is the third party company that is most often scoffed at by the community for their delving into scaled down Masterpiece figures. A lot of their stuff seems to be original, but that scaled down Prime and Megatron and those Masterpiece Coneheads really got everyone into a tizzy. iGear was either placed on the page seriously by someone who considered iGear to be treading the line between unlicensed producer and knockoff company, or as a joke from someone who has seen the shitstorm about the company online. Whichever it is, I just wanted to get my two cents in. Unlicensed producers and their products, have also been said to have no place on the wiki. --Kaymac192 17:11, 30 December 2010 (EST)

Well, I'd say if a general catch-all "knockoff" article has a place on the Wiki, then a single, catch-all "unlicensed third party products and add-ons" article should exist too. Not a blow-by-blow rundown on every single release and variation, but an overview of the phenomenon in general, and a brief rundown on the various "companies". Stuff like the old Unicron.com accessory packs could also go there.--Nevermore 13:01, 22 April 2011 (EDT)

I tend to agree, but I think it could be more trouble than it's worth, as people would constantly be anon-updating it with the latest EYE-PEE VYOLATOR COMBAT MACHINE POPTIMUS FIRST or whatever. -hx 09:16, 23 April 2011 (EDT)

I certainly see what you're getting at. Plus new companies pop up all the time. Plus once it's made, people may start demanding individual pages for the individual companies. I say if we're going to make a page, best to make sure someone monitors it, or it's kept locked. They are as much a part of the Transformers market as the for parts and knockoff pages are. Personally, I think the whole third party thing will blow over soon, but that's probably since I don't purchase the stuff. Also, the page may contain unneeded bias towards or against producers of the products. --Kaymac192 00:20, 24 May 2011 (EDT)

Gold Knockoff

IIRC, I've ever saw gold or silver non-licensed products in other toy franchises, but this is the first time I see a Gold Knockoff Transformer. Should this be mentioned? Or not because it is rarely seen? --TX55^TALK 12:13, 28 June 2011 (EDT)

Gold Transformer bootlegs have been around since at least the early '90s. They aren't terribly frequent, but they aren't particularly notable either.--MCRG 23:34, 6 August 2011 (EDT)

Another court case

The article mentions Hasbro Bradley vs. Sparkle Toys, but how about Wales Industrial vs. Hasbro Bradley? I'm not particularly versed in legalese, but from how I understand it, that case also serves as a precedence regarding Hasbro's copyrights vs. knockoffs. Anyone?--Nevermore 10:21, 28 October 2011 (EDT)

Quick Change Battle Robot

The Family Dollar in my neighborhood is selling fake knock offs of Transformers called Quickchangers. There are 5 different robots. That look like different Autobots. There's no good vs. Evil, character bios, no character names, all five are identified only as "Battle Robot". The Quick Change Battle Robot.71.162.103.131 14:25, 8 September 2012 (EDT)