U.S. Marshals were a surprise guest at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.
On Thursday, the Marshals raided the booth of a Chinese company that was selling a knockoff OneWheel, a self-stabilizing electric skateboard with one giant wheel in the middle.
Two federal agents confiscated all the merchandise and signs from Changzhou First International Trade Co., a Chinese company that made a similar, cheaper version called the Trotter. The raid was first reported by Bloomberg News, which said OneWheel had two patents that were being violated.
The authorities were alerted to the copyright infringement by Kyle Doerksen, the founder and CEO of Future Motion, the startup that created OneWheel.
Doerksen had filed a restraining order in Nevada, which was granted on Thursday morning. CES was incredibly amenable, according to DSCN Capital’s David B. Schottenstein, an investor in Future Motion.
“Especially with all of the hoverboard fires, I think there’s a tremendous amount of backlash against the Chinese copycats,” Schottenstein said. “There’s zero respect for IP.”
Doerksen, who’s based in Santa Cruz, California, spent five years perfecting the original prototype, and began shipping the product in November 2014. It’s not a slim pricetag: The boards, which are manufactured in San Jose, Calif., cost $1,500 each. They’re in such high demand that Schottenstein said there’s a two month wait once an order is placed to actually receive the product.
Schottenstein spent several days at CES prior to the raid and said he was shocked at how many companies were blatantly ripping off others’ work — and not just with OneWheel.
“There were literally 70 copycats of DGI’s Phantom 3,” he said. “And not just the general style — an exact replica.”
Hoverboards have been under scrutiny after reports of fires, explosions and injuries caused by the gadgets. Last month, cities, colleges and airlines began banning their use. Public events, including CES, prohibited riding as well.
Schottenstein said the negative publicity is another reason OneWheel decided to take action against the Chinese competitor.
“The minute [the copycat] bursts into flames, all of a sudden the whole OneWheel industry gets a bad rap,” Schottenstein said.
Future Motion and Changzhou First International Trade Co. could not be reached for comment.
Aimee Rawlins contributed reporting for this story.
