# Real vs. models



## Pisis (Sep 29, 2005)

Interesting:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/27/eveningnews/main887340.shtml



Cheers,
Pisis


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## Lou IV (Sep 29, 2005)

Pisis said:


> Interesting:
> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/27/eveningnews/main887340.shtml
> Cheers,
> Pisis



(Real aircraft manufacturers demanding royalties from model companies such as Revell, Monogram, Airfix, etc. for likenesses of their products)

Not interesting - sad!

Yes, this fight has been going on for some time now. Unfortunately a sign of the times when "money is king".

I think the model companies have a good point -that they don't owe the aircraft manufacturers a penny since government contractors are paid with taxpayer money to develop their designs for the good of the country.

At this time some model kits are licensed, some are not. Same goes for decals. Finescale Modeler had a recent article about this and how much the licensing actually adds to the cost of the model. I don't recall the amount, but I'm pretty sure it was less than one US dollar.

There were problems with airliner models in the 80's as well. Boeing was demanding royalities and threatening to sue. Result: model kits on shelves with "Boeing" crossed out or missing altogether! Also airlines vs. decals (even defunct airlines). In contrast it was rumoured that Airbus actually paid Airfix to make a model of the A-300!

Still, I think it's absurd. It's a hobby. It's a MODEL of an F-15, not a real F-15.

I think most modelers are not millionaires, and most plastic model manufacturers are not Fortune 500 companies (correct me if I'm wrong). If anything, people want to build a model of something because they admire it, not because they want to make bootleg copies of it and sell it.

What's next - a license from the manufacturer of the aircraft weapons, tires, lights, paint and windows as well?

Glad I'm fairly well "stocked up" with model kits right now!

. . . just an excuse to legally extort money from people. Very, very sad.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Sep 30, 2005)

yeah i quite enjoy models myself, whilst i don't live in america i would be pretty annoyed if i had to pay more beacuse of this, i make the models because i admire the planes, i mean people younger than me (i'm 15) make these models it's not fair on them or any of us...........


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## cheddar cheese (Sep 30, 2005)

Pretty retarded, a six year old doesnt make F-15's to sell them does he...Unless he's a particularly smart 6 year old with Entrepreneur aspirations...


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Sep 30, 2005)

but even if he does sell them on he's not doing the defence industry any harm is he............


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## cheddar cheese (Sep 30, 2005)

Quite the opposite...could inspire many people to join up...


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## me262 (Sep 30, 2005)

that is bull s***!!!!
we are doing them a favor by showing the hardware they have.
the they will have to pay US ( of we) for the adversaitment 
what do you think?


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## evangilder (Sep 30, 2005)

To quote my English friends, it's a load of bollocks.


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## Nonskimmer (Sep 30, 2005)

Personally I think they're full of sh*t, that's what I think. But then again I'm no legal eagle. 

Computer game developers have been going through this for a while (Pacific Fighters anyone?) with warplanes that have been out of production for decades. Grumman for one apparently wants royalties for the use of planes such as the Avenger, Wildcat, and Hellcat in computer games.


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## evangilder (Sep 30, 2005)

Ridiculous! My reply to that: :fist:


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## Nonskimmer (Sep 30, 2005)

They've finally figured out that there's actually money to be made there. Flight sims are growing in popularity again, and model planes have been popular forever. Quite honestly, I wonder what took them so long to pull this kind of stuff. Not that I'm pleased about it. Believe me, I'm not.


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## evangilder (Sep 30, 2005)

I don't understand the sudden greediness of these manufacturers. Since it was US tax dollars that bought and paid for the building of these aircraft, perhaps they should pay _us_ for promoting these. Now, if they were taking that money and dropping it into history and aviation museums, it might be okay. I am wondering when they might start charging a licensing fee for flying the airplanes at airshows. 

Greedy dickheads.


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