Watch brands crack down on smart-watch 'fakes'

Nov 26, 2014,01:49 AM
 

25 November 2014


The BBC reported that "Luxury-watchmakers are cracking down on the growing trend of copying traditional watch-faces on to smart devices."







Brands including Omega, Fossil and Cartier are sending cease-and-desist notices to websites offering their watch-face designs for download. Many smart-watches offer users the chance to customise the design.

Smart-watches are available from a range of firms including Samsung, Sony and LG. Next year Apple will launch a version.

Richemont - the company behind brands such as Cartier IWC and Panerai - has lodged notices against watch-face sites citing breaches of its trademark rights.

"We prefer to never comment on trademark protection issues," Richemont told the BBC. 

SWATCH-owned Omega did not respond to requests for comment either.





Discuss.....

smile

MTF 

 

This message has been edited by MTF on 2014-11-26 07:45:12

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If those watches are so 'smart'...

 
 By: jedimaster99 : November 26th, 2014-16:03
..Then they should have software installed so you can design your own watchface or dial layout without infringing on anyone's existing design! I might use Omega's dial layouts as inspiration, for example, but then I would want to tweak it so it becomes mo... 

"Smart" watch programs allow downloads but not self-design

 
 By: MTF : November 27th, 2014-02:42
jedimaster99 I'm not into 'smart' watches so I'm no expert. From what I've gleaned, all such watches allow downloads of dial customised "faces" and there were websites offering such copies of famous watch models. I believe this was a "unique selling point... 

If I owned one of the big brands...

 
 By: =RWK= : November 27th, 2014-18:22
I would see this as a golden opportunity to license any and every dial design I could dream of to the various smart watch manufacturers. And I would replace the usual "Automatic" on the dial with "Smartwatch". Cheers, -- RWK

I don't see any issue ...

 
 By: nilomis : November 28th, 2014-03:46
To mimic something is some sort oh homage. "Imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery". Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832) English cleric, writer and collector. It's a lost battle because any young geek can create those "faces". By and large, a person t... 

Difference between hommage and carbon copy

 
 By: MTF : December 1st, 2014-03:25
nilo, I bow to your superior knowledge about computer programs and young geeks. If someone wrote a program based on your previous work but attributed to you as innovator, it may be praise e.g. computer chess algorithms. But if someone copied exactly your ...  

If you can't beat 'em...

 
 By: Esharp : November 28th, 2014-06:48
...join 'em. In other words: the major companies may have a fighting chance of preventing major known sites from distributing knock-off images/files of their brands/designs. But to think that they can really control this new market would seem to me foolha... 

There is no problem with the Internet

 
 By: MTF : December 1st, 2014-03:15
Esharp Thanks for your comments. The brands legal action was not against the Internet but specifically aimed at protecting design property. If the electronic watches are going to be successful, it should be because of their own beautiful faces rather than... 

I completely agree with your sentiment...

 
 By: Esharp : December 2nd, 2014-01:12
MTF, Thanks for your reply. Of course if the smartwatches are to be successful, it will be because of the features, the overall design, the execution etc that the manufacturers bestow upon them, including the 'stock' or built-in watchface/interface design...