Minis recast on ebay - copyright infringement

[Goblin-King]

How can you be sure of this? How is it not the same as a backup cd?

*edit
I really don't know that much about 3d printing either. I guess I'm assuming you can scan a physical model into a digital file of some kind. As long as you paid for the originaI and don't distribute, I don't see anything wrong with making backup copies of miniatures.

If you made a copy and put it in the closet for future use it would be a backup.
If you make ten copies and use them on the board it is no longer a backup, you are using multiple copies at the same time for the same purpose. In that case you would normally have had to buy more orcs to be able to play.

That HQ is an abandoned game doesn't really change that. It's just weird because you can't actually buy new models.

[Daedalus]

Great article on the subject (with a little surprise from Hasbro).

http://www.zdnet.com/article/3d-printin ... ty-issues/

Thanks for that. Maybe one day when the materials are right we'll be designing our own HQ miniatures for purchase. I wonder if Hasbro would be willing to license their out-of-print HQ figures, as well. It would be super-cool to finally get the unreleased expansion figures scanned and produced from the 4-ups.

[asdxzdew]

Can someone please explain to me where and how you can get cheap pewter or britania metal. in Canada it is 18$, plus taxes plus shipping a pound. In the ebay listing there is 3 pounds of pewter used, metal alone costs 70$ canadian. I have heard that my recasts are expensive, but no customer has ever indicated a cheaper source of metal for the figures, it is as if they think it is expensive, but have no knowledge of how much they could make it cheaper.

[asdxzdew]

I of course use the word my recasts, as in the ones i own, I do not make them, but hire an artist to do so, they were wondering how to save money, I have not heard any information about this, so i assume FainFlynn does not know how to reduce costs.

[croaker]

Given the results of the Star Wars court case in the UK (designer of stormtrooper helmet selling recasts VS Lucasfilm) is extremely likely that boardgame pieces are only covered by design rights and not copyright in the UK. 15 years duration, and if offered for sale in the first 5 years, only 10 years duration. So it's probably completely legal to recast Heroquest models in the UK.
(This is why Games workshop always talks about their models as sculptures and art to try and get away from the pieces of a game delineation to try and secure copyright rather than design right. This has yet to be tested. It also probably means that action figures are only under design rights in the UK, as toys were specifically mentioned in the court ruling).

Still falls under copyright in the US and many other places.

[torilen]

(This is why Games workshop always talks about their models as sculptures and art to try and get away from the pieces of a game delineation to try and secure copyright rather than design right.

Similar to how Wizards somehow got a trademark ruling on Collectible Card Games...even though the actual rules of games are NOT able to
be trademarked, only the way the are presented (copyright of the writing and wording itself). Tha's why anyone can create their own
Monopoly-style game, or a game based on D&D rules...as long as you don't use copyrighted, named monsters or characters. AND...That's why
the only real high-selling CCG is Magic The Gathering. That court ruling that gave Wizards the copyright is completely bogus.

That said...I will admit that designing a miniature is, for the actual person creating it, should be considered a work of art. It is really no
different than someone carving a statue out of stone or forming one from metal. Granted, so company should own the market on
"skeleton" miniatures...but the mini skeletons made for HeroQuest were unique and are a work of art. Just as the game Monopoly has a
boot figure for a player to use. They don't own the market on miniature boot figures...but their boot is unique.