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.

Ripoff Report: AirWing.ru counterfeits Neoteric Hovercraft

If the old adage “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” is true, then Neoteric should be flattered, since the HoverTrek™ is the most copied hovercraft in the world. But knockoff Gucci handbags are one thing; counterfeit hovercraft that can endanger consumers are an entirely different matter.

This problem should not be underestimated. Since hovercraft are increasingly used in rescue operations, there is great concern in the international hovercraft industry that these imitations seriously threaten the lives of first responders, as well as the lives of those they’re tasked to save. In addition to the public safety hazards of counterfeit products, industrial/economic espionage costs the United States hundreds of billions of dollars a year. The FBI states that the Cold War is not over; it has simply taken on a different form – Economic War – and this war has been designated as the FBI’s #2 priority, second only to terrorism.

Who is committing this espionage? In a recent report to Congress from the National Counterintelligence Executive, China is named as the leading culprit, followed closely by Russia. And counterfeiting is a growing problem in Russia; a Russian Interior Ministry investigation reports that up to a third of everything sold to consumers in Russia is counterfeit.

This Russian problem has directly affected Neoteric. A company in St. Petersburg, Russia, AirWing.ru (aka Production Company “MSK” / 000 Aeroslava), has committed industrial/economic espionage and intellectual property theft against Neoteric by illegally manufacturing counterfeit copies of the patented Neoteric HoverTrek™. These counterfeits were first marketed by AirWing as the “Niaterek” (In a 2013 court action, AirWing stated they decided to call their hovercraft ‘Niaterek’ because they thought this name would attract more customers who would associate it with “the famous American manufacturer"). The company is now marketing the counterfeit as the “AirwingNeoteric” – the name itself constituting intellectual property theft.

In this video posted yesterday, AirWing is touting their counterfeit hovercraft via Russian television news. We are in the process of reporting the video to appropriate agencies …

And here are illegal copies of the Neoteric HoverTrek™ in production at AirWing's assembly facility in Russia ...

Neoteric and our licensed Russian agent LL Sirius/Christy Hovercraft are working with the General Directorate Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, as well as the FBI, CIA and U.S. Department of Commerce to curtail the illegal actions of AirWing. Since the U.S. and Russia have recently agreed upon an “Intellectual Property Rights Action Plan”, we will now enlist the aid of additional agencies to stop this theft.

In the meantime, we highly encourage all potential hovercraft buyers to thoroughly research companies to make certain that you’re purchasing from the original, experienced, reputable manufacturer and not a counterfeiter. Your life could depend upon it.

Read the World Hovercraft Organization’s Ripoff Report for

full details of AirWing’s crimes …

The danger of counterfeit hovercraft

The phrase “counterfeit goods” usually brings to mind fake designer handbags and knockoffs of expensive wristwatches. In recent years, however, the trafficking of counterfeit goods has expanded to products that threaten consumer health and safety – products such as medications, electrical components, aircraft and automobile parts … and hovercraft.

According to Brett Brenner, President of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, counterfeit products that appear to be exact copies of the genuine article are “the scariest type of counterfeit because the danger is within, and there is nothing on the outside to alert you that there might be a problem.”

Hovercraft manufacturers are increasingly experiencing this type of industrial and economic espionage. The World Hovercraft Organization’s Hovercraft Ripoff Report alerts consumers to counterfeit hovercraft on the market; for instance …

• Among numerous other offenses, Hi Tech International, S.r.l. of Gorgonzola, Italy posed as a Neoteric dealer then counterfeited the Neoteric Hovertrek™ and its patented components through an illegal process known as “splash molding”. HTI is now marketing these hovercraft copies as their own design.
• New Zealand’s Pacific Hovercraft NZ Ltd. reports that China Hovercraft Ltd., Shanghai, China (aka Lianyungang Supreme Hovercraft aka Shanghai Supreme Hovercraft) has committed offenses including unlicensed production/sale of counterfeit hovercraft and intellectual property infringement.

Startup companies such as these are threatening consumer safety by marketing these counterfeit hovercraft. As one example, even after their offenses against Neoteric, Hi Tech International, S.r.l. urgently tried to get help from Neoteric’s engineers to solve the problems suffered by HTI’s rescue hovercraft – life-threatening problems such as exploding fans.

Since hovercraft are increasingly utilized in rescue operations, such counterfeit rescue hovercraft pose a serious threat to the lives of first responders and to the lives of those they are tasked to save.

Our advice? Never buy a hovercraft before you thoroughly research companies to be certain you’re purchasing from the original, reputable, experienced manufacturer and not a counterfeiter. Your life could depend upon it.

To read more, or to file a complaint, visit Hovercraft Ripoff Report