Sadly Chinese knockoffs of aquarium products perpetuates our industry. Sure it brings in some more affordable products, but the downside is the loss of revenue against patented products for the true innovators in the industry. Hydor USA is now drawing the line in the sand with Jebao in regards to the mounting design of Jebao’s line of Propeller Pumps and the WP line of Wave Maker products.
Hydor filed a complaint this week with U.S. International Trade Commission stating Jebao’s products infringe U.S. Patent No. 8,191,846, a patent protecting HYDOR’s aquarium fitting technology. The company also stated in a press release “HYDOR considers its aquarium fitting technology and its related patents to be very valuable, and it will remain resolute and active in vigorously enforcing its patents in this area.”
If you take a look at the images below of both the RW and WP lines, you will be hard pressed not to see the commonalities in the overall design — not just of the mounting device, but the overall look of the pumps as well. We are glad to see a company taking on this issue and will look forward to seeing how this situation is resolved.
HYDOR files ITC complaint against Jebao
HYDOR USA Inc. (HYDOR), of Sacramento, California, a wholly-owned subsidiary of HYDOR Srl of Vicenza, Italy, the innovator and manufacturer of the Koralia and other lines of aquarium products, announced today that it has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission against Jebao Co., Ltd. (Jebao) of Zhongshan City, Guangdong province, China. The ITC complaint requests both (1) that the RW line of Propeller Pumps and the WP line of Wave Maker products be excluded from importation into the United States, and (2) the distribution and sale of any such domestic inventories be stopped. The complaint asserts that these Jebao products infringe U.S. Patent No. 8,191,846, a patent protecting HYDOR’s aquarium fitting technology. HYDOR considers its aquarium fitting technology and its related patents to be very valuable, and it will remain resolute and active in vigorously enforcing its patents in this area.
About HYDOR
HYDOR’s mission, from the company’s beginnings in 1984, has been to seek new technical solutions for industry and consumers. The technologies developed by the company can be used in a variety of ways in both aquariology and industry. Since its founding, HYDOR has been developing and manufacturing highly reliable synchronous motors for pumps and filters, used for the circulation and movement of water in both aquariology and industry. A prime example is the Koralia line of pumps, referenced in the ITC complaint. In addition, Hydor holds many additional patents for aquariology and industry. The patented Magnetic Suction Cup, used, for example, to support the Koralia pumps, is just one of a long line of HYDOR’s advanced and innovative ideas for supporting aquarium pumps and accessories. HYDOR Srl has a global reach, selling world-wide and has a wholly-owned subsidiary in the United States, HYDOR USA Inc. More information about HYDOR is available at www.hydor.com.
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