 | | Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
Has anybody ever sold just instructions for an MOC they'll built. If so are there any legal ramifications of doing so, especially in the context of using LDraw/MLcad to generate the images? Due to an overwhelming demand for two of my MOC outside the (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
I DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE GUILD OF BRICKSMITHS...just lil' ol' me :-) Those models are awesome (and I'm not a big mecha fan)...I can see why you have a demand for instructions. If the demand is already there then by all means make them. (...) possible. (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) Yep. I've bought a set of instructions. The kit sellers do it all the time (of course they include the parts also...). (...) I believe not, this was one of the things which was a factor in the licensing discussion for LDraw. (...) I think it's (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) No. (URL) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
Based on what is shown in the message Tim links to (below), it would seem that the unique instructions you might create with such programs are your property, in much the same way as a document written in MSWord is owned by the author, not the (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) I actually have 5 of these kits made right now, the first two of which are on Ebay right now. I would have liked to have made a decent production run of these but sourcing was a extremely time consuming and expensive process. (...) I've been (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) Thanks for the advice. I intend to protect myself the best I can although I definitely expect priracy to run rampant if I produce digital instructions. I suppose that is another reason to go with printed copies since it requires a lot more (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) Tell the Guild something it doesn't know! :-) Is it ever! (...) Answered offline. (...) I think you should give this a whirl. Whenever I do the numbers it doesn't make sense for me, but your mileage may vary and we'll all learn from your (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) Cool. Keep us posted. I have one friend who was big into Robotech, and slightly interested in Lego. He might have interest in your instructions also. I just had one more thought, especially if your target customers are not regular AFOLs: You (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) In general, no. But in your case, I suspect there is a problem. Not with LDraw/MLcad, but with the fact that you are modeling a toy with its own copyright and trademark issues. I don't think that Robotech toys or other products are currently (...) (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) If this is the case, then how are the 'Bricksmiths' getting by? Don't they use the same LEGO bricks in their sets? Regards, Allan B. (23 years ago, 18-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) I don't know the answer to this particular question, but I do think it's an excellent idea. I mentioned something similar just the other day: (URL)If so are there any legal ramifications of doing so, especially in the (...) The only concern (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) Good advice. And I am not such an atty. but here's what I think... If you don't call it specifically what they call it, and it is only modelled after a thing, but is not in it's precise appearance or construction the thing itself, you can (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
Allan Bedford wrote in message ... (...) The problem is not the LEGO bricks, but the thing he is proposing to make a model of and sell. Kevin ---...--- NEW Tank Engine custom train set: (URL) Annual SYSTEM Creativity Contest: (URL) Lego Kits & (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) Could you explain how you see these two situations as being similar? If I understand what William says in his post he is saying there may be an issue with Sun making models of some sort of trademarked toy - Robotech. Meaning literally that (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) He's not suggesting using Lego is an issue, he's suggesting that modeling Robotech toys might be an issue. HTH James (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) I apologize. I completely misunderstood William's post. Not his fault, but mine. I thought he was referring to the idea of putting out instructions for pieces (LEGO) to which someone else owned the patent. Apologies to all. I wasn't trying to (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) I saw this paragraph and thought William was referring to LEGO as the 'toy'. My mistake. (...) I missed this paragraph somehow in my initial read. Ooops. (...) Precisely. My mistake entirely. I apologize again. Regards, Allan B. (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) If you made a model of a Lego product (supersized minifig sculpture, etc.) out of Lego and tried to sell it, they'd probably come after you. But using Lego bricks as a medium is OK. The issue isn't the medium, it's what is produced - an image (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) All points well taken. This is some good discussion. I definitely might be infringing on copyrights in some way by producing a Lego toy based on someone elses intellectual property. I'm very familar with the Harmony Gold's(copyright owner) (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) I think technically yes. For the most part, building, automobile, train, airplane, and ship manufacturers (things which are regularly modeled) are all pretty open to scale models. These scale models don't cut into their business at all, and if (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) I think technically no. Again, I am not an atty. and this is not legal advice, but despite not having current access to Westlaw/Nexus/Lexus I have a fairly educated opinion about these things... Companies have copyrights, trademarks, and (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) It varies. For example NS is quite open, approving use of their logo and color scheme as well as "tribute" logos like the NCLTC uses, for use by clubs, and UP isn't nearly as open as NS is, not nearly at all, they shunt you to their marketing (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
this is a good question. i've been publishing instructions on my site for a few years now. at the beginning i wondered if i should sell the instructions and even wondered if there would be demand (folks buy the official models, have all of the (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) Nor am I, as a note of disclaimer. Although I have researched copyright law in the past for other things... (...) No, considering all the different games and media that use the word "Mech" and its concept. Furthermore, the particular Robotech (...) (23 years ago, 19-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
Sun, I'm not in the know so much about the custom industry, as I'm just getting into it, but I would be interested in buying instructions, maybe not of the Valk. but defintily of your Zaku, but that's beside the point. I think that doing them in (...) (23 years ago, 20-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
| |
| | Re: Selling MOC Instructions? Your Thoughts?
|
|
(...) That is a fantastic suggestion!!! I don't know why I didn't think that before. Printable version on the cd, genius!!! PDF will probably be the best format to go with as it has good image quality, is printable, and cannot be modified. I can (...) (23 years ago, 20-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
|
