raytrumpet

Hi all,
I have poked around here and the other site a bit. I'm wondering if anyone here uses or has heard of NY Flight Cases? In the process of looking for a Marcus Bonna double, I got an email response from Slidebone.com saying NY Flight cases were made by someone who made the Bonna cases. The email said many people have switched to the NY Flight cases and love them, so any insight would be very helpful. Thanks,
Ray

Jimi Michiel

Ray-

I checked out the website--they appear to be exact copies of the Marcus Bona case. Marcus Bona has been having a big problem with off-brand copies. The first to show up were at Osmun's in Boston. They're still on the site:

Browsing Store - FLIGHT CASE, FOUR TRUMPET

For a while, they even had pictures of actual MB cases, complete with logos, underneath the heading "Osmun Flight Cases." The story that I heard, via a friend in Brazil who regularly works with Marcus Bona, is that someone just stole the plans and set up shop around the block. Osmun was the first to start selling the fakes, now it appears that Slide Bone has bought in.

Here is a comparison of the write ups of Osmun and NY trumpet cases.

First, Osmun:

Now NY:

I WOULDN'T BUY THESE CASES!!! Marcus Bona is a hard working man who had a great idea and turned it into a successful business. It looks like someone has set up shop selling his exact idea--not an imitation--AN EXACT COPY This looks like THEFT to me!!!

I think Thompson Music currently has legitimate Marcus Bona cases in stock. Check it out here: Thompson Music

There is a difference between imitation and plagiarism. Bach Megatones are imitation of Monette mouthpieces, just as the original Monette mouthpiece blanks were based on Stork blanks. This doesn't look like imitation, it looks like theft! Plain, simple, dishonest, greedy theft. Save your money and your conscience.

<<gets off his soap box>>

-Jimi

Jimi Michiel

This doesn't surprise me at all:

MB Cases

Jimi Michiel

This makes me really mad. I just forwarded this to SlideBone. Ten bucks says they don't have the stones to reply.

tatakata

so what is this about slide bone. are you mad that they are selling these knock offs. did you send a note to Osmun? I thought they were a reputable shop

Jimi Michiel

Things like this do make me angry--it doesn't look like they're not copying, it looks like they're stealing. This isn't Bach taking a cue from Monette in their design of the Megatone, this is somebody breaking into the shop and stealing thr program files for the CNC lathe. I should send a letter to Osmun. Maybe I'll call. I'm driving to North Dakota in the morning, I'll have lots of time on the road...

tatakata

ya I agree. this is shady. I just didn't understand why it seemed like you were going after slidebone but not osmun. i think osmun has been at these knock offs for years

Jimi Michiel

Yeah, you're right. If these really are cases based on stolen designs, they both deserve all of my collected internet scorn

-Jimi

bigtiny

I don't understand the problem here. If Osmun and slidebone are breaking some law by branding patent protected IP, then that's one thing. However, if they are NOT doing that (breaking the law) and they are not selling cases purporting them to be made by Mr. Bona (sic?), then I don't think they are doing anything that a lot of other businesses do. I mean I can order 15 different harmon mutes that are all basically, well, HARMON mutes. One of these, I believe, is the 'Harmon Mute' brand. So, should I boycott all of the other companies that make Harmon mutes?

bigtiny

Grizzle

Respectfully--

Careful now. The maker of the NY Flight Cases and the Osman bags are not Osman or Slidebone. Those cases are marketed to them by an unbranded third party in Brazil.

There is nothing illegal going on here. It's not counterfeiting unless they put the MB logo on the case, so that is the wrong word to use in this discussion. The third party is copying a good product, which happens all the time in business. Look at all the generic groceries I'm sure we all buy from time to time. If it's an exact copy, it's still legal unless the product has international patent protection, which is very difficult to get for very good reasons (and if MB had that, these imitations would never make it into the country). If someone actually broke into MB and took drawings, that's another issue involving the authorities in Brazil and has no bearing on slidebone or osman at all.

It's a drag for MB, to be sure, but nothing about it is illegal. Even so, the perceived error is again on the manufacturer, not the stores buying the product. SB and Osmun are free to buy whatever they want.

Full disclosure: Slidebone carries my Torpedo Bags. Slidebone's been beat up on these forums as of late, but I've been doing business with him for 7 years and have never had or heard of a problem until recently, and I'm not sure this complaint is very fair.