I am tired of rip off artists who steal the hard work and innovation of others and market it as thier own. Its one thing to take an idea and make it unique or better; that's innovation. But to openly steal a concept is morally reprehensible.
The main victim of this thievery is a fellow in Texas who innovated the SKS magazine adapter... something that is interesting but not a game changer in the USA but is very valuable in Canada where our laws require clever loop holes to enjoy our sport. His idea was ripped off by no less than 3 people. Finally a Canadian company sought permission to use the design and produced their version of the magazine adapter. In a feat of intellectual honesty, they credit the inventor. When I am asked to do magazine conversions for the SKS, I only buy the authorized, honest version to do those modifications.
Now both the fellow in Texas and myself have been victims again. Specter Arms has existed since 2008. We are located in Edmonton. Right next door to my city is a place called Sherwood Park. A new business has started there and has taken a name that is almost the same as my company. Maybe it was an honest mistake? A google search and a bit of due diligence would of revealed this problem. Lazy or deliberate? Take your pick. As far as I am concerned it does not matter which; both show a negative quality in this company.
But I'm inclined to go with deliberate. You see they also have been stealing designs including the SKS duckbilless adapter. Developed by, the innovative but often victimized, guy from Texas. I hope he sues.
I've been working on a project called the S7 for about 2 years now. It is a low priority project but last month, someone beat me to getting their version of the S7 out to the public. Not wanting to seem like a copy-cat, I altered my features so I don't compete with the same demographic or appear to commit the sin of being a thief of intellectual property. That is integrity, something that name-thieves and product-thieves can not hope to match.
I have been careful not to make enemies in this business, but this thievery has to stop. I call upon everyone to take the moral high ground and not do business with those who have no business ethics.
Are you with me?
