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Govt. trying to get $$$ from our hobby...

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Govt. trying to get $$$ from our hobby...
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 7:07 PM
Saw a story tonight on CBS New. It seems that either the US Govt. or the aircraft manufacturers are trying to get the model manufacturers to pay a fee for using their blueprints and plans of US aircraft to make the models. Of course, the cost of this would be passed on to us in having to charge more for the kits.

The owner of Revell says this is ridiculous. He says since the aircraft are manufactured using taxpayers $ that it is insane to try to pass additional costs to the consumer. We have already paid enough!

AMEN!
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: ...Ask the other guy, he's got me zeroed-in...
Posted by gringe88 on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 8:37 PM
this is something that has been passed around for a while here. its much more extensive than that. you should see some of the stuff race car builders are dealing with. there are several posts here about it. check around, there should also be one stickied at the top of this topic
====================================== -Matt
  • Member since
    July 2005
  • From: Vancouver,Canada
Posted by clairnet_person on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 8:42 PM
sorry to burst your bubble there but only military aircraft are paid for by the taxpayers.
Current builds: Monogram P-40B Revell F-15E
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Northern Indiana
Posted by overkillphil on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 9:43 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by Clarnet_person

sorry to burst your bubble there but only military aircraft are paid for by the taxpayers.

Yes, we pay for military aircraft directly, but a lot of civilian development and procurement is underwritten in some form by the government.
my favorite headache/current project: 1/48 Panda F-35 "I love the fact that dumb people don't know who they are. I hope I'm not one of them" -Scott Adams
  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Utereg
Posted by Borg R3-MC0 on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 3:45 AM
There are already some licensed kits out there, for instance the Tamiya 1/32 F-16 and the new Italeri Chinook.

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 3:56 AM
Makes me wonder:
When would the fee be due? If the model is really precise? Or when the box states the official name (like CH-47 in case of the chinook)?
If it is the latter: this problem could easily be oumanouvered. You would just buy Tamiya kit nr. 658a02j.12 - which in the modeling underground scene sneakily is referred to as chinook.
If it is the first one: let's make inaccurate models! Yeah so it has got two rotors on top. It has two large wings (part 98 to 116) on either side of the chopper, both full with extra engines and loads of missiles.
Again: the underground modeling scene claims that without assembly of part nr. 98 to 116 and filling the tiny wing-mouting gaps, a rather accurate chopper - aka as Chinook - is the result.

If it eveer comes this far: I think I'll levy flight taxes for everyone that flies over my house/garden. For everone taking a peak at my house, a fee will be due as well. Whoever will be making a model of my house, taking a picture of my house and/or licenceplate of my car; I'll sue them to the end of the earth.
yeah, let's all join the club of making life less fun, and hobby ruining. Maby make a new hobby out of it itself...
  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by DURR on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 7:26 AM
the gov should realize the size of this hobby is not overly large and any negative interferance on their part is going to shrink the hobby more and Maybe cause job losses in the end but i forgot the gov never realizes anything till it is too late
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:18 AM
It looks like a successful argument has not been made for the free advertising that models provide. If the companies get shut down, I'll just build the kits I have and do more scratchbuilding. Also, I believe some or all copyrights have a statute of limitations. This would then give rise to more historic models. I'm not sure that's a bad thing. We could do with a bit more of learning from our past.

Brian
  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by DURR on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 11:15 AM
the copyrights for certain items vary but run up to 125 yrs and there are even some fine print that makes thing worse
  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Philadelphia
Posted by jblittle254 on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:52 PM
Well, this is certainly a good argument for those people (like me) who have built up an insanely large surplus of kits. Five years from now when all the new kits are of imaginery planes, we'll have plenty of kits to keep us occupied! Tongue [:P]

-Jonathan
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:55 PM
Jonathan-the copyright police will bust down your door and break your fingers! ;-)
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Nashotah, WI
Posted by Glamdring on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:15 PM
Like the little known-yet-very-good movie Equilibrium, have the culture police ransack and burn all artifacts deemed contrary to public welfare?

Robert 

"I can't get ahead no matter how hard I try, I'm gettin' really good at barely gettin' by"

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Where the coyote howl, NH
Posted by djrost_2000 on Saturday, October 1, 2005 7:24 PM
What is insane about car models is that they often have to get licensing for every little decal on the car. In other words if the racing car has a Hooters decal, the kit maker has to get licensing from Hooters.
So what will that eventually mean for military models? You may see the makers of all the subassemblies like engines, ejection seats, tires etc. etc. come forward and demand a licensing fee as well.
Where does this madness end?

Dave
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, October 1, 2005 9:24 PM
It has gotten so bad with the car kits that this year Revell has stopped producing tires with the Goodyear name and logo. Apparently AMT is soon to follow. Goodyear licencing fees must be excessive.
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