Oh, the Knockoffs!

When one gets away from those pesky trademark® laws that stifle American creativity, one finds some awfully creative ways to market products. We've seen some that are really close and hard to tell from the real thing, while others don't really try that hard. I found some Crocs® sandals for sale in a nearby gas station that were about half the price of what we see in the legit Crocs® store in the mall. I thought they were the real thing, but a close inspection revealed a misspelling in the word Colorado. Made in Coloroad, USA? Really? The Nike® flip-flops being modeled below by Beth's brothers are actually Aloalloa® brand. Not really all that close, although they're only $4 per pair.

These candy-coated, peanut-filled chocolate candies bear a striking resemblance to something you might buy in the States. We really laughed out loud when we noticed the N in M&Ns.

The Pirates logo on this toy boat is an awful lot like one from the Pirates of the Caribbean® ride and movies. But I don't think Disney® would approve of a product that says on the packaging "Adorable Jocular fish Ocean Toys." It also says "Attach Peach to most flat surfaces." Do what?

And if you click to enlarge this last one, you'll find Panasonic® spelled correctly and incorrectly all in the same stack. Penoaconic is probably not close enough to get anyone in trouble, even if the Panasonic® people found it. And I love the "Natiolan" space heater right next to the "National"® one. I was shopping for a stereo once and found Panasonic spelled 6 different ways on one street. I really loved the Chinese stereo that had a real-live Sony® logo glued to it--only the logo was crooked and the glue was dripping a little.

Some of our favorites have been featured here before. Check them out.