We are starting to compile a list of companies ripping Wing Chun people off. They will be on our blacklist – and we would like all of you to contribute to the list as well. Been ripped off – tell us! Maybe we can put some of these thieves out of business and warn others before they get ripped off as well. I’ve seen too many Sifus (and customers!) ripped off to not try and make this list for all.
Topping the list right now is Warmonger – a Pakistani manufacturer.
Warmonger has been making cheap knock-offs of our bags and even had the balls to use a picture of our bags (I took and made the pic myself), edit our logo out and put their logo/copyright over my picture to sell their knock-offs of our bags.
Warmonger has a history of copyright violation and making knock-offs of wing chun swords and products.
If you see any of our Wallbags, Swords, or any other product Warmonger makes, please be warned that these are cheap knock-offs and are not legitimate products. We have no business with this company.
We recommend you AVOID doing any business with Warmonger. They are bad for the Wing Chun community at whole and are hurting the innovators and products in the Wing Chun industry. They have no knowledge of the art of Wing Chun, no idea what kind of swords, bags or products people need for real Wing Chun Training, and are trying to make a quick dollar by stealing designs and making a cheap product that somewhat looks like an original. Their goal is to steal designs and make enough cheap copies to put the legitimate owners out of business.
They will also claim to make your swords for you and keep your designs secret, but we have since talked to several Wing Chun vendors who say they gave Warmonger a design only to see it in their catalog later on.
We wrote Warmonger asking them to remove our copyrighted pictures and stop stealing our designs. Their reply was to basically say they are not thieves and everyone is copying them. They claim we copied their knives 100% and not the other way around. They said we got samples from them and sent the samples to other people to make (totally untrue of course; we don’t even have a motive to do so). They called us small and “childish” and told us how big of a company they were. I might have been a little more aggressive in my language than they cared for (“Bullshitting” really seems to upset Natasha), but I really don’t like theives… As for childish? What does a legitimate company do when you tell them to remove your own pictures from their site? I guarantee is it not turn around and make up stories about you copying their designs! That is the response of a childish thief. Actually, here just read the conversation yourself, if you are interested:
—– Original Message —–
From: Everything Wing Chun
To: info@warmonger.biz
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 4:10 PM
Subject: Copyright infringement
Hi,
I went to your site to buy some of your swords, but then saw you have copied our wall bags designs and are even using our pictures. Please remove these copyrighted images and products immediately. These bags and pictures are protected under international copyright laws. You taking pictures and products I made myself and putting your name and logo across them is despicable.
Needless to say you probably just lost a very large order from us. I also have to ask my business partners to stop ordering from you. If you do remove the copyrighted pictures and designs we will reconsider.
Sincerely,
Aaron
Aaron Cantrell
Everything Wing Chun
www.everythingwingchun.com
On Apr 25, 2012, at 1:45 PM, WARMONGER wrote:
Can you please explain which your image our webmaster used in our site ?
and for your information we are making these items from many years and in hundreds of quantity. i just take these pictures now from our printing section.
By the way i also wanted to tell you, couple of years ago you tested us in many different ways, and then send our samples to copy to other manufacturers and some of our designs too. you make yourself or use other source but we never speak about.
please tell me if they use any of your imags as far as i know all web is our own shooting. waiting for your reply.
Natasha
—– Original Message —–
From: Everything Wing Chun
To: WARMONGER
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: Copyright infringement
Natasha,
Your bags are the exact copy of our first 3 section wallbags. And your white one section as well. I know, because I designed them and 100% no one ever designed this bag before me. You can’t fool me. It is an exact copy, you use my own picture on your site, and you come out with these bags a long time after I did. You guys have a long history of copying designs. You took my picture, edited out the website printed on the bag and put your website on it. (see attached) Stop bullshitting. I can even see in your picture where the coverup was done. Hell, you even use some of my sales copy.
I’ve never sent any of your designs to another manufacturer or made them myself. You are making things up. I got like 3 pair of sample swords and 1 long pole from you guys. I did not buy bulk because the designs were not to my liking at that time. They appeared to be cheap knockoffs. I actually looked at them about a month ago, and considered giving you another try before I found this out. I also see designs of my friends on your site.
Please cease your copying of my designs and using our copyrighted pictures immediately.
Aaron Cantrell
Everything Wing Chun
www.everythingwingchun.com
On Apr 26, 2012, at 6:57 AM, WARMONGER wrote:
Aaron there is nothing in common. and specially we realise your volume and every thing as you are still very away from business comunications, using a childish way.
i can also use such language but we are proffesional business persons and not useto these cheap words. and you know we are a big manufacturing company and more than 70% of the world we are supplying wing chun items and knives because of theives and copiers, we didnt put any of our new range on our website.
For your information the knives on your site is 100% copied from our’s, from our ideas. the guard design and the wooden handle, we are 100% sure that nobody have this before. but we left every thing because we are busy in work and thanks God have many many more new models as we are real manufacturers and a sole , leading company with huge productions and manufacturing. now again new excuse,ok which friend ?? which design ??
From: Everything Wing Chun <info@everythingwingchun.com>
Date: April 26, 2012 11:37:55 AM GMT+02:00
To: WARMONGER <info@warmonger.biz>
Subject: Re: Copyright infringement
Natasha,
I don’t know what to say to you. I’m sorry, but you guys are the thieves in this case, not me. I don’t know what else to say. Is your defense of your actions really to say I am childish for being mad at your theft? and to claim some nonsense about me copying you? and say others copy you? If you are so concerned about people copy you why are you doing the same thing to me? Show some respect if you want mine.
I showed you my proof, where is yours? We have copied nothing. You can’t lie to me, because I know. I am not some 3rd party. I am the designer and owner. Are you seriously telling me I did not design the bag or take that picture? Our knife designs are copyrighted, as are the bag designs. They are both 100% original, we don’t need to steal, and they are nothing like your swords. I will pass on your comments to the the sword designer we work with. I’m sure he’ll love to know you claim his designs are also yours. He is a published sword maker that has been in Kung-Fu magazine twice and has many original designs. He is one of the most respected in the industry and always credits others 100% for their work in everything he does. I guarantee you if he sees his sword designs in your catalog he will contact a Pakistani lawyer and sue. He is a lawyer himself.
Again, please remove my copyrighted designs and pictures from your website, catalogs, and other online merchants. If someone else is copying your stuff, then you should sue them. But that is not me. If I wanted your stuff on my site I would just buy it from you. I am a retailer. All I want is to sell things that people like. It is why I came to your site again – I came to see about buying a couple hundred swords for the site as we want to add an economy section and you are one of the cheapest manufacturers around. It would cost me more to copy your designs, find a forge, and try to duplicate it than it would just to buy the swords from you. I am not interested in that stuff. It is only when I found you had copied my own designs and even used my own pictures and my own words that I became upset with you. So I ask you again to please just remove my designs and pictures and sales copy from your site and lets move on.
I have nothing against you – I know you just want to make a few dollars. It just hurts me to see something I designed myself on your website, especially with my logo blacked out and your logo on top. Please do the right thing here.
Thanks
———
Warmonger never replied, and of course the theft continues. So, they are offically on the sh*tlist. They took down the pictures for less than a day, then put them right back up. Please blacklist/ban this company from your Wing Chun dealings. I can recommend several other companies to make your Wing Chun items or sell you cheap Wing Chun gear that are not thieves and do respect copyrights of others. Let’s support real Wing Chun companies and practitioners, not Pakistani (or Chinese) thieves. Every year I seem more and more Wing Chun people who have a great idea or design go under because someone rips them off. Every one suffers – the designer, the legitimate manufacturers, and you the customer (you get 2nd rate knockoffs instead of good quality).