[JohnG]

Please start a new thread if you want to discuss the finer points of patent law.

As for the OP, I think the thing you have to worry most about is a machine that appears to work at first, and then breaks within the first 6 months (as someone else's experience notes in this thread).

A company in China will likely do little for you at that point. And Alibaba or PayPal or eBay also won't be of any help.

No one has any doubt the mechanics of what Segway has designed can be replicated by others (especially in China). The question is -- are you buying a Yugo when you're being sold a GTI?

In my experience in working with Chinese manufacturers, if the QA isn't there, the machines won't last. If the QA and oversight is there, you may luck out with something that does last. But again, as soon as a part needs replacing, you may be SOL. (And make sure you figure out their battery situation before buying, too, because that's the part that you will need to replace someday.)

John