Always nice to come home to a big meaty thread
. So many points to cover....
AA is not a member of the RPF. He can prove he created the original armor, after all, he was paid to do it. Whether or not it's his design is for the courts to decide. Since AA made the original armor in its 3D form, he cannot recast his own work. It's moot. If someone modifies his own work to make it look MORE LIKE his own work, then they are simply "plagarizing" his work. It's rediculous to say that modified, illegal versions of his work (and the ROTJ suit is copied from the ANH) are immune to his taking that work, which is his to begin with, and modifying it further. AA was paid to create the helmets/armor for the stormtroopers. It's in the courts obviously because the terms of the contract are not clear or nonexistent. If it was such a cut and dry fact that AA had no rights it wouldn't still be in the courts, would it. It's really amazing how these obvious points seem to evade some here.
If anyone can prove here that they created from scratch the DESIGN of the ANH stormtrooper armor pieces, then please step forward.
To say GF made original sculpts of TK armor is ridiculous because those designs either belong to LFL or, in 3D physical form, to AA.
If you cannot say you did, and you sell TK armor, then you are a recaster and a "thief" of the original designs, regardless of whether they belong to LFL or AA. Since I have seen much more evidence that AA did indeed create the armorÂ…the PHYSICAL armor for the stormtroopers, etc, than members here on the RPF, I side with AA. Where is the LFL evidence that he DID NOT create the armor? The McQuarrie drawings? They are not the same designs. They are similar. For the purposes of a court case, that is important.
If anyone knows why LFL is so intent on keeping the case in the USAÂ…let us know here.
LFL went after GF. GF is a member here. That places the RPF at risk. So if a member here recasts original work owned by a studio they are not banned, but if the original maker recasts work copied by a member here, his work is banned here? Think about the logicÂ…there is none. And those people that attack AA are using the spectre of legal action against RPF because collectors here are buying his products???? GreatÂ…so we have underground dealers trying to bring the RPF back to its moral center :rolleyes.
I believe that if you recast someone's original prop without permission, that is recasting. If I take TE's helmet and make 100 copies of it to sell, is that recasting? It is if I am a member here. Recasting, however, does not apply to the original maker of those props. Whether in this case AA has rights to the design or not is in the courts. But even without a court decision, there are those hereÂ….DEALERs and their buddies, that are trying to get the RPF to exclude their competitionÂ….SDS. Don't the collectors have a right to decide???
The members of the RPF here are collectors. Some are also dealers. Yes they are two different entities but the important thing is that MEMBERS here have BECOME dealers because they take props or replicas and recast them to make money off of RPF members. If they were just a bunch of collectors, the SDS case wouldn't matter except in light of the truth of his claims to authenticity. But how can we believe him? Because people that own original TK pieces and recast them to make money say that the original maker is lying. That is the most hypocritical thing I've ever heard of. The only reason those recasters/dealer are so vocal here is because they USE THE RPF TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS.
I bought SDS products. Why? Because I am a collector. So if SDS is blackmarked then there are people hereÂ…people that DO THE SAME THING as AA but have no stake or history in the production of those piecesÂ…those same people are trying to prevent me from selling my pieces here to RPF members...to other collectors? The RPF cannot stop me from buying SDS products. The RPF cannot stop me from trying to sell them to other collectors. The RPF could stop me from selling my collection here, but who cares? I could sell them on Ebay.
Does AA get special privaledges? No, because he's not a member.
People here are so intent on applying the rules of the CoC:
"7. Selling/trading of recast items:
Deliberately recasting another memberÂ’s creation without permission is something this community does not support. A member found selling/trading items recast from another member without permission will face possible disciplinary action."
Well, AA isn't a member so what is the point of all this? He's not selling here, nor is there any dealer here working on his behalf. In fact, it's all the guys that say AA is a lier and a thief that wanted to see buyersÂ…COLLECTORS of his products to post photos of his next helmet, of his armorÂ….or to see better pictures of his armorÂ…all just to put him down and accuse him???? Hogwash.
Should we thank TE, GF, Gino, AP, FX who have brought us TK armor while at the same time condemn the original maker of that armor? And yes he made itÂ…he had the materials and the means and he has the photographs to prove it, photos we have SEEN HERE. What, you think John Mollo made the armor? He was interviewed and never claimed that. So where did it come from? The Wizard of Oz?
Here's an example of the logic:
MR claims their props are accurate to the originals. Well, the first lightsaber I get a chance to examine and compare to the original design fails on many counts. Therefore, MR has misled it's buyers into thinking their prop replicas are perfect replicas. They are not. As collectors we should know about this. Does it matter that MR is a licensed dealer? Not really because we want what is most accurate. Otherwise we wouldn't be buying prop replicasÂ…illegal prop replicasÂ…from each other here.
So what really matters? That AA's products are not accurate? Well accuracy matters from a hobbyist point of view. Well then, does it matter that AA has the rights or not to the armor? Well, that really only matters FROM A DEALERS POINT OF VIEW. Do you see the distinction here? It's the dealers here and their friends that want to subvert AA under the guise of collectors claiming to serve the best interest of collectors here, when instead they are simply serving their own selfish interests. That is hypocritical. If I reveal those dealers here to LFL, I would be banned from the RPFÂ….right? Yet, those same dealers here use the complaint by LFL to subvert the activity of someone who actually produced the original props. Don't you see how ridiculous this all is? It is pathetic and makes me sorry for this forum.
Thanks if you actually read all of this
.
:cheers,
Thomas
PS...I'm not interested in the armor but love the helmets
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