The Chinese robotics company Ninebot has bought Segway, a maker of two-wheeled electric vehicles, for an undisclosed sum. In 2014, Segway accused Ninebot and several other Chinese companies of infringing on its patents and sought an import ban on the Ninebot One. As Segway has struggled to make profits it has changed ownership; in 2009, it was sold to a group led by British millionaire Jimi Heselden, who died after riding a Segway off a cliff in 2010.
In a statement, the companies said that both brands would continue to operate under their existing names.
"It [the acquisition] creates a development opportunity for the short-distance transportation industry, which the combined company will lead by widely applying a series of technologies, such as electric driving, mobile internet and human-computer interaction on future products," said Ninebot chief executive Lufeng Gao.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by middlemen on Wednesday April 15 2015, @05:12PM
Embrace..extend..extinguish... the Ninebot One guys also copied Microsoft's strategy !
(Score: 5, Touché) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday April 15 2015, @05:59PM
Embrace - em·brace, əmˈbrās/
verb
A word that does not describe the publics interest in the segway.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by tibman on Wednesday April 15 2015, @06:02PM
Something like, embrace the segway, have owner take extended ride off cliff, extinguish his smoldering remains?
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday April 16 2015, @01:01AM
Infringe, Decimate profit, Loot! ;-)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 15 2015, @11:30PM
Beware of the time when the Chinese will rule. They may not conquer the world through military, but through buying one thing after another. Then they will import their management to the newly bought companies. Get ready for an all-Chinese management. They are not after immediate profits, and that makes them even more lethal. Learn Chinese if you want to survive in the future. It used to be "learn Russian" not long ago.
Free trade may have to go one day. The land belongs to those who have lived there, not someone with more money, or someone with a bigger military budget who massacres the locals and takes the loot. Similarly, inventions belong to those who invented them, not someone with more money who is not afraid to play dirty. The world might need some cleaning up with the equivalent of the French revolution.
Globalization... what a cruel joke!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2015, @01:10AM
This may have worked because it was Chinese.
If an American company had stolen Segway's designs, Segway could have extracted money from it in the courts.
Chinese companies can steal whatever they want with no consequences.
Therefore Ninebot can earn enough profit off stolen designs to position itself to own Segway.
Is the opposite true?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2015, @06:38AM
It used to be "learn Russian" not long ago.
Do you realize this example makes your prophesies sounds fairly ridiculous? Russia is a waning 3rd world dictatorship.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2015, @09:06AM
Unless something is done quickly, the invasion is going to happen. Just like Communist Russia was stopped from taking over the world by actions, not passivity. Most nations were able to sell the threat to their citizens.
Nothing is being done right now about the takeover threat because its happening slowly. Its the "boiling frog" problem: the water in the pot is heated slowly, and the frog is boiled alive without realizing it is being boiled.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 16 2015, @06:32AM
Died riding a segway down a cliff?! How eccentric!
This is Monte Python quality stuff!