An actual real genuine Gorillapod, in Joby packaging

If you thought that Photokina was a buzz-fest of new cameras, lenses, and pick-pocketing, you can add brand-protection confrontations to the list, too. Joby, manufacturers of the bendy-legged Gorillapod, marched up to two manufacturers of fake Gorillapods and confiscated their imitation products and promotional materials.

To be in the safe side, they did do it with Photokina organisers and security staff. It's possibly not a great idea to do that sort of thing without some kind of official back up. Hoo-hahs and ruckuses aren't great for customer relations.

Now, though, Joby's UK marketing team has told customers to be on the look out for fake Gorillapods, especially in the run-up to Christmas. A real Gorillapod should carry the Joby logo, and whilst it might be more expensive than the fake, you get what you pay for. As Loraine Morgan, Joby's Senior Marketing Manager in the UK said: 'The quality of these products is poor and ultimately it is the consumer who suffers when they buy a product that does not deliver the function and reliability of a genuine Joby product.'

The fakes probably won't be made to such high standards, either in terms of quality or meeting safety standards. If you're thinking of buying a Gorillapod, you can always go direct to Joby.