Massdrop's 'CTRL' Keyboard Looks Just Like Input Club's 'K-Type'

Massdrop CTRL

Massdrop posted a svelte TKL keyboard with an aluminum frame and extensive RGB backlighting called the “CTRL.”It’s a fetching mechanical keyboard with a cool name, but there’s one problem: It looks every inch like Input Club’s K-Type, just dressed in black.

Input Club K-Type

This wouldn’t be so surprising--after all, the Input Club did launch the K-Type on Massdrop last year--were it not for the public divorce the two companies recently went through. Read that article we linked to for a full breakdown of the situation, but in short, the two companies came to loggerheads about legal issues pertaining to certain IP, patents, and licensing agreements. That all came to light in September, and as far as our research can tell us, nothing has really been settled. Instead, the two parties seems to have simply moved on in lieu of protracted legal battles.

Or so we thought; the presence of this K-Type lookalike on Massdrop seems like...a statement. Of course, it could simply be that Massdrop 1) thinks the CTRL/K-Type is a great keyboard that 2) it can profit from and 3) that it has the rights to make and sell it. Even more noteworthy is the fact that you can order a CTRL with Cherry MX, Kailh, or--Halo switches. Those Halo switches were at the heart of the disagreement between Massdrop and the Input Club. (The Input Club moved on and made its not-so-subtly named “Hako” switches.)

It is true that the Input Club open sourced the K-Type’s design, so in a sense Massdrop is just doing at scale what anyone could do on their own. However, the Input Club does retain royalty rights of some kind. (We aren’t certain of the royalty details because we don’t have access to those documents, but from our conversations with the parties involved, that is the case.) If Massdrop is not paying those royalties, it could have a fresh round of legal challenges on its hands.

Whatever is going on between Massdrop and Input Club, though, the fact remains that you can snag a black-metal twin of the K-Type from Massdrop. In addition to the color difference and switch options, the CTRL uses QMK for programming instead of the Input Club’s KLL. The cost is $200, with an estimated ship date of August 15. You have eight days left to join the drop.

Meanwhile, the Input Club is on to its latest creation, the Kira, which has a unique condensed 99-key layout (pictured below). The full details of the Kira are under wraps for now, but its campaign will go live on Tuesday, March 27.

  • phantomgett
    "the presence of this K-Type lookalike on Massdrop seems like...a statement."

    That was my thought on it. I'm a bit annoyed because I love my K-Type and it seems like a shame that it's been abandoned in favor of something "MassDrop Made" as the e-mail said.

    Then again, maybe I am just reading too far into it. I think the whole situation with the switches was resolved as best as it could have been. With MD apparently retaining the Halo switches, and IC keeping the Hako tooling. But, straight ripping The K-Type, recoloring it, and then spending a lot of money on QMK (as well as fixing minor issues) seems like a pretty bold statement.

    Like, granted, Bandai does it all the time with Gundam Models, and it's usually profitable, but this isn't a model kit, and MD sure didn't design the K-Type from the ground up with no help either.
    Reply
  • demetriarogers11
    Hello, I am Demetria Rogers. After being in relationship with my husband for years, he broke up with me. I did everything within my reach to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so badly because of the love I had for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to my friend and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back , I had no choice than to try it. I messaged the spell caster, and he assured me there was no problem and that everything will be okay before three days. He cast the spell and surprisingly on the second day, my husband called me. I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that had happened He wanted me to return to him. He also said he loved me so much. I was so happy and went to him that was how we started living together happily again. The spell casters email is : drjazazasolution@gmail.com. You can email him if you need his assistance in your relationship or any other Case.

    Doctor Jazaza could help you with the following:

    1) Love Spells

    2) Lost Love Spells

    3) Divorce Spells

    4) Marriage Spells

    5) Binding Spell.

    6) Breakup Spells

    7) Banish a past Lover

    8.) You want to be promoted in your office/ Lottery spell

    9) want to satisfy your lover

    Contact this great man if you are having any problem for a lasting solution



    through drjazazasolution@gmail.com
    Reply