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> If you complain to Amazon About what, exactly? Amazon isn't in the business of deciding trademark/copyright/patent disputes. If a clone of a product is viola

> If you complain to Amazon About what, exactly? Amazon isn't in the business of deciding trademark/copyright/patent disputes. If a clone of a product is violating IP, then you need to handle it legally. If there is no IP to protect, then you made a mistake.

bitL 11y ago
Sure, but we all know costs of a litigation which most sellers on Amazon can't afford - Amazon takes most of the profit, 15% default fees leave very little to normal sellers, usually under 5% as the (re-)pricing competition is now algorithmic, resembling HFT. Then if you want to have your product featured on Amazon (meaning your offer will be the default one even if it is more expensive than somebody else's), you need to contact the category manager and it's up to their discretion to decide (which reeks of a high potential of corruption/profit sharing etc). On one hand it's pretty cool you can automate price responses and very beneficial to the customer, on the other the game has an increasing risk of being rigged.
- jhall1468 11y ago
  > Sure, but we all know costs of a litigation which most sellers on Amazon can't afford That's an excellent argument for changing how patent litigation works, but that has nothing to do with Amazon. > Amazon takes most of the profit, 15% default fees leave very little to normal sellers The trade-off being potentially billions of eyes on your product. Again, that has nothing to do with IP.
vtlynch 11y ago
No. If Amazon is willfully allowing clones that violate IP or other rights, then it is 100% in their interest to take action on that.
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  It's only a clone if they're violating a brand or other trademark. Otherwise, folks are just upset that their product has now turned into a commodity.
- jhall1468 11y ago
  It's not Amazon's job to determine if clones violate IP. That's the purpose of our court system. Amazon will, without a doubt, remove the product given an order to do so. But they aren't going to make a legal determination on whether or not IP laws are being violated. Expecting them to do that is absurd.
forgetsusername 11y ago
Generally, people want to abolish IP and copyright (or any law, for that matter) except when it's in their own interest. Human nature. Not much talk of the fact that I, as a consumer, can now get an identical product for cheaper. Not identical? Then what is the concern?

bitL 11y ago

Sure, but we all know costs of a litigation which most sellers on Amazon can't afford - Amazon takes most of the profit, 15% default fees leave very little to normal sellers, usually under 5% as the (re-)pricing competition is now algorithmic, resembling HFT. Then if you want to have your product featured on Amazon (meaning your offer will be the default one even if it is more expensive than somebody else's), you need to contact the category manager and it's up to their discretion to decide (which reeks of a high potential of corruption/profit sharing etc). On one hand it's pretty cool you can automate price responses and very beneficial to the customer, on the other the game has an increasing risk of being rigged.

jhall1468 11y ago
> Sure, but we all know costs of a litigation which most sellers on Amazon can't afford That's an excellent argument for changing how patent litigation works, but that has nothing to do with Amazon. > Amazon takes most of the profit, 15% default fees leave very little to normal sellers The trade-off being potentially billions of eyes on your product. Again, that has nothing to do with IP.

vtlynch 11y ago

No. If Amazon is willfully allowing clones that violate IP or other rights, then it is 100% in their interest to take action on that.

toomuchtodo 11y ago
It's only a clone if they're violating a brand or other trademark. Otherwise, folks are just upset that their product has now turned into a commodity.
jhall1468 11y ago
It's not Amazon's job to determine if clones violate IP. That's the purpose of our court system. Amazon will, without a doubt, remove the product given an order to do so. But they aren't going to make a legal determination on whether or not IP laws are being violated. Expecting them to do that is absurd.

forgetsusername 11y ago

Generally, people want to abolish IP and copyright (or any law, for that matter) except when it's in their own interest. Human nature. Not much talk of the fact that I, as a consumer, can now get an identical product for cheaper. Not identical? Then what is the concern?