Language Barriers

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mrshanks

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Wanted to get this out to a larger audience since my comment was buried in someone's build log thread. I hope this helps to explain a few things you have been hearing.

We live in a very large world made smaller by the internet!!

Language barriers... Several Chinese model company's purchased Ancre drawings and used those drawings to develop models. This is perfectly legal when those models are for personal use. However, once they become "kits for sale", then a proper "commercial use" license must be purchased from Ancre. Due to language, legal and cultural differences many people in China (and elsewhere) did not know this. It was not intentional and not stealing.... it was by mistake. Uwe has helped to bridge that gap and these companies are now beginning to work together to obtain proper copyright licenses to produce their kits.

I am not sure why this has not been explained until now. It should not be a secret. There is no ugly underground pirate model building industry. We need full transparancy on this topic!

I have seen the very same mistake made by people living in the USA running small businesses who just did not understand the law. It is not a malicious crime, it is just a misunderstanding.

Regarding whether you can or cannot PURCHASE a model kit on the internet: As a CONSUMER, you can buy ANYTHING you want, and BUILD anything you want. There is no crime when it is for private personal use. If it can be puchased from Ebay, Amazon, AlliExpress or any other E-Commerce platform it is, by definition legal (International Free Trade).... If you are buying it for personal use to build your own model it is, by definition legal (Fair Use). Copyright issues are for the kit makers and sellers to worry about... not the consumer.

Do not let anyone tell you different.

Sail on.
 
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I have a few friends that are members over at the other forum that are building the ZHL Royal Caroline in the privacy of their own workshop.
They don't post about it publicly, but choose to build a model of their choice without being dictated to.
 
Spot on! I agree with everything mentioned here: It's my money, my taste, my hobby and my choice.
I was feeling sick in the gut by 'mature' men's false virtue signalling inside our hobby just to sway our attention towards their own business interests- like many others here I had to leave that other forum behind.
 
Well, one could argue that if any model company wishes to produce a model of the HMS Victory then shouldn't the UK government be
paid a percentage? After all it is their ship built in their birth with their plans. Same for any other historical ship past or present. So if I
subscribe to the piracy policy then ALL model kits of historic ships are pirated and should be banished to the netherworld. It's all in just how
far you wish to pursue a subject.

Lets take it a step further, McDonnald's invented the fast food bussiness model but I never heard of Dave Thomas paying them anything
to copy the design. The wright Bro's made the first aircraft, perhaps Boing should be paying their eirs for each aircraft they build. After all,
both of those examples are in fact internectual property are they not? I could keep going but you get the point.

Seems we broke the sound barrier in the 50's yet are no where close to breaking the language barrier any time soon.
 
The European kits just have a nicer sound to them, Ive had people ask me, who made that model kit? Spain I say.
if you say China, it sounds like just all the rest of the junk coming from there. I’d never buy one.
and Wendy’s is fast, ive been there. It’s brutal
 
Sea Burd said:
The European kits just have a nicer sound to them, Ive had people ask me, who made that model kit? Spain I say.
if you say China, it sounds like just all the rest of the junk coming from there. I’d never buy one.
and Wendy’s is fast, ive been there. It’s brutal
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Sea Burd,
I agree with your sentiments about European kits, but after building about 8 European kits by Artisana Latina, Euromodel, Solaine,and Billings, I can assure you that the top end quality kits from China are the best in the business. Their timber and fittings are vastly superior.
 
You
Sea Burd said:
The European kits just have a nicer sound to them, Ive had people ask me, who made that model kit? Spain I say.
if you say China, it sounds like just all the rest of the junk coming from there. I’d never buy one.
and Wendy’s is fast, ive been there. It’s brutal
Click to expand...
You need to check out Caf,Trident kits and others from China
 
Regarding "kits"

CAF and Trident make what I would consider current "state-of-the-art" from China. The best from Europe is Marisstella hands down!! Master Korabel from Russia is right there with Marisstella. Ever since Bob Hunt stopped making kits, Model Expo is about the best North America has to offer. The "classic" European model kit makers are all pretty much gone or stagnant. Amati's new HMS Victory won't be here at least till the end of 2021, more likely mid 2022.

Thats just my pirate opinion of course... none of what I said should be taken as fact.
 
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mrshanks said:
Regarding "kits"

CAF and Trident make what I would consider current "state-of-the-art" from China. The best from Europe is Marisstella hands down!! Master Korabel from Russia is right there with Marisstella. Ever since Bob Hunt stopped making kits, Model Expo is about the best North America has to offer in the way of kits. The "classic" European model kit makers are all pretty much gone or stagnant. Amati's new HMS Victory won't be here at least till the end of 2021.

Thats just my pirate opinion of course... none of what I said should be taken as fact.
Click to expand...
We have too many Victory kits though,there are so many ships there that can be modeled.
 
Sea Burd said:
The European kits just have a nicer sound to them, Ive had people ask me, who made that model kit? Spain I say.
if you say China, it sounds like just all the rest of the junk coming from there. I’d never buy one.
and Wendy’s is fast, ive been there. It’s brutal
Click to expand...

Spain? Artesania moved manufacturing to China to save a few euros and ended up almost losing their business.
They did have a lot of nice, user friendly kits when the Italians were producing frustrating, although very interesting kits.
But you're right; Europeans have nicer sounding countries of origin.

China is working very fast to change that. They have jumped leaps and bounds in recent years and every new kit that they produce leaves the competition in the Mariana trench as they head into the stratosphere (slight exaggeration I know).
 
Well, one could argue that if any model company wishes to produce a model of the HMS Victory then shouldn't the UK government be
paid a percentage? After all it is their ship built in their birth with their plans. Same for any other historical ship past or present. So if I
subscribe to the piracy policy then ALL model kits of historic ships are pirated and should be banished to the netherworld. It's all in just how
far you wish to pursue a subject.

if it is a ship based on an Admiralty plan in any way shape or forum it is subject to licensing if it is going to be sold as reworked plans or a commercial kit

in the US all plans held by the Smithsonian are in public domain

when i was researching the ships built at Kingston during the war of 1812 i contacted the Canadian national archives looking for the plans. They did have a copy of them but would not make copies to send to me, there reason was the plans have a copyright held by the National Maritime Museum in the UK. but if i want to go up there they would make the drawings available for personal research.


It is not a malicious crime,

nor is pirating kits as wide spread as some make it out to be. It has been blown way out of proportion. In the hundreds of kits produced world wide for the past 30 years so very few a tiny little amount can really be considered pirated and even that is questionable.

me too
That's just my pirate opinion of course... none of what I said should be taken as fact.
it's all hear say
 
Agree with you Zoly. Why can't manufactures get some imagination and produce a ship thats different to the current offerings.


actually that is exactly what is going on with the people right here on this forum connections are being make, people are working together, members are sharing their research, their drawings and files, cutting edge prototype work is being done.
it is all in the works and it will snowball as more get involved
 
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I have a few friends that are members over at the other forum that are building the ZHL Royal Caroline in the privacy of their own workshop.
They don't post about it publicly, but choose to build a model of their choice without being dictated to.


that is the truth in private models are being purchased and built regardless of all the banter going on. Like you said they just keep it to themselves.
nothing is changing people will just do what they want. All the yelling and hoop la and going on is nothing but a loud circus show and nothing more. Pay it no mind.
 
I agree with all the above,bottom line though,how does one very small group of individuals,many of us have never met,thousands of miles from many of us, think they have a right to dictate how we spend our money??My close friends don't even tell me that

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
NMBROOK said:
,how does one very small group of individuals,many of us have never met,thousands of miles from many of us, think they have a right to dictate how we spend our money
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That is just the point Nigel. They may have the "right" to express their opinion. But, they do not have the "authority" to keep you from BUILDING the models you want to.
 
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