More Copyright Questions

[D-H]

No, don't groan, it is important. Our hobby and its market is tiny and margins for designers and publishers are small. It is important that the originators of models get the rewards the deserve and, perhaps more importantly, that others be they ignorant or mendacious do not steel the intellectual property designers/publishers have worked hard to create.

I have recently become really, really annoyed with pirates on a well known internet auction site and the host's apparent lack of interest in removing blatantly, self-advertised pirated material. I'll be policing my national auction site again in a few minutes and reporting any likely pirates I see.

Also I have just read the following thread on the BBC web site:

BBC News - Consumers 'confused by copyright'

While aimed at a slightly different media and products it raises yet more questions.

Is it technically illegal for you or I to copy a printed model in case of mistakes? The implication in the article is that that the change in media, from paper to digital is the issue. A colour photocopy for personal use, would not be infringing the law?

Is this the route that the big recording and publishing companies will take to smash the peer to peer rapid-share style pirates? Or, for that matter, Google Books!

Please take the time to give your views or vent your spleen!

David

[doctormax]

my understanding of copyright it lasts for a certain amount of time in any case. For example some guy has now written a book with zombies in Jane Eyre. The copyright on many of the great works of litrature is out now and anyone can alter them without any troubles. Where designers have to think if they copyright something they have to check what the copyright time limit is. then when the date comes for the coverage of copyright to end they have to re copyright the items, otherwise when the copyright is up then anyone can copy them.

Ok I checked any item copyrighted after 1978 is copyright for the persons lifetime plus 70 years if copyrighted before 1978 the copyright last 28 years and the person has to reissue copyright in the 28 year for a further 28 years then the copyright is finished. So really any designer todays work is covered for their lifetime plus 70 years so anyone breaking the copyright of such works is breaking the designer or artists or person who registered the copyrights in the first place

[D-H]

Thanks for the legal insight.

I have come across this rule when copying architects plans and drawings. It has been my responsibility to get permission and ensure I am not infringing the intellectual property of A N Other.

Micro Models then would be out of copyright... except that an organisation might a. own the name; b. reissue original material and thus trip the new rules?

David

[airdave]

The bottom line is the people who know they are doing something wrong and don't care.
Its not about the guy who decides to swap copies with his model buddy.

I say forget the technicalities of whether it has a valid copyright or not
and just admit when you know its not yours and take responsibility for that.

and so:
1. you shouldn't copy it and try to redistribute it as your own property.
2. you shouldn't try to make money from it without permission.

It has been shown and agreed over and over, that copying an item for your own personal use (ie backup copies, reformatting) is acceptable.

I also know, from direct experience with a copyright case,
that the companies involved put it in writing that they could not stop and had to allow
the copying and distribution of their items within family members.


I think your question is "can I make my own back up copies"
or "keep the original and build a copy".
Or even "save a copy and rebuild it again, later".
Or, what about "make a copy for my Son so he can build one too?"
?
Of course this is acceptable!...and anyone trying to say it isn't would have a very difficult time proving copyright infringement or malice against the copyright owner.

[Tirick]

The waters are also fairly muddied by the varying laws around the world, and the broad spectrum of 'acceptable' infringement. I am in many cases much more concerned with someone passing my work off as their own or making money off my work (without recompense), than my work being distributed for free (in the case of pay models) by someone 'pirating'.

In most instances the pursuit is frustrating I imagine, as there is no retribution, only the specific case removals (when even found).

[Art Deco]

I think it would be wise practice for all designers, including those who design free models, to put a simple copyright notice ( e.g. "(c) copyright John Doe Designs, 2010") and a URL or email address on (at least) the first parts page of every model. That way it's clear and obvious, and it is easy to contact the designer.

That certainly won't stop a pirate, but it forces them to edit the graphics (speed bump for lazy pirates), or may tip off someone who unknowingly buys a pirated model.

[doctormax]

Originally Posted by Art Deco

I think it would be wise practice for all designers, including those who design free models, to put a simple copyright notice ( e.g. "(c) copyright John Doe Designs, 2010") and a URL or email address on (at least) the first parts page of every model. That way it's clear and obvious, and it is easy to contact the designer.

That certainly won't stop a pirate, but it forces them to edit the graphics (speed bump for lazy pirates), or may tip off someone who unknowingly buys a pirated model.

best thing about designers that do that you go to their site and find out other models they have done and some have tutorials which is great for the hobby. Won't get a pirate giving tuturials or giving advice on what they used how they researched for their design. These or the things I love about designers they like if you show them some source they can use to update a model.

[Zathros]

Originally Posted by Tirick

The waters are also fairly muddied by the varying laws around the world, and the broad spectrum of 'acceptable' infringement. I am in many cases much more concerned with someone passing my work off as their own or making money off my work (without recompense), than my work being distributed for free (in the case of pay models) by someone 'pirating'.

In most instances the pursuit is frustrating I imagine, as there is no retribution, only the specific case removals (when even found).

Your statement implies the reality that a pirate would not have purchased your model. I believe this is more than likely the case. You assertions about "work being passed on as theirs" is right on the money. This is the part that really stinks. It is also the part would could in a small way take care of piracy. A moral person knowing that the model they have is unethical to build because it did not come from a proper source could probably expressed in the models instructions. This would keep an honest person honest. I think that is all that could be done, other than places like Ebay and Rapidshare keeping tabs on pirated materials, which won't happen because it is not in there business interests.

[Maltedfalcon]

Originally Posted by D-H

Micro Models then would be out of copyright... except that an organisation might a. own the name; b. reissue original material and thus trip the new rules?

David

David, A couple things, Remember there is US copyright laws and UK copyright laws (as well as copyright laws for every other country) Basically the copyright laws that effect the item are the laws of the country where the item was originally created.

In the case of Micromodels the UK, UK copyrights are actually much stricter than US copyrights.

company names are affected by trade mark laws not copyright.

[2Kamser]

just a thought
if i buy a model and make copies to build from, in order to have the original intact if i do anything wrong or if i want to rebuild it later
well if i do that but later come to the conclusion i don't want to do it again, and i want to sell the original because i want to buy another model
will i then have to destroy my model built on the copies or can i keep it
myself would say yes as then you don't own the original any more