Posted on 01/31/2005 7:41:53 AM PST by pabianice
January 31, 2005: For over half a century, kits have been sold that enable military history buffs to assemble scale models of military ships, aircraft and vehicles. But that era is coming to an end, as the manufacturers of the original equipment, especially aircraft, are demanding high royalties (up to $40 per kit) from the kit makers. Since most of these kits sell in small quantities (10-20,000) and are priced at $15-30 (for plastic kits, wooden ones are about twice as much), tacking on the royalty just prices the kit out of the market. Popular land vehicles, which would sell a lot of kits, are missing as well. The new U.S. Army Stryker armored vehicles are not available because of royalty requirements. Even World War II aircraft kits are being hit with royalty demands.
This move grew out of the idea that corporations should maximize "intellectual property" income. Models of a companys products are considered the intellectual property of the owner of a vehicle design. In the past, the model kits were considered free advertising, and good public relations, by the defense firms. The kit manufacturers comprise a small industry, and the aircraft manufacturers will probably not even notice if they put many of the model vendors out of business.
Some model companies will survive by only selling models of older (like World War I), or otherwise "no royalty" items (Nazi German aircraft) and ships. But the aircraft were always the bulk of sales, and their loss will cripple many of the kit makers.
Sarcasm is lost on light weights.
Your posts speak for themselves.
Neither was Protagoras an ill-humored crank.
Good Lord, the absurd extreme would be Newport News Shipbuilding or Electric Boat charging for royalties on any ship they built getting mentioned in the Harpoon Database. That would convince me that there is a subset of lawyers involved - feminazis bent on eliminating "war toys".
That's it - A Harpoon scenario made up of a campaign on the Kola Peninsula, Blue ORBAT being a collection of My Little Pony units.
To: pabianice
Over the top.
The Profit Takers will get around to screwing everybody, sooner or later.
12 posted on 01/31/2005 9:54:40 AM CST by skeeter (OBL "Americans" won't honor any law that interferes with their pocketbooks)
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To: skeeter
LOL.
Are you taking issue with capitalism?
38 posted on 01/31/2005 10:28:35 AM CST by dmz
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To: Protagoras
The question is, where did you develop this liberal trait?
I guess I should be insulted.
Notice I said nothing about inhibiting their pursuit of profit. I do believe there are other considerations as important, sometimes even more so.
In this case, I would think that encouraging certain interests - such as in our military hardware, or simply working with their hands instead of playing video games or watching TV - in our kids would be beneficial.
But no, someone saw a chance to make a buck.
52 posted on 01/31/2005 10:42:24 AM CST by skeeter (OBL "Americans" won't honor any law that interferes with their pocketbooks)
To: Protagoras
Oh no, it's a fine conservative trait to have those attitudes.
If slavish devotion to profit making where nothing of worth is produced in exchange is the measure of conservativism then yes, you can count me out.
95 posted on 01/31/2005 11:59:02 AM CST by skeeter (OBL "Americans" won't honor any law that interferes with their pocketbooks)
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To: skeeter
If slavish devotion to profit making where nothing of worth is produced in exchange
Name such a business transaction.
is the measure of conservativism then yes, you can count me out.
You were already out.
97 posted on 01/31/2005 12:00:31 PM CST by Protagoras (No one is fit to be a master and no one deserves to be a slave. GWB 1-20-05)
When is your next garage sale?
> Neither was Protagoras an ill-humored crank.
*This* one is. What's most sad of all is that he thinks he's a wit.
Keep an eye on Ebay.
Good thing Protagoras isn't lord of all he surveys, or I'd have to pay Ebay a royalty just to have mentioned their name
Worse, I can't discern a point amidst all that 'wit'.
I’ve noticed that few are available that are Made in America.
Sounds like more brilliant management from our country's current crop of idiot baby-boomer MBAs. These guys would rather have $40 royalty each on 0 sales than $2 royalty each on 20,000 sales. Pinheads.
I guess I'd better get busy and take care of my "To Acquire" list.
Might even pick up some speculative LE prints for the future...
I perfer curmudgeon.
What's most sad of all is that he thinks he's a wit.
I'm no wit, but you are a twit.
Guess I'm a poet too.
That does seem to be the problem doesn't it?
> I can't discern a point amidst all that 'wit'.
I could say that the point was atop his head, but that would be stooping to his rather low level.
Humanity never fails to astonish me with the diversity of whackos that evolution has produced. This is a new one... the "opposition to eternal copyright of public domain stuff is anti-Conservative" ranks way up there.
Shhhh... don't give them ideas.
> I perfer curmudgeon.
And you think that what *you* prefer matters, do you? Aw, poor little troll...
> Guess I'm a poet too.
Find the nearest truck-stop bathroom stall and start publishing.
Thats the problem with applying authoritative tenants to every issue. Leaves no room for logic.
> Thats the problem with applying authoritative tenants to every issue. Leaves no room for logic.
SHHH! Quiet! Don't say such things, or you'll be accused of moral reletivism!!!
I wonder if such glittering intellects as Pro's recognize that there is a fundamental difference between selling a drawing of a drawing, and selling a drawing of a machine that was made to serve some non-being-drawn function. What sort of mind does it take to believe that he needs to be paid every time someone else makes a nickle?
If someone started makign knock-off 737's or B-52's, then there's a clear case. But making a *model* of a 737 or B-52? Where the hell does it end? If I market a globe, do I have to pay a royalty to the UN or France?
"These guys would rather have $40 royalty each on 0 sales than $2 royalty each on 20,000 sales. Pinheads."
That may be the case but don't discount the fact that there may be collusion with one or more model builders who want exclusive rights to market certain models. If the unauthorized users are knocked out of the competition, the authorized marketers can charge higher prices and pass on a higher royalty to the trademark/copyright owner.
I helped enforce trademarks at a university years ago. We had to constantly act on unauthorized users, usually only securing a written agreement that the mark was used by permission and perhaps a token royalty. But if we didn't police the mark, it would be lost, or worse, we would not be able to stop some manufacturer from using our trademark on something we definitely didn't want our name associated with, such as pornographic products. (It's one reason Barbie spends a lot of time in court.) This appears to be what happened with Union Pacific and the model railroad people. They were satisfied with acknowledgment of trademark and token payment to preserve the mark.
But back to the industry rivalry. Don't be surprised if one model airplane company becomes the authorized distributor and the royalty drops considerably once the competition is out of the way. It is not that unusual.
And pinheads they may be but most of the time they only want to temporarily maim the golden goose, not kill it.
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