Russian counterfeiter – AirWing.ru – illegally copies the Neoteric HoverTrek™

Due to their sleek design, state-of-the-art engineering, patented reverse thrust system, and more than 40 years of proven excellence, the Neoteric HoverTrek™ is an extremely popular hovercraft. Unfortunately this also makes the HoverTrek™ a favorite target for industrial espionage and intellectual property infringement.

In a recent report to Congress, the U.S. national Counterintelligence Executive named China as the world's worst counterfeiter, followed closely by Russia. The Russian Interior Ministry reports that nearly a third of every product sold to consumers in Russia is counterfeit.

AirWing (AKA Production Company MSK / 000 Aeroslava) in St. Petersburg, Russia is committing industrial/economic espionage and intellectual property theft against Neoteric by illegally manufacturing counterfeit copies of our HoverTrek™ and using copyrighted material owned by Neoteric to falsely market them as a Neoteric product. 

Neoteric and our licensed agent in Russia, LL Sirius / Christy Hovercraft, have been working with Russia's General Directorate Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as with the FBI, CIA, U.S. Department of Commerce and other agencies to stop AirWing's crimes. 

AirWing has not complied with the Cease and Desist orders issued to them, as evidenced by this video recently posted on YouTube, which shows a modified counterfeit HoverTrek™ illegally manufactured by AirWing ...

AirWing has marketed their counterfeit hovercraft as the "Niaterek", the "AirWing Neoteric" and most blatantly as the "Neoteric HoverTrek". In a 2013 court action, AirWing directly admitted to committing intellectual property theft, saying that they used these names because they would attract more customers who would associate them with "the famous American manufacturer."

This problem cannot be underestimated. This is not a simple matter of knock-off Gucci handbags or Rolex watches. Since hovercraft are increasingly used in rescue operations, there is serious international concern that these illegal counterfeits are a major threat to the lives of first responders as well as to the lives of those they are tasked to save. 

And while the bottom line of a business may take second place to the health and safety of consumers, the economic loss due to counterfeiting is huge. Intellectual property theft and counterfeiting inflicts serious damage on the U.S. economy. The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property found “the scale of international theft of American IP to be unprecedented,” causing at least $320 billion in annual economic losses to the U.S. and job losses “running into the millions."

The FBI says the Cold War is not over. It has merely become the Economic War, and economic espionage has been designated as the FBI's #2 priority - second only to terrorism.

For these reasons, Neoteric strongly urges all potential hovercraft buyers in every nation to:

1) Thoroughly research companies to make sure that you're buying from the original, experienced, reputable hovercraft manufacturer and not a counterfeiter. 

2) Check the World Hovercraft Organization's Ripoff Report 
to stay informed on what hovercraft companies are counterfeiters.