Originally posted by jondalar
@Einion:- So is anyone who sells a figure on Ebay infringing copyright laws etc? How bout if the model for sell is a conversion from a standard GW figure but using GW parts? For example, you make 100 SM, all converted identically, using only GW parts and a little GS.
If you add even a tiny amount of extra detail does that now give you the legal right to call that model your own? And not infringe copyright etc etc. Tried googling for an answer, but couldnt find anything.
converted models and adding to improving (or not as the case may be) doesn\'t affect copyright in anyway.. There are two different areas sorting of getting muddled about through this issue....
copyright theft and counterfeiting....
using greenstuff to modify alter sculpt extra details on a model isn\'t a problem as far as copyright is concerned...where the problem comes is selling it as an original games workshop product.....as long as it is stated that the model has been modified and the original model belongs to GW isn\'t a problem..
Using machine made moulds to mass produce the elaborate plates etc doesn\'t breach any policy and more power to somebody finding a successful method to mass produce an item that people find appealing...Gw themselves now are starting to do a lot of computer design for pieces effectively cutting down on some of the physical sculpting side..
counterfeiting is an altogether more serious offence and a lot of time scibor is close to the bone however again this is a real messy area....
The main way that scibor effectively can avoid any legal implications is again selling the models as greenstuff form as without actually catching him in the act and siezing any mould equipment there is nothing to prove that any of his heads etc are not sculpted by him when they are made from a material like GS...he sells them as models with greenstuff modifications ..where a real problem would arrive is if he was selling the pressed or copied components as a seperate entity and making a profit selling space marine heads that are a direct copy of GW\'s..
Also if he was making these components out of resin or similar and casting that way that would be a problem
Now the biggest grey area is IP theft......His own range of models pretty much break this as far as I can see...
The servitor type model is so screamingly GW I\'m surprised it is still going...
here he has got models for sale that are heavily using GW\'s intellectal property for his own profit and I am sure this will be a problem later down the line.
my view is this ...
I was impressed when I first saw his work .. I started to unravel it and wasn\'t as impressed ..I still am blown away by some of the work..(the Rhinox\'s are possibly my favourites) But whatever my feelings I haven\'t bought anything because I don\'t have to....Nobody HAS to but people do and they are free to do that...
some people feel injustice that their sculpted stuff doesn\'t sell as well as his but that\'s just the way it goes..I know places like wyrd minis who make some of the most characterful sculpts I\'ve seen don\'t sell as many as the truly mass produced basic shapes of a GW space marine but hey what the people want the people buy...
I don\'t think commercial success is any reason at all to shoot a guy down in flames...He doesn\'t claim to be the best in the world he just makes and sells a product ..good luck to him....
(sorry that got a bit long..)
