Discussion of Miniature Morality.

[PegaZus]

Peg, i've had to machine AD hoc parts meself before now, but it's really only something i'd ever think of doing as a labour of love! Royal pain in the arse that it is. If someone machined a full spec muscle car i'd be seriously impressed. It's not impossible, but it's bloody hard and frustrating work!

Oh, it gets more fun. The big thing this particular guy was well know for was screws. Yup. Machining specific types of obsolete screws.

Personally, don't think his head was screwed on tightly enough.

[No Such Agency]

Oh, it gets more fun. The big thing this particular guy was well know for was screws. Yup. Machining specific types of obsolete screws.

Personally, don't think his head was screwed on tightly enough.

Ha, this from someone who paints tiny men from an imaginary world for fun.

[PegaZus]

Ha, this from someone who paints tiny men from an imaginary world for fun.

Your barbs have no sting, good sir!

I haven't managed to paint any tiny men in MONTHS. And even then, I think it was a woman. So I'd be someone who doesn't paint tiny men, nor women, yet obsessively monitors a website where people reportedly do manage to apply pigments.

Now, if you don't mind, I've got a neck adjustment that I've got to prepare for.

Probably left my screwdriver over in the Freak Bar. I'll have to put it through an oven to sterilize it.

[uberdark]

peg: you dont want that screwdriver anymore....trust me...fluffy used it on jester....apparently jester asked for more.

[Torn blue sky]

Machining screws to spec would probably make my head implode. Luckily as a primary HGV and TV mech, I always just relied on the good ol tap and die.

[supervike]

Who would've thought a thread hijack consisting of screwing techniques would be so damn boring?

[freakinacage]

I agree in isolation the pseudo-Velma wouldn't be a problem, but how about a Velma lookalike with a bunch of lookalike kids and the van and the dog?

ahh that's ok, they don't do the van

[IdofEntity]

Who would've thought a thread hijack consisting of screwing techniques would be so damn boring?

To direct the flow back to original topic:

We're trying to decide what's moral according to IP, right? Well what are the rights of IP? Is a parody piece protected in USA, but not in Germany?

[cannon_fodder]

I think generally, (assuming I know what I'm talking about here) IP applies to the country in which the offending company/person is registered/resides..similar to Port of Call registry for cruiseliners, etc.

As far as stealing IP goes, if it's done in a way the is clearly connected to a world/IP but is a different spin/something unique within said world IP than I have no problems with it. Cybor is clearly space marine-ish, but covered in very finnicky detailing and does not contain the same iconography and is (often) missing key components such as the backpack, etc., so, in essence he is adding his own stuff to the IP, which itself is pulled from other IPs as stated previously. (I'd wager that the newest incarnation of the Tyranids was largely based on the Giger alien. Interesting, and potentially coincidental, fact: Alien:Resurrection came out only a year before 3rd edition 40k).

On a business level: I feel like big companies shouldn't invade the IP of the little guy, as they are not truly established yet and could fold very easily due to a higher level of production, ease of release, etc. of the higher company. In this business, competition should be promoted. If GW, say, pushes all the little guys out and are the only game around, they have no reason to improve their line, and have nothing to compare to. Then again, they'd be the only ones making money. So this is what a company is in practice, but I feel competition is what they are about in Spirit.
I also think the little guy can, within reason, ride the coat tails of an established company as long as their add-ons/variants show some originality and something new to existing models (supporting the large company by requiring the original model for their product to work benefits both), until they become big enough to produce something entirely their own, which I feel then obligates them to do so.

On a personal level: Recasts: Absolutely not. Re-envisioning in a new way: Absolutely. trying to directly alter (resculpting over existing piece that remains identifiable afterwords) current sculpts, etc: unimaginative, no way. Creating add-ons for existing models: sure, why not. satirical figures: BRING IT ON!!!

[tzor]

not as i understand it, you buy a kit car, that is a norton or whatever and that's what it is, never hear of a kit car that is made to look like a bugatti et al, but isn't

I forget the term offhand but you can get part mods to give one type of car the look of another. It's not usually done in the kit car genre because part of the kit car genre is the building of the thing from the kit.

[supervike]

I forget the term offhand but you can get part mods to give one type of car the look of another. It's not usually done in the kit car genre because part of the kit car genre is the building of the thing from the kit.

Hiya Tzor! Haven't seen you around for quite some time.

[Dragonsreach]

Damn good question Vikey.
In which direction does our own moral compass point? (Kinda spins a lot at times)
Personally I try to hold to a simple stance; I will not knowingly buy from a Recaster.

But when it comes down to it do we really care if Company X holds a license to make a figure which looks like a TV or Movie character.
Will we stop buying it because its not 100% pukka and authorised? I seriously doubt it!
We'll stop buying figures because the quality isn't good enough, or the customer service sucks or the prices are too damn high. (Yeah right!)