It would be so easy were that the case, for the seller to simply document the pedigree of the units in question. That would not only remove the suggestion of impropriety, but increase the value of the merchandise. It would also provide a measure of protection to future unsuspecting buyers of cars which may contain these components.
It seems very unlikely that TMI was a party to the Chinese arrangement, yet they are the ones principally damaged by the sale of these contraband goods. The seller has chosen to go the other direction, removing the phrase "Ariel Atom" from their advert, and attempting to suggest that these are not identical copies of a licensed product. A shabby business.
Were I in TMI's postion, I would go much further than the conservatively worded notices they posted here. (I assume they are.) I would be investigating a cease and desist order, taking this and other legal actions to protect my rights as the exclusive license holder of Ariel Atoms in the North American market.
Is Ariel UK somehow complicit in this as you suggest, or has the Chinese partner agreed to use a third party importer to violate TMI's licensing protection? We will each have our opinions on the matter, but I suppose the actual truth of this may never be widely known. One thing for sure, folks who are disposed to buy Atoms are not without strong opinions!
I was in it so deep for so long, it's not easy to give up. The Atom community is very small and enriched by each member. I wish you had the opportunity to have joined us at Atomfest and we had gotten to know one another better. Here is one of my favorite shots from that event in 2007 -Originally Posted by AtomJohnny;12392[COLOR=#3E3E3E
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