June 2009
Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery, But Not When It’s Illegal
I have a small outdoor equipment business which allowed me to go to the Hardware Trade Show when it was still in Chicago--it was the year that the Micra first came out and I had the pleasure of meeting Tim Leatherman there. After getting a demo of this great new product I walked around the rest of the show and at one of the international booths was someone's wannabe version of the Micra, already copied and ready for production. Having used Leatherman products for years, I knew what looked like one was not the same as being one--I immediately went back to the Leatherman booth and reported the booth number of what was clearly a patent infringement. While it may seem flattering to think someone wants to copy your design, it is of course, wrong, and frankly continues to this day in many areas of the knife and tool business.
I bought a real Micra when it became available and I still pull it out and remember that experience, and remind my customers to buy the real thing. I sell Leatherman products through purchases from my wholesaler, Blue Ridge Knives, and have never had anything but compliments from my customers.
Recently my wife and I were on vacation in Portland, and while I was too late to arrange a factory tour I did get to the store--now I am drinking my morning coffee from a neat Leatherman coffee cup I purchased, and was given a pin also--If all of your employees are as nice as the person running the store the store that day, you are truly blessed.
Douglas G.
Utica, IL
OK, you voyeur, you. Enough of reading other people's stories. It's time you told your own tale of gripping heroism or even just neat DIY'ism. We know there's a Shakespeare in you somewhere. Don't make us use the Steens to find it.