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KWA To Assert Right To Sell Airsoft KRISS Vector & Related Products

OptimusPrime

The Popular Airsoft Feedback email address got a good list of tips from our readers, and also from Merlin Blogspot, which basically have the same link that points to the latest announcement from KWA regarding its relationship with KRISS Arms. In this statement, KWA implies that they will assert their right to continue on providing the products based on the licensing agreement with KRISS. Previously, KRISS Arms announced that they were terminating the exclusive licensing agreement with KWA.

Here's the full text of the press release from KWA:

Announcement Concerning  Kriss Vector and Related Products

City of Industry, CA – June 4th , 2013 – It has come to our attention that some confusion over KWA's continued right to market and sell the KRISS Vector SMG GBB and related licensed products may have been created by certain publicly released statements, including those made by KRISS and its management.

KWA is aware of such unfortunate statements, it vigorously disputes them and intends to take all necessary and appropriate steps to fully enforce its rights to market and sell such products.

We appreciate and highly value your long-term support and confidence in doing business with KWA. It is our most sincere wish to continue providing you with the products and service of the best possible quality.

In all honesty, we do not know the reason behind the termination of such an agreement and we have been trying to dig deeper into this issue by trying to get some statements from both companies. But so far, we have faced a blank wall and we cannot post third party feedback since they might just be innuendos.

Going back to the statement from KWA, this means that they are not accepting the termination of their exclusive agreement by KRISS Arms and will go on to produce the products. We have seen supplies of the KSC KRISS Vector GBB, which basically is aimed at the Japanese market, as KWA is an OEM of KSC airsoft products. There are batches of KWA KRISS Vector appearing at some retailers, which also means that the expected "rarity" of the KRISS Vector GBB did not truly happen, which perhaps is just some disruption along the supply lines as KWA paused to check on the legality of the termination of their agreement with KRISS Arms or KWA fulfilling its supply commitments to KSC, distributors and retailers prior to the termination of agreement by KRISS Arms.

The other "related licensed products" that KWA is pertaining to are the Defiance and Sphinx airsoft products which are all basically under the KRISS Arms umbrella. Defiance for the series of suppressors and Sphinx for a new line of gas blowback pistols that are supposed to be released by KWA after the release of the KWA KRISS Vector GBB.

Thus, the issue is far from over and the most probable course of action for both companies will have to be legal skirmishes in courts if there's no out of court settlement. Public opinion will have no bearing on any legal document agreed upon by two parties.

For now, the winners will be the airsoft players who want to have the KRISS Vector airsoft version. We are assuming that supplies will continue, even if just a trickle, if KWA will not get a cease and desist order that will be requested by KRISS Arms from the court.

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