RCGF-USA is the sole legal proprietor of RCGF products

This comes up from time to time, so I share it from time to time. RCGF-USA is the sole legal proprietor of RCGF-USA, and is the only one legally able to designate sellers. Valley View RC is NOT a legal proprietor of RCGF engines, and is committing trademark infringement. Here's the digest of the story.

Joe Nelson and Zhejiang RCGF Model & Engine Co., Ltd., created RCGF about 12-15 years ago now. They made affordable, fairly good quality engines. As the years and their experience grew they learned of flaws in design, materials and manufacturing, and worked to make these changes.They own those designs, molds and the trademark RCGF. Many of these changes were refused by their contracted factory, so after a time they took their designs and molds and changed factories. The original factory stole the original molds, and continued to manufacture them under the name RCGF, to which they were not entitled. Joe et al updated their designs, corrected the material and manufacturing flaws and made better engines, under the name RCGF which they own.

Tom the owner at Valley View RC had been a drop shipper for Joe, and knew this whole turn of events. Instead of following the legitimate RCGF team, Tom decided to sell the engines from the stolen molds and to use the trademark RCGF, acting as a seller for the factory that stole the designs and molds. Joe et al had to sue and won an injunction against the use of the trademark. (I am not sure if they won an injunction against the theft of their designs and molds, just never asked). Tom continued to sell the engines under RCGF, later changing the name of his engines to VVRC-RCGF. He represents himself as the sole legal proprietor of RCGF, when he is actually quite not. The failures of these engines were damaging Joe and RCGF's reputation...

Joe had to undergo expense to change the name of his company and engines to RCGF-USA, and added the moniker Stinger to separate his engines from the those sold by Tom. Joe, being an upstanding guy, repairs the old RCGF engines, and I have a few he has helped me with, AND he will repair VVRC-RCGF engines that get sent to him all the time, with the same old flaws. He doesn't tell you that he didn't make it, he just takes the hit and fixes them.

So, yeah, Tom may be a nice guy, and run a great RC shop, but he's selling engines he doesn't own under a name he doesn't own, despite being legally challenged and told to stop.

You decide. I will stand up for Joe at every turn. I confess I am a fanboy, has he makes great products at great prices and stands behind them without question. Tom, not so much when it comes to these engines.Stick with genuine RCGF-USA engines. Stick with Joe.