Comment by chromacity
5 hours ago
Unfortunate. Tindie is (was?) a pretty unique marketplace. Amusingly, a lot of what they were selling was probably illegal due to FCC rules: for the most part, you can't sell electronics without EMI certification and "I'm just a hobbyist" is not an excuse. Kits get a bit of leeway, but finished products don't.
Before the tariffs, I noticed that Chinese companies were trying to undercut them. I've gotten multiple mails asking me to start selling my designs with China-based outlets: they would make the PCBs, assemble them, and pay me some money for every item sold.
Can you share more information about the undercutting? I've heard of places like Elecrow trying to incentivize people to sell via their platform/OEM service but it sounds like you've had people asking you to license your designs?
I never followed up, but I didn't read it as some serious IP licensing thing. It sounded like they've come to the conclusion that they're making the stuff that's sold on Tindie anyway, so might as well set up a website and ship directly to your customers.
Free market is a good thing.
It's good until some unregulated electronic device creates interference that makes some poor guys pacemaker act up and kills them.
As a RF expert, I can assure you that is not possible. And basic common sense should tell you why.
It's AM radio that gets interfered with.
3 replies →
Blind dogma is rarely a good thing. A free market is not a virtue or end goal in itself, but a means to other ends.
Every freedom has limits