Re: What happened to BBI?
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 11:00 pm
It has nothing to do with not liking the hobby. You are seeing product still out there due to contracts running on a time frame and lot runs. I know this complex to understand. That's why lawyers do this stuff. The UK just passed the law last year, and now forbids the use of anything that is an insignia, badge, flash, or logo of the UK Military. That means flags, roundels, insignia, flashes, badges, ribbons, bars......that is thousands of items. This is a Law....there is no licensing or use of them allowed period. It is not up for interpretation or debate. You cant even make them for use in our own home. This makes no sense and has nothing to do with China or money...Coreyeagle48 wrote:AV-8B:
I hate to tell you but this has been going on long before 2009. In the case of Disney, it has been going on for years. I am an educator and I remember hearing stories about Disney running around the Florida area looking for teachers and schools hanging Disney characters the kids made on classroom windows and trying to sue them. I remember Disney also trying to prevent schools from showing their movies during movie days in the school and stuff like that. Disney, as well as some other companies, have taken a very hard line on this. Other companies are not so hard line. It really depends on who you are dealing with.
I really believe the reason companies have began to pursue licensing is because of the money involved and that there are so many knock off products coming in from China these days. It is really bad and companies are getting fed up with it. The bad part of this is, if a company is selling knock off IPhones for example and someone buys one, then it blows up in their face...they aren't going to sue the knock off company, they are going to sue Apple. In many cases these knock offs look so close to the original people don't even know it. It is scary and companies are having to take drastic steps to protect their names and their brand. Licensing is also going to follow capitalism...I am sure if a company charges too much in licensing fees...no one will want to make any products representing their brand and the company will have to rethink how much they charge for licensing. I may be in the minority here, but I would rather buy a product that has been licensed by Boeing, Lockheed Martin because I know the company that made it took the appropriate and legal steps to obtain the rights to make that product. But that is just me. And honestly, I think if someone uses your stuff without permission...you have the right to sue them. I do photography, and if I found any of my copyrighted work in a publication or project without my permission...guess what...the person/company would be ordered to remove it or I would pursue them legally. Period.
I really don't know why you think the hobby is in such decline. I recently went to the bookstore and looked through model magazines. I was also at a recent IPMS meeting. There were many great builds at this show from a variety of people and the excitement and level of interest in the hobby seemed good. When looking through the magazines at the store, there were many great models and accessories available from a lot of great manufacturers. I also think the companies are starting to finally cater to people who want to build models differently. For example, I noticed those prebuilt kits which are advertised for kids to build with parents do really well at airshows I attend. I also noticed the Airfix kits that have everything included do very well at the local Barnes and Noble. I built the Battle of Britain set that I got on clearance and built it straight from the box. It was neat to do and while it wasn't pro quality, it was a fun project and the results were very decent for something built straight from the box. I really hate to tell you but the model interest seems to be alive and well given what I saw at this show and in the magazines I just read.
Now, I have no idea what is going on between yourself and Nick, you and Danny, and I have no clue if you made that Fokker or not. The one thing I do know is that you have a generally negative attitude toward everyone here as well as the hobby. Which makes me wonder, why are you even doing the hobby? If you hate it so much, and its coming to an end, and people are suing and the hobby is dying...why are you involved? If it were me and the hobby made me this upset and angry, I would leave it. You are entitled to your views and no one is saying you aren't, but the negative attitude displayed in some of your posts and toward the members here, some of them long-time members with a wonderful reputation, is disappointing and is not in the spirit of this forum. I would have thought that would have been conveyed to you after your argument with Nick...but I guess the message didn't sink in.
We like having you here, but please stop with the negativity and the attitude. It is uncalled for and not in the spirit of the forum or which it was created.
I don't hate the hobby, I don't like what read is happening... Yes, it does go on before 2009.. a lot of it started in 2005 when 3D printers first started to become commercially affordable... but...also when many defense companies began to merge.
Others are putting licensing fees so outrageous that it is impractical to buy, and be profitable. These Corporations know it so why are they doing it.?
A few here seem to understand what is going on, but in other forums...people get it and see what is happening.. Lockheed basically bought FSX from Microsoft, so now they won't license much IP to other SIM developers, They also bought a commercial SIM company. They bought Sikorsky at the end of 2005, and are making huge investments in areas that look like they are trying to create some kind of monopoly for their IP. Are they going to buy Tamiya and deny any other mfg'er IP rights? From the looks of DSC...maybe....
Is this being negative or suspicious? Considering what the UK MOD did.... for no monetary reason......I'm suspicious.
As far as Disney.. Read this and you decide....
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160222- ... ffice.html