Originally Posted by midnite13

What is the status of the design patent for the FSIR Spin?
I don't know.

Is there some explanation as to why other manufacturers don't attempt to clone it?
Litepro did clone it. I forget the model name. I tried to get one, a frame, but they've been discontinued and are impossible to find.

For that matter, why did the original manufacturer discontinue its production?
Don't know, but probably poor sales and limited marketing. It was never sold in my home country, the largest and most populous country of SEAsia, and second most populous in Asia-Pacific. The few pieces that did make it in to the country were brought in individually by enthusiasts. I bought and brought this Spin 5 in from Thailand, and my Spin 3 from Singapore. GTA, an infrequent channel participant based in China, one who owned and raved about the FSIR too could probably tell us more.