RE: [SG2] Seeking anyone with 20mm Blade Miniatures

>>>Its the legality/ethics of it that may stop you not the quality.
>>
>>Well, legally there's nothing anyone can say if you decide you want to
cast
>>figs for your own use at home.  If I want to hand-build an exact
replica of
>>my car - there's NOTHING illegal about that.	If I try to SELL it, and
>>represent it as the original, that's a different story.
>
>In the United States this is WRONG WRONG WRONG!  Miniatures *are*
covered
>by Title 17 copyrights, copyright infringement can result in fines up
to
>$100,000 for EACH violation, EVEN IF NO MONEY CHANGES HAND. HOW you
make
>the copy is also immaterial.
>
>*Please* check the current Title 17 copyright laws before handing out
bad
>advice like this - they're posted online at the US Copyright web site.

Well, well, well.

I took a look at Title 17 of the US Code, 'cause I hate the thought of
"handing out bad advice" like that...

I quote:

"'Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works' include two-dimensional and
three-dimensional works of fine, graphic, and applied art, photographs,
prints and art reproductions, maps, globes, charts, diagrams, models,
and
technical drawings, including architectural plans.  Such works shall
include works of artistic craftsmanship insofar as their form but not
their
mechanical or utilitarian aspects are concerned:  the design of a useful
article, as defined in this section, shall be considered a pictorial,
graphic, or sculptural work only if, and only to the extent that, such
design incorporates pictorial, graphic or sulptural features that can be
identified separately from, and are capable of existing independently
of,
the utilitarian aspects of the article."

Later on it describes how the protection works, etc etc etc.

I think this quote is self explanatory:  for a number of reasons it is
easy
to argue that gaming miniatures ARE covered by this, and therefore:

I WAS COMPLETELY "WRONG WRONG WRONG".

So don't pay attention to what I said, not that you would have anyway...
:-)

If you're in the US, you are busting copyright law if you make your own
copies of a "published" miniature.  In Canada, the UK, Australia (which
all
have slightly different copyright law) it might be different, but I make
no
claims to have even a hint of what may be the case, 'cause I don't want
to
get shot down again :-)

Thank you Mark	;-)

Adrian Johnson
ajohnson@idirect.com