Now available at Jaycar...

[Magpie]

When you consider that the kits could be the same, you would expect the manual to be the same. If you looked at other manuals for say a toaster you could almost say that one company has copied the other. Inference is different to coincidence as is correlation. What are the motives of the person making the video?

There are laws, however it would depend on if they are both signatures to the TRIPS Agreement if an item is made in different countries. However if the items are made in the same country then the local laws will apply.

[MattR]

This kind of thing happens all the time across all industries.

I have seen parts of reports and tech docs i have written turn up in surprising places.

I try to supply only pdf copies of what i write, but sometimes this is not possible. However doesn't matter these days as you can scan, edit, copy or convert files.

I find it flattering that someone else finds my work good enough to copy. Just wish they would acknowledge and reference my work, like i do when i use others' work.

[StillIC]

I think that Freetronics could make Jaycar answerable to infringement of copyright, as the instructions are a word for word copy, it seems. Copyright is granted more or less automatically under Australian law, whereas designs and inventions are not. Patents must be applied for, accepted and then granted.

[muzzy66]

It really is disgusting, and to be honest after seeing this I will probably never buy anything from Jaycar again.

As far as I'm aware their "vifa" branded products are also a rip off - though I'm not 100% sure on this, I don't think they are actually made by Vifa.