For me, there is a very simple answer for this !
1. Castle is THE brandname on the planet for ESC's and there products just work.

Offtopic ON
Schulze is just way too expensive and does not work any better then Castles stuff within the same parameters (6S max)

We just tested the Schulze 32.200 against the MMM.
Schulze failed from the inside to the outside
Offtopic OFF

Why don't you take a look at a picture of the novalink. I might be blind but I'm not dumb. Have you ever raced with or dealt with any novak reps? They are one of the reasons I will never use novak.

Engage Off topic!

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...ink_2000px.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...01229-1447.jpg


Similar components but a direct copy? I dont know.

the idea of a usb programmer might have come from the castle link (by some of our standards that would be theft in R&D)

Up for discussion

Disengage off topic mode.

As far as the Castle Link goes, it's not so much the use of individual components that's the potential problem. Castle holds a patent for "providing a method and apparatus for reprogramming an electronic speed control (“ESC”) through the receive (“RX”) port of an electric radio controlled model vehicle." Patent #7740516. I'll leave it at that.

Thomas Porfert
Tech Support
Castle Creations

In that case, then yes It seems Novak is guilty of plagiarism.

Is there a link to the patents that castle holds, or is that sensitive information in some way?

They could have tried a little harder with the name for starters IMO. Par for novak in my book though. Orange boxes are for emergency triangles under the seat in the bucket truck. Replica or not it falls into the same catagory of schistey principals that everyone is upset about all the sudden. Nobody complains about OTC generic drugs, but buys them cause their way cheaper. Not the best comparison but you get the idea. Fact is not all copies are created equall. Sure the drug referance is about identical ingredients, but the electronics are a different story. You reall think the hk stuff uses the same high quality fets and componets? I bet my bottom dollar they don't. All I'm sayin is with electronics you usually get what you pay for. Buy the knockoff a bunch of times cause it fails all the time or buy the real thing once and have the worlds greatest cs at your side just in case it actually turns into a monster and carries you off.

In prescription drugs, isn't there a waiting period (maybe patent) before the generics come out?

Plagiarism, no. Potential patent infringement? Potentially, for lawyers to debate after all while the description is pretty broad, the specifics are fairly detailed. But whoever makes Losi's Xcelerion is most likely in violation as well as maybe Tekin.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7740516.html

I do believe it is 7 years. Did some IT work for Abbott with regard to their Humaria product, which they had bought from another company or obtained by buying that company I forget which, and they had at the time the remainder of 7 years to find as many uses for it as possible to be able to regain money spent on R&D (or purchase of that R&D) and make enough of a profit to afford R&D on other drugs. Humaria was a cash cow for Abbott for awhile.

Wow cc is already puttin the heat to em on the market share and they are just tryin to give the rest of it away. Go castle! Lol

Last I checked HK is selling fake Deans connectors again. They stopped for a while after Deans complained and threatened some type of legal action from what I had read, but they now have them on their site again. Other sites have also been selling them for a while now. I'm not sure how enforceable these patents are overseas, but good luck. I'm also a Castle supporter, and I dont know why they would try to copy them like this. They cant replicate the software (for now), which is what makes these controllers stand an extra notch above the rest, but I'm sure given enough time they can do anything.

AFAIK if you want international patent, you have to file a patent claim in every country and that costs lots of $$$,

And that is only for Europe

If you want more:
http://tinyurl.com/3678599

Sounds like Modern day patents and copyrights are flawed.
Instead of innovating this will likely tie up resources into patent defense.
Sounds much like the conundrum created by the steam piston and flywheel in the 1830s.

There will always be willing ignorant participants in any venture after all its how Private company's like MA and the Federal Reserve banks stays in business.Many only care about price or brand.
After all its just good business.

Best product backed by best customer care wins IMO.
I'm willing to pay more for more when its worth it.

you know what will go a long way into making sure these cheap knock offs don't continue to sell and flood the market?

nobody buys them.

Support the home team. Castle and RC-Monster Mike have always taken care of US.

+1 to that. Little bit of love to the customers goes a long way in my book. Like many others I will be a brick in the castle wall for cc till the end.