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Heads Up! Umarex Gets Exclusive Worldwide HK License

Gungho Cowboy

This one got my attention, as posted by Airsoft-news.eu, that Umarex has acquired the exclusive worldwide license to the use of Heckler and Koch trademarks around. Umarex is the latest toy and hobby manufacturer to get a license from a real steel manufacturer after Cybergun, Action Sports Games and ISKG.org.  Since both are german companies, I am not actually surprised that Umarex got the license, right Bruder?

Umarex is engaged in the manufacture of paintball, air guns, signal flares, soft air/airsoft, and is also an importer of airguns in Europe, getting airguns from Crossman, Marksman, and Norica. Other products it sells are blank firing guns, self-defense devices, optical sights, flashlights, knives, swords, and daggers. As far as airsoft is concerned, it has airsoft replicas that are said to be outsourced to manufacturers in Asia such as KJ Works (pistols), ICS (for MP5s), Double Eagle (MP40-spring) and other airsoft replicas being retailed under the Umarex brand. But nevertheless, Umarex airsoft products are not actually popular among airsofters world wide as they prefer to directly source from those coming out of East Asia, unrebranded, with the exception of US-based players purchasing Echo1 USA products for the warranty that comes along with the price of the rebranded China, Taiwan, and Japanese-made airsoft products.

Going back to the Airsoft-news.eu news posting...

"It is official: Umarex bought an exclusive license for use of trademarks and models for Heckler&Koch in airsoft. Starting from February, 11, no H&K designs other than Umarex's are allowed to be sold. This goes for Europe, and quite soon also the rest of the world.

 

Heckler & Koch Gmbh is sending a strong worded letter around. We obtained a copy of said letter, dated January 7, which basicaly confirmes that Umarex has obtained trademark and dress rights for H&K products in forms of airsoft replicas, CO2, starter guns, toys and paintball markers."

For now we can only speculate on how Umarex enforces its new found power to use HK trademarks and designs, given its limited market reach. Umarex is rarely discussed among airsoft players in Asia and the USA. But nevertheless, the long list of HK products that are going out in the airsoft market should prove to be a goldmine for the company as the growth of airsoft worldwide is quite phenomenal. The list are as follows as taken from Wikipedia:

Pistols

  • MK23: .45 ACP special forces pistol
  • P7: semi-automatic pistol chambered for 9 x 19 mm Luger and .40 S&W
  • P9S: semi-automatic pistol chambered for 9 x 19 mm Luger and .45 ACP
  • UCP (Ultimate Combat Pistol) or P46: 4.6 x 30 mm high-capacity pistol
  • USP Universale Selbstlade Pistole
  • USP Compact : chambered for .357 SIG, 9 x 19 mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45 ACP.
  • P2000: derived from the USP Compact, chambered for 9 x 19 mm Luger and .357 SIG
  • P30: derived from the P2000, chambered for 9 x 19 mm Luger
  • HK45: derived from the P2000, chambered for .45 ACP
  • P8: chambered for 9 x 19 mm Luger
  • VP70: 9 x 19 mm Luger select-fire pistol (semi-automatic/three-round burst)
  • HK 4 semi-automatic pistol chambered for .22 LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP

Submachine guns

  • MP5: 9 x 19 mm Luger submachine gun
  • MP5K: Compact short-range MP5 submachine gun
  • MP7: 4.6 x 30 mm personal defense weapon
  • UMP Universale Machinenpistole: Lightweight, cheap submachine gun chambered for 9 x 19 mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45 ACP

Automatic rifles

  • G3
  • G36
  • HK33
  • HK53
  • HK416
  • HK417
  • XM8

Semi-automatic rifles

Sporting rifles: traditional styles 

H&K has produced a number of semi-automatic rifles in the style of traditional hunting rifles, with wood stocks of typical sporter contour.[6] The 270 and 300 were .22 rimfires. The 630/770/940 centerfire series used a roller locked action as did the SL6/SL7 which had shorter barrels and a less traditional stock style. The SLB-2000 uses a gas operated rotating bolt, and the design permits barrels to be switched.

  • HK 270 .22 LR
  • HK 300 .22 WMR
  • HK 630 .223 Rem
  • HK 770 .308 Win
  • HK 940 .30-06
  • HK SL6 .223 Rem
  • HK SL7 .308 Win
  • SLB-2000, various chamberings

Sporting rifles: military styles
These are civilian adaptations of rifles originally designed for military or police use.

  • HK 41
  • HK 43
  • HK 91
  • HK 93
  • HK 94
  • HK SR9
  • SL8
  • USC

Sniper rifles

  • MSG-90
  • PSG-1

Machine guns

  • HK21E
  • MG4

Grenade launchers

  • HK 69
  • HK 79
  • AG36
  • GMG

Other weapons

  • G11: Experimental assault rifle utilizing 4.73mm caseless cartridges.
  • G41: Assault Rifle meant to replace the HK G3; replaced by the HK G36.
  • P11: Underwater pistol.
  • WSG2000: Experimental bullpup sniper rifle, chambered in 9 x 90mm MEN cartridge.

If Umarex plays its cards right, licensing the HK trademarks and designs to various airsoft manufacturers around the world, especially in East Asia would be something that can contribute big to its bottomline. We might encounter an increase in the costs of all-China-made (ACM) airsoft replicas such as those coming from Jing Gong and CYMA, as the costs of licenses would be passed on to the consumers. In my opinion, this is a small price for us to pay in order for the manufacturers continue making these products and introducing innovations to these, which I believe Umarex cannot do on its own.

These days, business is more about collaboration as seen in the product development in some of the most admired companies in the world.

But if Umarex will adamantly insist that all HK airsoft replicas made by the manufacturers should be sold under the Umarex brand, we might see some airsoft manufacturers shying away from making these replicas and focus on other types.  They would rather cooperate with those who will allow licensing of trades and designs in order to promote their own brand, which is always a valuable asset to any serious business. We might see another Cybergun-like debacle here.

For now, we can only just imagine those lawyers sending cease and desist letters to those Chinese airsoft manufacturers, preventing them from making HK airsoft replicas.

As Airsoft-news.eu says... "What will be the overall impact of this business decision? Stay tuned."

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