I do t really see a problem with what the Chinese brands are doing, except the ones that are trying to fool someone they’re the real deal.

Yes, if they are using the logo or specific copyrighted / trademarked elements of a brand then they are committing a crime. And that's not just a problem in pens, it's a problem across all products.

However, once there is no copyright, patent, trademark or service mark applying to a brand, a technology, etc. then there is nothing that is stopping anyone from using it. And that's not just China.

We've seen this time and again. Just recently, a certain scammer started buying up brands that everyone used to know, like Radio Shack, Pier 1, and a bunch more. Once purchased, he started running a bunch of garbage under them. There was another company that bought up Victrola and started selling cheap Chinese record players. All of these were Americans, and all of it perfectly legit. (Where things weren't legit was when he scammed his investors.)

Of course, there are some people that buy up old brands that no longer have copyrights / patents / etc. and try to do right with them. Like the guys that bought up the Commodore or Amiga (I forgot which one already...). Or in something a little more on target for this community: Conklin.

I largely think that these are the categories that people should look at:

• Companies that try to pass off their products as someone else's products. Especially when they are infringing on another companies existing copyrights, patents, trademarks, or service marks.
• Companies that buy the rights to old / existing brands and produce garbage under those brands.
• Companies that buy the rights to old brands, and try to bring them back to market in an honorable, or at least reasonable, manner.