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Write your congressman!
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 1:31 pm
by CW4USARMY
All,
See quoted article below:
This could be good for all involved (except the Defense contractors)
Quote
The NDAA, including the requirement that the Defense Secretary prohibit
defense contractors from requiring licenses or charging fees for the
manufacturing, distribution or sale of model toy replicas of military
equipment, passed the U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon. This is
a significant victory for fairness and common sense. Our next step is to
make sure that this provision remains intact as the bill goes to conference
with the Senate. Rep. Andrews will continue to work hard to make sure that
this becomes law.
We all encourage US modelers to contact their representatives and
congressmen to ensure that HR 4806, The Military Toy
Replica Act, stays in the 2007 Defense Bill.
end quote
Write them an email now!!
Thanks,
Andy
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 1:59 pm
by aferguson
i don't have a congressperson.....but i'm all for it.

Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:24 pm
by aktiger
Ferg,
Don't most Canadians feel they are in the 51st state?

Up here in the 49th state, most people feel more akin to Canada than to the rest of the US. Must be the cold weather...or the hockey...or both!
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:31 pm
by aferguson
51st state? No not really. We have free medical care and except for the occassional chilly winter the climate is pretty mild mannered. No hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, mud slides, volcanoes etc etc etc.

Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:34 pm
by Moth
To the point...
Does that mean BBI, and 21st Century cannot make any more planes and tanks?
At all, or just american ones?
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:39 pm
by flpickupman
It would mean that BBI and 21st could produce anything they wanted, whenever they wanted without having to pay or ask permission.

Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:41 pm
by Jolly Roger
what it means, is that lockheed, boeing cannot charge licensing fee's and or make companies pay for the right to use thier models for toys and models
which means 21st, BBI, and Admiral wont have to spend as much to make these birds, or ask permission to make them!!!!!!
WOOT!!!
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:51 pm
by Moth
Always count on me to be as pesimist...
That's great, now the company's have better chances to make F-4 Phantom's, A-10's, F-14's and what the hell ever else they want!
(Not that I want an A-10, but it is good for you!)
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:33 pm
by lablksmith
aferguson wrote:51st state? No not really. We have free medical care and except for the occassional chilly winter the climate is pretty mild mannered. No hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, mud slides, volcanoes etc etc etc.

Where the heck is Canada, anyway?

Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:48 pm
by KAGNEW
Boeing is the worst
they want money for models of planes like Dauntlas,DC-3, P-51, B-25, B-1B, Etc,
just because they bought the companies that built them.
talk about royalties.
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:23 pm
by hworth18
KAGNEW wrote:Boeing is the worst
they want money for models of planes like Dauntlas,DC-3, P-51, B-25, B-1B, Etc,
just because they bought the companies that built them.
talk about royalties.
And the funny thing about that is that the Government paid for them... Our/parents/grandparents tax dollars/bonds paid for them, not the companies..

Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:42 pm
by aferguson
which i guess is why they are banning companies from charging royalties. This will be a good thing for sure but i suspect the impact will be fairly minor to us. Still, good news.
Oh, and Canada is a little island floating somewhere way up north in the Arctic Ocean.

yup
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:54 pm
by digger
aferguson wrote:which i guess is why they are banning companies from charging royalties. This will be a good thing for sure but i suspect the impact will be fairly minor to us. Still, good news...

I was going to say the exact same thing - do you think Stevens, 21st or bbi will in turn lower prices on our end? Ha!
It might allow more obscure birds to be explored but I wouldn't expect to see the WM price drop down to 37.98...

Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 7:22 pm
by KAMIKAZE
Anything that keeps our toy distributers
in business is going to be good for us in the long run. I just E-mailed my congressman. I think this rule was stupid to begin with. The Krupp steel family in Germany doesn't get royalties from Tiger tank models, Why should someone like Lockheed get them? Just my opinion.
Mark
should clear that comment up
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 7:35 pm
by digger
Don't get me wrong - I'm with you guys, and agree what is good for them is in the end good for us.
Now to figure out who to email...
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 7:55 pm
by Morian Miner
Yeah, I know where Canada is, but don't know my congressman.
Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 5:14 am
by jeffrowse
Does this tie in at all with the thing I posted in the Reference forum about DoD stopping the contractors using US Armed Forces markings in their publicity material? I know it's not a direct link but it's a similar sort of thing and the timing's pretty close...
I wouldn't expect the price of the models to drop too much, especially in the short term, since the things still cost the same to make (with the impending oil shortage British oil companies keep using to push up the price at the petrol pump, plastic could soon start costing more so the models will start costing more too...)
Hopefully I'll be wrong and the price will drop drastically... then all I need to do is figure out how to ship a dozen or so models back after my next holiday Stateside...

Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 6:08 am
by KAGNEW
I don't look for them to drop, but maybe rise a little slower.
a friend who works at Revell-Monogram told me a couple of years ago
that a 1/24 model of a Nascar car, time all royalties were paid added $2.25 to each kit.
so if added to each $10.00 kit that would make retail $12.25.
the motor co. gets a cut, the team gets a cut, and some sponsors (STP,Goodyear,etc)

get theres also.
Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 6:58 am
by Threetoughtrucks
It would certinaly be to our advantage to find out how our congresspeople feel about this bill.
And Canada, yea, I know where that is, that's the place that is at the other end of the Niagara Falls and allows us to protect them should Russian's attack, Oh, sorry that's not gonna happen anymore.....how about we protect them if Alien's attack North America......no, not "illegal aliens", ALIEN ALIENS.....
You remember, Canada used to be our friends and allies, now they don't like us because we disrespect them by flooding the airwaves with American reaity TV shows and hiphop music..........hey, I don't like those either, maybe I should move up there, Hey?? Good air, good ale and moses, how can you go wrong.
TTT
Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 7:21 am
by luftpanzer
Free medical in Canada? Maybe we should right our gongress about becoming a province of Canada. Hell we could be the buffer province between Mexico and Canada. Keep all the Illegals out of Canada. Hehe

Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 8:23 am
by aferguson
Actually, i saw an episode of Myth Busters and apparently illegal aliens from Canada are catipulting themselves across the Canada/US border into the states. They were testing the validity of the catipulting myth.
It was all news to me...especially since about 99% of the border is ungaurded and unfenced so why not just walk across?
And we've been working on technology to jam US Reality TV shows from entering our airspace, for years. But to no avail. In fact we now have our own, copycat Reality TV shows.

Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 12:10 pm
by luftpanzer
I actualy knew som illegal aliens from Canada in Florida. Nice looking gal. Blended right in with white America, You would never think she was an illegal alien. Oops I mean Undocumented worker.hehe
Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 1:35 pm
by aktiger
Canadian reality TV?! What, with Bob and Doug, heh? Testing the latest batch of Labatts! Maybe shopping for some tuques!
Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 4:21 pm
by aferguson
First of all it's 'eh' not 'heh' and second no, Bob and Doug are not around any more. It's mostly copies of US Reality TV. There's Canadian Idol and Canada's Top Model etc. Blech.

Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 6:27 pm
by aktiger
Sorry, eh.