History Main / ShoddyKnockoffProduct

* Even though they are compatible with {{LEGO}}, many kids are often disappointed to receive Mega Bloks instead of proper LEGO from a parent, relative or friend unaware of the difference between the two and just going for the cheaper product. Unlike most examples, Mega Bloks doesn't really actively pretend to be LEGO - its branding and products are fairly well-differentiated from LEGO, it's fairly easy to tell the difference when you have one of the same sort of piece from each to observe, and it tends to produce relatively different sorts of sets with a greater emphasis on licenced cash-ins. According to the SCPFoundation, sentient self-assembling LEGO brick specimen aren't particularly pleased to see instances of Mega Bloks either...

* Behold, [[http://youtu.be/XKtIvjBZfYk?t=42s Final Combat]], a Chinese knockoff of ''TeamFortress2'' that couldn't be more blatant if it tried. [[ItGotWorse Even worse]], it's not even ''finished''. Of the 10 classes there are supposed to be, only five have even been implemented into the game at the time of this writing. We're still missing our ripoffs of the Engineer, Demoman, Scout, Spy, and Medic. To be fair, the Striker does seem like a legitimately new class, but the Rocket, Firebat, Fatman, and Sniper are obvious ripoffs of [=TF2=]'s Soldier, Pyro, Heavy, and... er, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Sniper]]. Even the map most of the gameplay videos take place in is a blatant ripoff of Harvest (which is doubly insulting when you remember that Harvest was a ''fan-made map''. Ouch.).

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* With the return of the [[{{Casablanca}}ceiling fan]] to popularity in the late 1970's-early 1980's, most quality models (such as this [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5q_pIvHROc Hunter Original]]) were made in the USA, had long-lasting motors and parts, were relatively quiet, and could cost well over $250-300 new (roughly $1,000 on today's market). Enter the ''$29.95'' offering from "Family Handyman" magazine, complete with the advertisement literally "daring you to tell us the difference"... well, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR2jorKYcCY listen for yourself]]... and enjoy the yellow plastic while you're at it.

* With the return of the ceiling fan to popularity in the late 1970's-early 1980's, most quality models (such as this [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5q_pIvHROc Hunter Original]]) were made in the USA, had long-lasting motors and parts, were relatively quiet, and could cost well over $250-300 new (roughly $1,000 on today's market). Enter the ''$29.95'' offering from "Family Handyman" magazine, complete with the advertisement literally "daring you to tell us the difference"... well, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR2jorKYcCY listen for yourself]]... and enjoy the yellow plastic while you're at it.

* With the return of the ceiling fan to popularity in the late 1970's-early 1980's, most quality models were made in the USA, had long-lasting motors and parts, were relatively quiet, and could cost well over $250-300 new (roughly $1,000 on today's market). Enter the ''$29.95'' offering from "Family Handyman" magazine, complete with the advertisement literally "daring you to tell us the difference"... well, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR2jorKYcCY listen for yourself]]... and enjoy the yellow plastic while you're at it.

* There was no export of NES into 1990s Russia, so the market niche was completely filled by the shoddy Chinese NES knockoff ''Dendy''[[hottip:*: the console itself was quite robust, unlike its joypads]]. The entire family of NES consoles is still colloqually called Dendy in Russia.

* There was no export of NES into 1990s Russia, so the market niche was completely filled by the shoddy Chinese NES knockoff ''Dendy''. The entire family of NES consoles is still colloqually called Dendy in Russia.

* Martini in ''OliveTheOtherReindeer'' sells knockoff Rolexxx watches. Olive was suspicious about it at first, but ended up buying one of these anyways, with predictable results. [[spoiler: [[BrickJoke The Big Ben is also a Rolexxx]].]]

** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fhaVVD_Y0U Twist n' Change Robots]]. You can find them at many toy stores and drugstores. They're actually based on old Takatoku molds, which were also the basis for Select's Convertors Defenders toy line.

* In ''TheDaVinciCode'', this [[InvokedTrope is used to avoid blowing a cover]]. A rich guy pretends to be a blue collar driver, but forgets to take his Rolex off. When a cop points it out, he says it was a cheap Fauxlex piece of @#!*% he got off the street.

** Or, [[http://www.cracked.com/article_15670_the-25-most-baffling-toys-from-around-world_p2.html @#!*% Bloc]].

* Oddly enough, the August, 2007 issue of PopularScience featured an article on the various shameless ripoffs from China. Main part of the article was one of the copied cars getting the attention of the actual car maker - and ''offered to fix it up to them'' (the copied car was extremely dangerous''. It explains how some companies manage to get crap electronics out the doors, even when they're only on display (they literally have loads of engineers photograph the living @#!*% out of electronics on display). @#!*% - there's even the "[=iClone=]" episode, where there was a surprisingly good touch phone (before everyone else started to FollowTheLeader!)

* In ''TheDaVinciCode'', this [[InvokedTrope is used to avoid blowing a cover]]. A rich guy pretends to be a blue collar driver, but forgets to take his Rolex off. When a cop points it out, he says it was a cheap Fauxlex piece of shit he got off the street.

** Or, [[http://www.cracked.com/article_15670_the-25-most-baffling-toys-from-around-world_p2.html Cock Bloc]].

* Oddly enough, the August, 2007 issue of PopularScience featured an article on the various shameless ripoffs from China. Main part of the article was one of the copied cars getting the attention of the actual car maker - and ''offered to fix it up to them'' (the copied car was extremely dangerous''. It explains how some companies manage to get crap electronics out the doors, even when they're only on display (they literally have loads of engineers photograph the living shit out of electronics on display). Hell - there's even the "[=iClone=]" episode, where there was a surprisingly good touch phone (before everyone else started to FollowTheLeader!)

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBBMnY7mANg The PCP Station]]. A PlayStationPortable lookalike with Xbox buttons that's named after a drug. It comes with "[[StreetFighter Street Overlord]]" and "[[SuperMarioBros Super Mary]]". Also, "Chanticleer Hegemony".

* The city of Kunming, China contains an almost perfect copy of an Apple Store. [[http://gizmodo.com/5822918/fake-chinese-apple-store-looks-amazingly-real/]] A few tiny tip-offs include displaying the name of the store (real stores just show the Apple logo) and the employees' name tags just simply saying "Staff" rather than their name.

** Most of the times, they copy the [=iPhone=], Nokia smartphones or Android-based phones (which brings some FridgeLogic: since Android is an open-source platform, why don't the manufacturers put the real thing instead of a fake?).

* The SerfBoard in the ''SarahJaneAdventures'' story "[[Recap/TheSarahJaneAdventuresS5E5E6TheManWhoNeverWas The Man Who Never Was]]", a shoddy laptop computer whose maker attempted to sell it with the help of alien-slave-controlled hypnotic technology.

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