Jim you don't know what is what. When I first finished these you were handing these out like candy at the Nats, so you wouldn't have the slightest idea who has your units or where they got them from,and Walt, Phil's is the distributor for Jim's units. And if there is any copies of anything it would be that someone would copy my lower unit. I figured I would repost this from the outboard forum to help explain What is What. Also if anyone wants to read the whole thread, here it is.
http://www.intlwaters.com/index.php?showtopic=14234
By the way Jim it has been 2 months since I sent you the last batch of lowers, so you can send payment anytime.
Posted March 4,2006
Well it is time to chime in, since it is may name or rather initials and my product being discussed. I know what will be said here will tick some off , some will take sides and most could care less. I am not trying to take anything from Jim, but it is time I set everyone straight on this subject. I to contacted my legal council, the lower unit is not a manuscript, so you can not copyright it, it is not a new or different product other than it is plastic and mechanically you have at least 5 other manufacturers making a similar product, so it is not patentable. Not to mention you would not recoup your money spent for a patent, I haven't even made back a tenth of what I have in just the design time let alone the tooling time. This market is small and I knew I would probably not make back the money for the time I spent, but then again I did not do this for the money. I did hear at one time someone was shopping around( two guesses who that might be) to see how much it would cost to make my lower unit, this kind of got to me a bit. If someone succeeds in copying it and getting any kind of legal rights to theirs , be my guest. They will do more harm to the hobby probably than good and I'll just park the mold. If they do succeed in copying it , I will proceed in selling my lower units at cost, again I am not in it for the money, my selling price is evidence of that.
Brian is correct, the authentic lower units have my initials hand engraved by the hinge pin on one side. Whether it has REK or IRWIN on the side makes no difference , it is the same lower unit, with the exception of the electric unit which is c'bored for the coupler. I developed this lower unit because I like to design and make things. I also wanted to prove my idea would work, and that is the composite makeup. And the final reason is I enjoy model boats and wanted to see the stock OB class stay alive. So the lower unit was the lead in to a complete engine some day. Use for electric was a bonus.
I am the designer and developer of the lower unit with the collaboration of Andy Smith down in Fortmeyers, FL, we started to kick around the design back in 2001. The only part that Jim has had in this is his last name on the side. He has not or has ever contracted or payed for tooling, nor does he own or have any claim to the tooling or the said design of tooling or product, other than the logo insert, which was done at no cost to him. All of which said is own by Richard Konnen, Inc. If you have been in boating for many years and know Andy Smith, check it out, give him a call. The only other person that got a look at what I was working on before I got together with Jim is John Otto. I sent him some preliminary drawings to get some feed back on what I was doing. Oh, by the way Andy Smith is who put Jim in touch with me, Jim was working on the Rossi power head for his engine and needed a lower unit and Andy told him about what we had been working on and gave him my number.
When Jim and I got together we worked out that he could us my lower unit to complete his engine. I agreed he could have the exclusive for the nitro engine and I was going to use it for the electric set up. Well something happened and Jim's Rossi deal fell through. I had been working on a relationship with a Taiwan company for the past year and a half at that point for an engine. I figured Jim had the backing , more so than I did at the time, so I hooked him up with this company. It didn't matter to me as long as another stock engine came out. I sent Jim 2 of the Vector sample engines I had and keep one to make an inboard with. Well that deal fell through and kind of killed that relationship with that company. When I started with this company it took 6 months of contacting them before they would even respond back and another year back and forth on engine design. Now that deal is killed. Then I gave Jim information to a couple of other companies I had gone back and forth with on an engine. One he said he wasn't dealing with because it wasn't a manufacture and have no idea on the out come of the other.
Well I sent Jim a batch of lower units about a month ago and told him I could not give him OEM status and pricing. The exclusive and the OEM was based on the production of a stock engine. Well it has been over two years and no engine. I can't work on assumptions and I did say if he gets an engine in production I would reconsider. The conversation ended with Jim telling me that after this last batch is paid for that he was done working with me and after we exchanged a few more words Jim hung up on me.
So I am back to getting an engine made again, except this time I do have the financial backing to do this myself. What I just wrote is factual and it will ruffle feathers, to bad, it is my product in discussion. If you have questions ask, on this forum or call me 1-941-722-1174. If you are going to call, make it a legitimate question and answer call, if your going to call to give me a lashing, don't waste my time.
Richard Konnen
R.E.K. Machine & Mold
Palmetto, Fl
