Please REad and pass along....

[thief]

this is posted on fracturedaxel, kitebuilder, gwtw, nekite, rec.kites and on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53831298625)....

please read and pass along-if it can get onto all the kite listserv's and forums that would be grand!!!!

sucky crap they are pulling....for two years this has been happening....they are copying about 40 different designs from a good number of makers (some deciding to stay anonymous)....

We are kite designers and builders.

Some of us develop our new designs professionally to support our income, and some of us make kites for fun. All of us love what we do and to share creations with our friends in the kite world. We are proud of our designs and work very hard to make them.

We are surprised, disappointed, and offended that the German manufacturer, KEWO, has copied our work and is selling them commercially. They do this without our permission, without compensation, and without even giving us credit for the many hours needed to make a new kite fly.

For many of us, this issue is not about money, but about the simple idea that stealing our designs for commercial gain is wrong and should not be tolerated by the kite community. And of course, the copies are often inferior which makes the problem worse.

We have asked KEWO to stop and they simply ignore our letters and emails. Some of us only asked that our names be noted as the inventor of a design and didn't ask for money. KEWO even denied this simple request!

This problem affects all kiters. If we are copied now, you may be copied in the future. And of course, there is less encouragement for any of us to work on new designs knowing that a manufacturer with no sense of honesty or honor can simply steal them.

It is impossibly expensive to patent each new kite design and lawyers take time and money with uncertain results, especially when dealing on a global basis.

We prefer to address this in the Court of Kiters rather than a Court of Law.

To ask you not to buy our kites from KEWO is against German law. But we hope that you will understand our irritation, frustration and incomprehension.

Please share this news with your kite friends. Tell kite storeowners, club officers, and event organizers. Please join us in objecting to KEWO Kopies!

Stealing from one of us is stealing from all of us!

Robert van Weers New Zealand

Ludovico Bertozzi Italy

Geoff Cambell New Zealand

Franchesca Caton United Kingdom

Peter Lynn New Zealand

Martin Lester United Kingdom

Charlie Watson New Zealand

Frank Schwiemann Germany

[John Barresi]

May I also suggest you provide an email or web site address for KEWO to which we, as kiters, can send our disapproval?

You might be surprised at how effective a wave of emails from private citizens can be, especially if they include the disclosure that as consumers, we will be discouraging everyone we know from buying KEWO products until the situation is resolved.

For those reading, in most cases, there is no existing legal copyright or on these creative designs from private kitemakers, but it's certainly common knowledge within the single line kite community as to who gave birth to particular designs, and in what general time frame... Bottom line, there is a certain ethic which should be upheld within the global kiting community, purely out of principle.

In my 18 years of experience, a strong vocal presence from the general kite body does generally produce a worthwhile effect.

Given my current understanding of the situation, I'll be happy to assist however I can.

How about a brief article on the subject, for our February 1st issue, along with short bios on the kitemakers involved?

If so, just send it in by January 15th, including enough specifics for people to identify the company and their products.

Also, it's a key opportunity to broadcast information about the original kites, and their respective designers.

[John Barresi]

I posted a link to this thread on Revolution's forum as well.

[ant man]

that is just wrong.. weather a person makes a kite to sell or as his/her own piece of art is a lot of hard work .. in my years i have seen some amazing creations .. i cant beleave this world has come so greedy that we have to steal from others to make a buck.this KEWO company needs to do what all kiters do and make their own designs . these maoves that they are making sounds to me like they dont have the talent to create their own kites.i remember the kiting world when it was just a bunch of us that flew kites and showed off our new stuff every year.. it is now becoming a profit organization..and now by reading this it seems that is become too competitive.. now companies are going to be robbing other companies of their products.. W/T/F IS GOING ON HERE...kiting has gained so much in the years and the new people that come here are going to walk away if they keep seeing stuff like this going on..well for this persons sake i really hope he can stop these jokers from what they are doing ..

[spikeman]

Hello fellow kite flyers from Wales. I am very saddened at this Kewo incident we should all get together and keep mailing them dont give up.

here is their email details but you can go to the KEWO web.

service@kewo-international.com

They are stealing from us all, at the end of the day kitemakers will say sod it and not bother. I have seen these Kewo copies on Fano they are just copies and poorly made at that. These kite makers are very good friends of us all they need us now! so lets get things rolling email KEWO now with you complaints. Even if you have never boght on of their kites help them out with a few emails PLEASE.

I would take my hat off to Amy Doran the new regional 9 rep for the AKA she has done a great job of letting everyone know.

Email the Fano organisers ask them to ban Kewo from trading on Fano.

Hey everyone happy new year for 2009 may you all enjoy your kite flying.

Ceri

[cerfs-volantstylistes]

I find this situation outrageous !

I can't imagine someone copying one of our kite and sell it !

I will send an email to that compagny for sure !