In an unusual action, the ZigBee Alliance has issued a cautionary alert to all stakeholders stating: A Chinese company named "Wulian" (also operating under the name "Nanjing IoT") has been misrepresenting itself as the ZigBee Alliance in China and other areas, despite the fact that they have no present affiliation with the ZigBee Alliance. Moreover, Wulian has been inaccurately and intentionally advertising its products as "ZigBee Certified," which they are not.
“The ZigBee Alliance takes these transgressions very seriously and is taking active steps to resolve this issue. Promoting and protecting the interests of the stakeholder members of the ZigBee Alliance is of utmost importance. This news bulletin serves to notify you of this situation and to inform you of the actions being taken to rectify it,†stated Tobin J.M. Richardson President & CEO, ZigBee Alliance.
The ZigBee Alliance (an IRS 501(c)(3) corporation registered in California, USA) remains the sole global developer and owner of the unique “ZigBee†standards and the ZigBee Certification program for wireless device-to-device communication based on IEEE 802.15.4. Any other entity making these claims, such as Wulian, is improper and in violation of the ZigBee Alliance’s intellectual property rights, as it seeks to unfairly capitalize on the work and investment of the hundreds of legitimate ZigBee Alliance member companies who rely on fair and open markets for free trade.
“While we have attempted in good faith to amicably correct this situation directly with Wulian, they refuse to comply. Subsequently, the ZigBee Alliance has taken steps to address these issues, including contacting appropriate U.S. and other country trade representatives, filing objections to Wulian's use of the ZigBee trademark and name, and contacting the Chinese Trademark Office (CTMO). We will request and expect a fair hearing through the regular and official avenues of the Chinese government,†Richardson continued.
“While the actions of this one rogue player are of serious concern, we remain excited and confident about the opportunity ahead for ZigBee Alliance stakeholders as we enable the vast benefits of the Internet of Things.
“The ZigBee Alliance will provide additional information and updates as necessary. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the www.ZigBee.org website where you can consult our member listing to ensure that you are dealing with legitimate ZigBee Alliance member companies who bring to market true ZigBee Certified products. We welcome interested companies to join the hundreds of ZigBee Alliance member companies who are realizing the Internet of Things today,†Richardson concluded.
