Around 1905, newly founded German company Jentzsch & Meerz introduced the Clown game, based upon, and licensed under the patents of British pioneer JG Pessers' ball catching games. It was such a terrific success, British manufacturers returned the compliment by copying it, which they felt free to do after the outbreak of WWI. So did the French. This early British example by Handan Ni is distinguished by, amongst other things, the absence of a rolling ball beneath the clown, a different ball lifting mechanism, and the use of composite (in place of steel) balls.