where do you draw the line, excuse the pun, but what sort of issues are at stake when you take lines from a full size boat and make a model of it, when full size boats are built I have always had to pay for plans/licence etc, and was happy to do that, but since I have become a modeller instead I feel a little uneasy about taking lines without remuneration to the design owners, would one have to seek endorsement from the designers? I have built replicas of boats that I own, ok they are a bit smaller but never the less they are for all intent and purposes a boat built to a specific design, how big you build it is up to the builder. at what point in scale does it become a model or a reduced size boat. an interesting and no doubt controversial issue that has been side stepped, has any one got any thoughts on this subject
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Hi David,
Didn't I read somewhere last year that the RAF were considering making model manufacturers pay for the privilege of creating kits of their aircraft, or was it just the markings? I'm not so sure that's got anything to do with copyright issues though; I suspect it's just another money-making scheme that's being suggested by HMG.
I have seen kit boxes with stickers acknowledging original companies though. Specifically Boeing aircraft. Maybe they're charging fees or just insisting on design credit being shown?
I would have thought that designers would be only too pleased to see their designs in kit form. Isn't imitation the highest form of flattery? I could understand if someone was intruding into their market by copying designs, but there is surely no loss of income/prestige involved when making a miniature version. There will be questions of potential loss if someone creates a version which could be used for similar purposes though. If that is the case, then the copier should of course have to pay for the right to use the design.
There is another question involved though. What about design concepts? Early aeroplanes had multiple wings. Was the original monoplane idea patented? Did designers have to pay any sort of fee to design their own monoplanes?
I appreciate I've not answered your question but I thought I'd throw in my 2d worth. You can throw it out again if you like!
Gern
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