Attention: BANDAI will stop selling kits outside Japan

[hugescale]

There are laws interfering with each other, like "First-Sales-Doctrine", "Exhaustion of intellectual property rights" and several "Licensing laws". So in a specific case (especially at court) the question is: "Which law applies?".
I have found, that some judges made decisions in favor of the defendant. A very interesting case can be found here: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/the-first-sale-doctrine.html . Other judges made decisions in favor of the license holder. For example a private re-sell of a designer dress on German ebay, that was made for the US market was successfully prohibited, although the dress was bought and imported legally to Germany.
There are different verdicts within a country and worldwide. I have found some statements, that even under lawyers it is still controversial, to what extend the "First-Sales-Doctrine" can be applied and when not.

 

[Joosh]

Since you asked, here is a pretty good list:

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/george-lucas-is-a-copyright-lunatic

Honestly, that is a pretty short list.

General Electric is currently involved in 14,000 lawsuits. If you could make a list of C&Ds and infringement lawsuits for corporations with similar revenues to Star Wars you'd probably find the Lucas list to be longer than you'd think, but dramatically shorter than most corporations. Many years ago (the late 90s) I dated a woman who was fresh out of law school and worked for a television production company doing nothing but C&D letters. She sent out dozens every day. Most were never followed up on, but if it ever came to taking people to court over infringements they'd have to prove that they were actively enforcing their rights consistently in order to have a chance against the worst infringements.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

but dramatically shorter than most corporations....

That was my thought reading the list. And the fact that many of them, like the beer company promoting its beer with direct references to the franchise, seem pretty legit. But I guess I'm supposed to feel butthurt it, like war crimes have been committed.

but if it ever came to taking people to court over infringements they'd have to prove that they were actively enforcing their rights consistently in order to have a chance against the worst infringements.

That's what I've been told too. Enforce it or lose it.

 

[Aegis159]

That was my thought reading the list. And the fact that many of them, like the beer company promoting its beer with direct references to the franchise, seem pretty legit. But I guess I'm supposed to feel butthurt it, like war crimes have been committed.



That's what I've been told too. Enforce it or lose it.

I know that's not all of them on that list. Parks Sabers wasn't on it and I know that one was a big deal for the budding lightsaber at the time. Plus the point that LFL lost the case.

 

[rbeach84]

Hrmph! I just want my high quality model kits at a fair price without having to wade through a pig's sty of lawyers chattering on about how the sky can't be "blue" because Yokum patented it. "Fair" is the operative word, not "parsed".

Supposedly, what makes us different from the other great apes is our ability to cooperate with each other. Sometimes, I wonder why that part of the human psyche can't overcome our innate need to form tribal groups which foments competition. Duality of human nature... sounds like a theme for a space opera (ha!)

R/ Robert

 

[Hunk a Junk]

rbeach84 drops the mic! :thumbsup

 

[Robiwon]

Got two of my five kits today, the Tie and Y-Wing. These, along with an X-Wing, Vader's Tie and Snowspeeder, were bought in Japan by a co-worker. The Tie and Y flew home with another co-worker in their luggage. No issues going thru customs. Should be getting the other three in a week or so. :cool

 

[Robiwon]

I'll contact you tonight, after work. My co-workers in Japan will all be home before the Epd. VII kits are released at the end of next month.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Just got my Bandai Speederbike kit. I mostly got it for the scout trooper to go alongside my regular stormtrooper and sandtrooper. Looking at the pieces of the scout, however, it suddenly dawned on me just how awesome a Bandai General Grievous kit would be. So much potential...

 

[Jaitea]

Just got my Bandai Speederbike kit. I mostly got it for the scout trooper to go alongside my regular stormtrooper and sandtrooper. Looking at the pieces of the scout, however, it suddenly dawned on me just how awesome a Bandai General Grievous kit would be. So much potential...

Was he a Rebel General on Hoth?


J

EDIT: Sorry I forgot about those awful films

 

[Hunk a Junk]

EDIT: Sorry I forgot about those awful films

As is you're right. But a lot of fans are fine with them. Myself included. Especially in terms of the hardware and armor, etc.

EDIT: As a fan, in general, I prefer to focus on what I like instead of what I don't.

 

[Jaitea]

I know, I know,.....pulling your leg I was

J

 

[rbeach84]

"J-oda"! ;^P

Regards, Robert

 

[Hunk a Junk]

I know, I know,.....pulling your leg I was

J

I know, I know. It's cool. As a modeler, it's all about the vehicles for me. I'm not excited about Round2's Eagle kit because I think Space:1999 was a masterful piece of storytelling. :lol

 

[mythshaker]

Here in the US many of these resale laws have been influenced by bankruptcy laws and courts. To limit the right to resale of owned property is to basically make any asset worthless. The only cases I am familiar with are tech equipment, specifically Cisco equipment. Cisco maintained that their equipment could not be resold as part of a bankruptcy because it contained licensed software which was not the property of the person or company in bankruptcy. Without the imbedded software the hardware was indeed worthless. The courts held that for any asset to have value owners/agents must have the right to sell the asset in the open market; as is (and ONLY as is). So, because of the equal treatment part of the US Constitution any person can sell any legally owned property in any public market.

At least that is how it was all explained to me.

 

[Jaitea]

I know, I know. It's cool. As a modeler, it's all about the vehicles for me. I'm not excited about Round2's Eagle kit because I think Space:1999 was a masterful piece of storytelling. :lol

The only prequel designs I disliked were the Naboo Starfighter & the ROTS Jedi Starfighter,....R2 could never fit in them

J

 

[Hunk a Junk]

The only prequel designs I disliked were the Naboo Starfighter & the ROTS Jedi Starfighter,....R2 could never fit in them

J

True, but the Falcon's interiors don't match the exteriors, the cockpits of the snowspeeders are too small for a person to actually fit, the landing gear on the X-wings go into the engines... I gave up on the logic of Star Wars designs a looooooooooong rime ago.

 

[Jaitea]

But you can see clearly on profile shots of the two fighters that 1/4 of R2 disappears

On the Naboo fighter his head pops through a circular opening that is made for the diameter of his head,.....but not his holoprojectors

The Falcon, Snow speeders & XWings logic only fall apart when you think about it,....the Naboo & ROTJ fighters fall apart when your eyes see them

.....ahhhhghhhhh

but the other designs are nice
:angel
J

 

[Hunk a Junk]

On the Naboo fighter his head pops through a circular opening that is made for the diameter of his head,.....but not his holoprojectors

I think it's generally accepted that R2's head telescopes up from a lower compartment. As for the holoprojectors, I assume they pop in and out. I can live with it as well as any other inconsistency. That's not to say your subjective tastes are wrong. We each have our likes and dislikes. For me, I like that the Naboo esthetic is far away from the cannibalized, bare-bones look of X-wings and Y-wings. Personally I like the used look better, but I like the contrast because watching the films in order I get a much stronger sense that the Rebels are short on cash and flying these fighters held together by spit and happy thoughts. My personal opinion is that the chrome and smooth look really represents Obi-Wan's "civilized age."

 

[Jaitea]

Its funny but I've seen earlier production paintings/drawings of the Naboo ship where the design does accommodate R2,.....but George must have wanted it sleeker & with this & that removed.......

Yep R2's head is supposed to telescope up through the opening which has a deep collar around it....the curve of the ship then falls which means that R2's Shoulders/legs don't fit,....also the ships thickness at that point isn't even thick enough for R2 lying down,.....it just jumps out at me as nonsense,.....there must be T.A.R.D.I.S. technology applied here & on the ROTS ship

J