Cut into the Number of Famiclones Ever Produced - Case #10: HiTex

The tenth article in the series focuses on HiTex Technology Inc. Despite being a medium-sized famiclone manufacturer, the company's HT-767 and A-500 models have demonstrated a strong presence, rivaling that of major players in many parts of the world. How did they achieve this?

Yeah, Ì know what you want to say. In the previous article I wrote that the next episode would focus on Shintendo (STD). However, I must retract this statement, as no serial numbers were assigned to their products, and even there is no documentation with which to estimate the number of units manufactured. It is simply impossible, although the history of Shintendo is very interesting -- I will write an article about it in the future.

This time, therefore, I focus on another company: HiTex Technology Inc. aka 英捷科技股份有限公司.

The hidden relationship between HiTex and Micro Genius

HT-767: their first and the most popular model. [image source]

A-500: an impressive UFO style product. The image taken from the patent scan on TIPO.

HiTex Technology's HT-767 and A-500 are fairly well-known models. Anyone interested in the world of famiclones must come across them frequently.

However, despite their popularity, the fact that HiTex Technology manufactured them was unknown until I pointed it out recently. This is because very little official information about the company has survived.

Little is known about the history or status of HiTex Technology. The only clear fact is that it was founded in 1988 by a man named Shi Chaoi (施朝義).

Prior to the company, he appears to have worked for Tajen Electronics (大仁電子), an early distributor of the Micro Genius series. Evidence of this can be seen in the Taiwanese design patent 102,680, for a cartridge converter that makes 72-pin NES cassettes to be used on 60-pin Famicom console. He filed it through Tajen Electronics on 17 December 1987.

The Micro Genius' NES/Famicom cartridge converter T88, featured on the IQ-701 package. It was designed by Mr.Shi.

Many equivalents have been released since those days. However, judging by the existence of this patent, Tajen Electronics may have been the first company to commercialise the idea.

Through his work at Tajen Electronics, Mr Shi must have witnessed the rapid growth of the famiclone market. I guess he then set up his own company, HiTex Technology, to ensure they didn't miss out on the trend with their own famiclone. This may explain why the HT-767, the company's first famiclone, bears a striking resemblance to the Micro Genius IQ-201/501.

The Micro Genius IQ-501. Its front button layout and the design around the cartridge slot influenced the HT-767.

The birth of the HT-767

On 13 May 1989, HiTex Technology applied for a design patent for the HT-767 in Taiwan. Nine days later, the HiTex trademark was also applied for in... Malaysia*, not Taiwan. Why?

My guess is that HiTex Technology may have had their main factory in Malaysia. Since the 1980s, Taiwanese companies in general had been actively relocating their factories to Malaysia or Thailand.  I suppose HiTex Technology has had its factory in Malaysia since the beginning.

* The applicant was a Malaysian company called Hi-Power Computer Enterprise. Details of this company are not known, but I would guess that it was the HiTex Technology's factory, or was at least extremely close associate of the company, because they applied for a trademark immediately after the design patent was filed in Taiwan.

From the HiTex-767 design patent, the image taken from the patent scan on TIPO.

The following month, HiTex Technology finally applied for a trademark also in Taiwan. However, it was 'HiJet', not 'HiTex'.

'HiJet' was the brand name used by the company in its final days and is now almost unknown. So why did they not apply to register their flagship brand, 'HiTex'?

Just a guess again. Perhaps the company's main focus was on the overseas market from the outset, and it did not emphasise the Taiwanese market. In fact, HiTex products are not particularly well known in Taiwan and its second-hand products are rarely found there compared to other major famiclones. The company was a latecomer to the Taiwanese market anyway.

Expanding into mainland China

While Tajen managed the Taiwanese market and Smartian managed the Hong Kong–Mainland market, the two companies also formed a group company called Tajen & Smartian Holding Limited (大仁東崑(集團)有限公司). It held full worldwide control of Micro Genius after TXC ceased the operation.

The HT-767 was distributed under various brands in Southeast Asia and Korea, but, as was often the case with early successful famiclones, it was in mainland China that HiTex enjoyed its greatest success.

On 8 October 1989, HiTex Technology applied for the 'HiTex' trademark, as well as the Chinese brand '海天使' (meaning 'Sea Angel'), in mainland China. A week later, the HT-767's design patent was also filed in mainland China.

Interestingly, this was not done by HiTex Technology themselves but by Smartian Limited (東崑有限公司), known as the general Micro Genius distributor in Hong Kong.

In short, HiTex Technology owned the 'HiTex' trademark in the Chinese market, but granted Smartian the rights to product design. Why did they divide the rights in this way?

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