9/4 - Patented by AmbaFlex
Following their decision to join the World Trade Organization in 2001 China became serious about protecting intellectual property. In June 2008, they announced the Outline of National IP Strategy, which set up a roadmap for China to become a country of high-level IP creation, utilization, and protection by 2020. As they rolled out the new legislation in accordance with the international laws on patents, the perception that China is a free haven for illegal copies is fading away.
AmbaFlex, as the inventor of the SpiralVeyor®, is known for working on the frontline of innovation and holds many globally awarded patents. Including numerous special spiral applications and many unique enhancements.
From the moment AmbaFlex became active on the Chinese market with the introduction of its SpiralVeyor® many poorly made spiral copies came and went. Building a functional spiral conveyor, able to operate for many years, is an art on its own that requires not only a high degree of craftsmanship but also years of experience and research. As local copycats lack that experience most of them disappear as fast as they come, leaving behind unhappy customers due to badly functioning machines.
Others, more persistent in build a working copy which infringes on one or more patents, have been stopped by AmbaFlex through the Chinese judicial system. The Supreme Peoples Court of Beijing and other local patent courts decided in favor of AmbaFlex in every one of these cases. The companies behind the copies have been forced to stop production and pay steep penalties.
AmbaFlex has always been very loyal to end users that bought a product in good faith, which turned out to infringe on our patents. In these cases, AmbaFlex waived the penalties to the end-user and did not push a request to remove the equipment from production lines. To establish a good relationship, AmbaFlex even repaired some of the non-functional equipment left behind by copycats that had withdrawn from the market. Many of those end-users are now loyal customers of AmbaFlex.
At the end, when IP’s laws are respected, all parties involved will experience the benefits. AmbaFlex will have the means to further improve and innovate in spiral technologies. The AmbaFlex manufacturing facility in Kunshan China and the sales engineering office in Shanghai bring high-level jobs and education to the people of China. But most importantly the end-user will benefit from the many years of experience AmbaFlex has having installed tens of thousands of spiral conveyors in the most demanding situations.