Subject:
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Re: [FA] - eBay - Lego CUSTOM: - Unique 4 axle custom Hopper
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.theory
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Date:
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Sat, 18 Dec 1999 18:13:11 GMT
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Viewed:
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2186 times
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Here's a thought;
Reverse Engineering.
Buying an 'original copy' and using the instructions to make several models is
one thing.. using what information is available to cobble together something
that looks like the original could be quite another.
Modeler A builds a hopper, fine tunes it, develops instructions, puts together
a run of kits and puts them on the market. Modeler B gets a look at a couple
photos, a single LDraw image, and some text information, and manages to slap
together a lookalike. Now if it should turn out that B's lookalike is built the
same way as A's original, obviously A has the upper hand and B is just making
ripoff copies. But, if B's looks similar and functions similarly but has a
different arrangement of parts.... Just how different is different enough?
I ask this as a hypothetical question at this point. While I have done the
above, I've only got the upper half of the car - the undercarriage eludes me
thus far (probably because I've not got any train wheels yet!). Besides, I have
no intention whatsoever of releasing a hopper like Larry's either. But this
mass (micro-mass!) production of custom designed kits rather quite intrigues
me, especially to the trains market. Perhaps down the road I, or any other
AFOL, might produce something we'd like to release, and I'm wondering what the
rights of the originator will be in the face of reverse engineering. Just how
far does the word copyright go to protect a non-TLG model?
Thoughts?
K.M.
In lugnet.market.auction, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> I am very pleased to present what I feel to be a historic lot:
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=218843966
>
> This first of 9 lots to be sold on SC, eBay and perhaps BRICKS is an
> instance of my custom hopper. Big deal, you say? True, I've sold these
> before. But this is historic because I sincerely believe that this is
> the first time ever that a model has been commercially offered
> UNASSEMBLED, and WITH INSTRUCTIONS by anyone other than LEGO.
>
> Unlike Steve Barile's offering of the Chessie (a ground breaker in
> custom trains, and a great model) and unlike Suz's offering of CEKs,
> this model actually comes with instructions showing step by step how to
> build it, and will be shipped unassembled. At the end of the
> instructions is a partslist.
>
> In theory I can begin counting out parts and never actually doing the
> assembly, simulating by hand what the TLG bagging machines do. In
> actuality, I still did the assembly to make sure the model was complete,
> but it will be sold unassembled.
>
> I'd like to thank the members of the train community for encouraging me
> in pushing the limits of what is modelable, and the members of the CAD
> community for helping me create the instructions. Special thanks go out
> to Mike Poindexter for all his help with MLCad, Steve Bliss, for all his
> general help, and to Michael Lachmann for a great program. Of course, we
> cannot forget to thank James Jessiman in spirit for making it all
> possible.
>
> I hope this sparks other members of the community to offer custom models
> in kit/instruction form.
>
> Normally I would not cross post to this diverse a newsgroup list with an
> auction announcement, but I do think it's significant. Follow ups set to
> market.theory because I think discussion of kit sales (how to foster a
> cottage industry, what sort of kits are good candidates, etc...) belongs
> there.
>
> PS, another minor first is that I think this is the first time a POVRay
> illustration has been used as a gallery picture, but that's not as
> significant as initiation of third party kit sales.
>
> --
> Larry Pieniazek larryp@novera.com http://my.voyager.net/lar
> - - - Web Application Integration! http://www.novera.com
> fund Lugnet(tm): http://www.ebates.com/ ref: lar, 1/2 $$ to lugnet.
>
> NOTE: Soon to be lpieniazek@tsisoft.com :-)
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