News
Cane Creek puts stop to FSA Aheadset manufacture
Carlton Reid May 30 2007, 2:00pm
Aheadset technology is widely copied. FSA, a licensee of Cane Creek's Aheadset patent for ten years, is struggling to comprehend why Cane Creek has terminated FSA's license. The termination is effective immediately.
Here's the letter sent to FAS and Yein Hsin customers around the world:
FSA and Tien Hsin Industries and Cane Creek have terminated our agreement to manufacture headsets under the Aheadset patent. This is effective immediately, and will affect customers where the patent is valid in the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, France, United Kingdom, and Italy.
Please note that his only affects headsets manufactured under the Aheadset brand, or under USA patent # 5,095,770. This does NOT affect any threaded headsets, or headsets that do not use this patent or trademark. The Cane Creek Aheadset ® brand patent expires, in any event, in September, 2010.
We have been a licensee of this Aheadset brand patent for approximately 10 years. During this time, the technology has been widely copied and manufactured in many countries by competitors who pay no royalty for use of the design.
This places FSA at an extreme competitive disadvantage and has eroded both sales and profitability for this product. We were unfortunately unable to reach any mutually beneficial arrangement with Cane Creek to remedy the serious issues inherent in unlicensed usage. Instead, FSA is developing alternative technologies and markets during the remaining life of the Aheadset patent.
As our relationship with Cane Creek has now ended, we ask you to find an alternate supplier for your Aheadset patent OEM needs. We deeply apologize for this disruption in the supply chain, and hope that it does not cause delay in your production.
We look forward to returning to the headset market soon, and hope that we can earn back your business at that time.
