Copyright abuse - who do I contact?

[Petestein]

No matter what is done, piracy is here and ALWAYS will be. This is most unfortunate but technology allows it very easily. I have always wondered why big companies like Adobe and several others haven't being able to stop piracy of their software. Photoshop, for example, is 50% pirated and 50% legal (Adobe's information). And Adobe has lost the battle fighting against illegal copies. Lets talk about music. Several people stopped streaming or buying CDs. With a couple of clicks you can download millions of songs, through a very big and LEGAL company called "YouTube". And what about movies? Also from YouTube. And torrents? I have heard for several years about combating torrents. Impossible. One can download and keep thousands and thousands of HD movies with just a couple of clicks. Only one format is impossible to pirate unless you are a millonaire: VINYL LPS. A pressing machine costs a fortune and nobody has it home to make pirate vinyls. I have always thought that this issue of fighting pirated card or paper models is a lost battle no matter what is done. So based on principles, the only thing to do is buy legally, or download legal free models like those offered here, or switch to plastic models. Almost impossible to pirate due to extremely high costs of moulds and injection machines.

[Doubting Thomas]

Guys and Gals,

Why can't paper modelers do like the publishing companies do?
Which is have a "Sample" and then only have the full kit obtainable from
the designer/producer...at the proper cost or membership from their website.

The trick here is the sample has errors. ie: the original test plane that has buggs
or problems that still need to be worked out.

If the pirates get a hold of one of the error test ones and sell it , the people
buying the pirated kit will find out that its "bad" and not able to build it.
They have spent money to buy it and will not spend money again...maybe.

I don't think the pirates are going to correct something
that doesn't work or even has missing parts.

I do realize that someone could purchase a legitimate kit
from the designer/publisher and then put it back up on
the internet. So we are back at square one with the pirates.

But it is an idea that nobody else has written about on our
forum.

Jeff

[airdave]

Originally Posted by Doubting Thomas

Guys and Gals,

Why can't paper modelers do like the publishing companies do?
Which is have a "Sample" and then only have the full kit obtainable from
the designer/producer...at the proper cost or membership from their website.

The trick here is the sample has errors. ie: the original test plane that has buggs
or problems that still need to be worked out.
...

Jeff

The sample is publicly available, while the legit file has to be requested.
Good idea if your distribution is limited.

Otherwise your days and weeks will be devoted to personally handling dozens/hundreds/thousands of requests.
For "free-public access" kits, this could be a lot of work.

I agree with the idea of "membership" access though.
I have limited distribution of a number of my own "free" models through my forum.
You are required to register and become a member of the forum to get access to certain file downloads.
When you register, I have your name, IP, email, and location.
Information that is kept private and generally ignored by me,
unless I need to track you down for unauthorized distribution of my models.

Unfortunately many "pirates" still don't care.
We have registered members here (already identified as pirates) who openly copy and trade any model found here.

And, this is all after the fact for OP...since OP already has had his models "pirated".

[ETG]

I could start selling my models, commercially. Only printed versions.
But I can't because in that case copyrights (what's in a word ?) start to apply.
I never had any trouble with NASA, McDonnell, Boeing, ATK, etc...etc... because my website was a non-profit website.
Once I start selling models, ANYTHING with a logo on it, or a brand name, or a rocket or satellite with a typical shape, is protected by copy rights.
Since I am not Chinese I could get in trouble.
The only models I could ever sell without any problem are the fantasy models and who's waiting for those......???
I stopped 'feeding' the Chinese. Too sad but for me it is the only option.
But like I said before, I have other hobbies. I'll be fine.
Too bad also about the other 20 or 30 models I still have on the drawing board. Most of them will never see the digital daylight.

More rice, anyone......????

_______
Erik

[airdave]

This is the BIGGEST misconception around here.

Whether you are selling or not, copyright is copyright.
You think NASA hasn't bothered you for using their logo because you are a non-profit?
Wrong.
NASA hasn't bothered you because they don't know about you, or they haven't found you yet.
They may not even care, when they find you...I don't know.
But their logo (and other things related) are copyrighted and they will protect those things regardless of whether you are making money or not.

To be honest, its the companies that pay to use corporate names and logos, like big plastic model companies,
that will cause you the biggest headache (if you somehow interfere with their sales and profits)

I agree, that by not selling something, you get less attention from corporations
and you can argue ignorance when they do come after you.
There is also a basis for argument with historical usage of military logos,
even those these too are copyrighted.

But the fact is a "copyright" is the legal ownership and protection of a something.
It has nothing to do with retail, money, sales and/or profits.

..........
The fact that model designers make next to nothing on the sale of paper models is probably the biggest reason they get away with it.
Nobody will ever get rich selling paper models! lol
I share a lot of free models, but I started selling some paper models to help pay for my hobby.
I wanted to generate a small amount of income to cover my own hobby expenses.
And it just barely does that.
If any corporation came after me for the $12 I earned last year using their name or logo, I will gladly pass it along.
But they will come after me, if I put out a model in large quantities, and sell a lot of them...and the model somehow defames or shines a bad light on that corporation.

[airdave]

You guys who do airline related models should submit your work to the various airline companies.
I bet most will be flattered and not care about what you are doing.
(You can actually use this as a form of permission if you are ever questioned)

I bet some corporations will ask you for more...maybe even offer you a commission.
At worst, you get basic permissions, maybe even the rights, to produce a model.
At best you might get paid for it...or get the rights to sell it.

...
Just don't do what a past member did
...he had produced a model of a copyrighted subject that he distributed freely
and got the attention of the company that owns that subject and its copyrights.
They liked his work and he got commissioned to produce a model specifically for them (that they would sell retail).
But he ratted on others that were also producing models of the same subject.
The ownership company contacted those designers and demanded they stop distributing their free internet models.

[ETG]

NASA does not know I exist....?????
I have been doing business with them since 2000...2001...!!!
And on my statistics page I can see they visit my website, from time to time. You better believe they know me.
I have also contacted them to get information and logos. And sometimes I got it. So instead of trying to stop me, they cooperate !! ;-)
And my design of Metop was a fully paid job for Eumetsat.
To this day, SeaLaunch was the only one who denied me any and every type of cooperation. They even warned me not to post a model
with their logos on it or they might consider taking action. This very issue was a topic, here, or on another rocket related website. That
was the reason I never posted a SeaLaunch rocket model.

And I agree: copyrights are copyrights. No matter what.
It's just a shame that in some countries, copyrights are worth less than toiletpaper.................


_______
Erik

[Petestein]

Originally Posted by airdave

You guys who do airline related models should submit your work to the various airline companies.
I bet most will be flattered and not care about what you are doing.
(You can actually use this as a form of permission if you are ever questioned)

Unfortunately you are wrong. Airlines DO bother model companies. I have two recent examples on plastic models: a) Lindberg's Sud Aviation Caravelle, a beautiful model with half transparent fuselage, dating back to 1961, has recently being reissued by Round2 Corporation, a company that now holds most of the old Lindberg moulds. They couldn't include the original Air France or United Airlines livery decals. They had to invent an "International Airlines" for the Caravelle. b) The same company, Round2 now has the old Hawk Plastics moulds. They released the beautiful DeHavilland Comet airliner. They couldn't include the original BOAC decals. They had to change the name to BOCA. Des0ite the fact that BOAC no longer exists as an airline, the name is still owned by the original proprietors. I myself think it is stupid because a plastic model that includes a real airline livery, means good propaganda for that airline.

[airdave]

I never said "airlines don't bother model companies"...? where did you read this?

I even stated in the previous post that "big" model companies may have paid to use names and logos,
because of the copyright issues.

And then you cite two examples of smaller, newer model companies reissuing older models
but not having current copyrights authority.
(The model industry is a much smaller industry now)

Okay...so?

Still nothing to do with me making a suggestion that a designer of an airliner model contact the airline he wishes to copy and see what they say?
As I said...repeating myself again...the airline company might be very agreeable...or they might not.
You won't know until you ask.

How is that me being "wrong"?

[George b]

Just saying.......