bootleg wireless devices

They're not really bootleg. They're just a competing brand that can function with several major manufacturers' panels.

I checked into them when they first came out, regarding use with Napco. Price point was about $5.00 less per door/window transmitter. I read the instructions and there was some major something that you couldn't do with them ( but I don't remember what it was now). It would be something like ... you couldn't download an xmtter info or you couldn't program them into the panel directly ..... or something like that. Seems like I remember thinking it was similar ( not exactly) like a Linear, wireless add on.

Anyway, the savings wasn't worth the trouble. And I figured, if I had a problem with an installation, now I'd have two manufacturers pointing their finger at each other, rather than getting me an answer.

What bootleg devices?

Only one I know of is Secure Wireless and they don't make Honeywell sensors anymore after getting sued

function with several major manufacturers' panels.

That's the company. They probably decided it would be too expensive to fight Honeywell's lawyers.

No Honeywell has exclusive rights to their wireless frequency

I doubt it. Honeywell wireless operates at 345MHz. That's a common frequency which the FCC allows numerous low- power devices to utilize. A quick Google on "345MHz" brings up several products using the frequency.

The lawsuit must have been about their proprietary design -- not just frequency.

Odds are Honeywell also has expensive lawyers. :^)

They paid for the right to use the frequency. Believe what you want.

Ademco purchased the frequency years ago, believe what you want