Hi there!
I do not want to rain on anybody's parade, but I read somewhere that if
somebody wants to make models [either current or from the early 1900's]
of cars or trucks from any of the major auto making companies, those auto
companies want to have their part of the deal, I.E.: A model making
company will have to pay some royalties to the auto company... such
royalties are VERY expensive... it is related to those copyright/
trademark/etc. laws.
Even if your model company makes a car from the 1930's you have to pay
the current original automaker a percentage of your income for selling
those model cars...
That is why only the most richest model companies do the most popular
model autos we buy in hobby shops, Toys R Us, etc. Companies like
Hot Wheels, Matchbox, etc.
The same thing is with model airplanes like the Boeing 747 models, a
company that wants to make a new model of such an airplane has to pay a
HUGE licence or royalty fee to Boeing...
Its frustrating, but that's the way it goes. Remember the infamous
Union Pacific trademark licensing debacle of some years ago? [Thanks to
MTH to have sorted that out for us...]
BUT!! A trick I would suggest to avoid paying such "pesky" royalty fees
to those automaker/airplane companies would be to make all parts of a
model auto [wings, hoods, roof, doors, etc] separately and sell them this
way... a bit like DPM and other makes that sell modular walls. An auto
roof could be used for any kind of car and may be adapted for other types
of vehicules by modifying the parts.
This way, an auto company that complains that a model company makes
"their" auto models will have a very hard time [and I bet a big
headache ;) ] to try to make the model company pay the aforementioned
royalties... as the model company would say: "I did NOT copy your type
of car, I only made "generic" model auto parts!", "Tiens-toé!!" as I
would say in French Québécois... or in English: "Take that, you greedy
automaker company! :p"
;)
Note that I am not all that versed in legal technicalities, but I
think it would certainly be workable, if the separate auto parts are
generic enough, no auto companies would complain...
Of course, some modellers may balk up at that concept, as they would
rather have built-up models, but that may be a little price to pay... and
besides, any modeller could make any model auto, truck, bus, etc. he/she
wants without "chopping up" and readapting an existing built-up model...
as the old saying says:
-"How didn't I think of that before?!" ;)
..Just my 0.02$...
See ya all!
Charles Jacob.
-------
Ami-Tag: This message was sent from my 25 year-old Amiga 2000.
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
