copyright
- Thread starter david 56
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generulpoleaxe
New member
no, it is still breaking international copywright laws.
but as long as your not selling them most companies wouldn\'t give a flying @@@@ unless it was complete models you were copying.
NGArtStudios
New member
As generulpoleaxe said, it\'s completely illegal to make copies of models, whether for personal or other use. Although as mentioned, there is really no way of them knowing if you are doing it for personal use.
Since GW to use an example took legal action on over 150 people last year in Europe, work it out for yourself.
Einion
New member
Yes, it\'s fine.
Besides, even if it weren\'t okay how are they going to find out... well, other than the fact that you just told all of us?
And yet GW told people how to do this...
I wonder, when you come down to it, how much relevance the issue of recording copies of vinyl/CD has. It may be a matter of degree, rather than a clear-cut white or black issue.
Einion
evil tendencies
Cake or Death?
I\'m going to get worked up about this, so skip this post if you want.
I think about it this way:
Copyright laws are intended to protect people who work their butts off to create a saleable product. There are usually a couple of \"fair use\" clauses in most jurisdictions, the most common example being that parts of written materials can be quoted for the purposes of public reviews and criticism. The intention behind fair use clauses is usually to preserve free speech while still protecting the right of the creator to profit from his work.
I don\'t know what you\'re thinking of copying, but you need to ask yourself \"will the owner lose *any* money if I do this?\" Even if you don\'t make it for sale, the company still wouldn\'t get the money you would have shelled out for another copy.
Finally, I should point out that IP owners have earned, by virtue of their work and investment, the right to be supreme A-holes with their IP. I hate how GW runs their business, with a passion. But rules is the rules, and I don\'t have the right to break them because of my personal feelings towards the owners. I have the right to vote with my feet or make my own stuff (or both), but no more.
I hope I didn\'t offend. Like I said, I get a little worked up about this.
I think about it this way:
Copyright laws are intended to protect people who work their butts off to create a saleable product. There are usually a couple of \"fair use\" clauses in most jurisdictions, the most common example being that parts of written materials can be quoted for the purposes of public reviews and criticism. The intention behind fair use clauses is usually to preserve free speech while still protecting the right of the creator to profit from his work.
I don\'t know what you\'re thinking of copying, but you need to ask yourself \"will the owner lose *any* money if I do this?\" Even if you don\'t make it for sale, the company still wouldn\'t get the money you would have shelled out for another copy.
Finally, I should point out that IP owners have earned, by virtue of their work and investment, the right to be supreme A-holes with their IP. I hate how GW runs their business, with a passion. But rules is the rules, and I don\'t have the right to break them because of my personal feelings towards the owners. I have the right to vote with my feet or make my own stuff (or both), but no more.
I hope I didn\'t offend. Like I said, I get a little worked up about this.
Master of fact
Member
IP is so funny. GW stole original ideas and turned them into theirs. Terminator-Necrons. Alien-Nids, Greys-tau, star wars-space marines, all warhammer were taken from tolkien. So steal their idea turn it into your own, now you have IP. Cast or sculpt those models NOW.
Rant over.
:cussing:
Rant over.
:cussing:
DrEvilmonki
Active member
Actually GW haven\'t stolen IP from anyone. They HAVE been influenced by popular culture just as the majority of people who create entertainment.
Tolkein did not invent elves, orcs, dwarves, fantasy writing, heroic quests.
Starwars came a LONG time after a great many authors had told stories of space empires, powered armour etc.
GW protect THEIR version of fantasy/sci fi, they do not sue every maker of elves, orcs, space warriors.
And yes they have even printed instructions for taking press moulds off parts of their figure range for the purpose of conversions etc.
Tolkein did not invent elves, orcs, dwarves, fantasy writing, heroic quests.
Starwars came a LONG time after a great many authors had told stories of space empires, powered armour etc.
GW protect THEIR version of fantasy/sci fi, they do not sue every maker of elves, orcs, space warriors.
And yes they have even printed instructions for taking press moulds off parts of their figure range for the purpose of conversions etc.
Master of fact
Member
Yes all of those things have been around, i am only 23 so they are my refrence points in time for comparison. My point though is if you make it, it\'s yours. All these ideas of orks, goblins elves, demons, superhumans have been taken from elsewhere. Why cant i take a space marine for refrence sculpt something similar and keep it for me.
It really irks me IP as black library are running a story comp. ANY entries submitted become theirs. It might be their world but its my version of it. Sorry to be an ass, im more than likly wrong in my thinking but its just me.
phew
But really if you want something for yourself do it. Can you imagine the GW design team.
IP breach in sector Seven, release the thunderhawks:drunk:
It really irks me IP as black library are running a story comp. ANY entries submitted become theirs. It might be their world but its my version of it. Sorry to be an ass, im more than likly wrong in my thinking but its just me.
phew
But really if you want something for yourself do it. Can you imagine the GW design team.
IP breach in sector Seven, release the thunderhawks:drunk:
DrEvilmonki
Active member
Well everyone is entitled to an opinion even if it is different to mine (which of course makes it wrong!)
And Hi Jim.
And Hi Jim.
Master of fact
Member
I think this could go on for a looooong time, so like one shepard said to the other lets get the flock outta here!:moon:
generulpoleaxe
New member
Originally posted by Master of fact
Yes all of those things have been around, i am only 23 so they are my refrence points in time for comparison. My point though is if you make it, it\'s yours. All these ideas of orks, goblins elves, demons, superhumans have been taken from elsewhere. Why cant i take a space marine for refrence sculpt something similar and keep it for me.
It really irks me IP as black library are running a story comp. ANY entries submitted become theirs. It might be their world but its my version of it. Sorry to be an ass, im more than likly wrong in my thinking but its just me.
phew
But really if you want something for yourself do it. Can you imagine the GW design team.
IP breach in sector Seven, release the thunderhawks:drunk:
you can sculpt a space marine and keep it!
no one said you couldn\'t.
what was said was taking an existing model and making a mould from it and casting copies is illegal unless you have the copywright owners permision.
if you wanted to sell said sculpt then you would also be breaking IP laws if it was proven that you had based your design on their intelecual property (IP)
some one in power armour isn\'t gw IP, a space marine, undeniably looking like gws art work or existing models is protected by gws IP.
pay the money/sculpt your own or get creative and design your own and get them cast, it\'s quite simple realy.
Einion
New member
Yes, that\'s generally around the standard that\'s used. But only if there\'s commercial gain.
The original question has gotten lost in the shuffle a bit here. It\'s okay to take casts for personal use only - it\'s widely done in armour circles for example and has been publicised in magazine articles (and published books) for years and years without any legal ramifications for the authors. And Games Workshop themselves have published the same kind of step-by-step guides for making copies of their own products; this gives us carte blanche to make limited copies of small GW parts at least.
Einion
Obviously the specifics of these matters will vary depending on the laws of the nation involved, but generally the points above are not correct. For starters, commercial gain has no bearing on whether something violates another\'s copyright. It is an element for determining whether the infringing use qualifies as a fair use, but alone it\'s insufficient. In the situation suggested by Aidan, where somebody independently sculpted a power armored human (i.e. didn\'t actually cast anything from a GW model) that was so identical to a GW space marine that they couldn\'t be distinguished, or it was obvious that the sculpt was based off of GW artwork, it would matter little as to whether the infringing use was for commercial gain or not.
As to magazine articles showing modelers how to press mold pieces from existing models, this does not render that activity exempt from a copyright violation, even when GW is the one providing the instructions. Until you either license a derivative work from the copyright holder or qualify for a fair use (unlikely when you\'re press molding), making copies, no matter how limited and regardless as to whether the use is private or commercial in nature, is a copyright violation.
This comes from a U.S. perspective, but as noted above, will generally be correct. Heck, the UK has even more stringent fair use laws (called fair dealing) that the U.S. does.
Of course, as others have noted in this thread, it\'s unlikely that a copyright holder will ever know what you do in the privacy of your basement. But it\'s important to at least know what the law actually says, so that nobody feels they\'re in the right (at least legally, morally it\'s another question) when they start casting somebody else\'s work.
