New member with recasting question

[TheDarkPope]

In an attempt to not get banned on my first few posts, I have a question about recasting. I make and sell Hellraiser puzzle box panels. I won't say where in case I get banned. I use a design that is available on the net to make my stencils. From there I etch in brass the box panels. I am not the owner or creator of the designs. I am in no way affiliated with the original box creator,or movie company. Is it considered recasting if I use someone else's design in this way? I know usually recasting refers to buying an item, and molding and reproducing exact copies, but i'm wondering where the community stands on this.

Thanks

 

[Nobby]

Personally, I feel that if the designs you are using are freely available then I don't see why you can't use them as a basis for your stencils. At the end of the day, you are creating something from scratch. The physical object that you create is all your own work. Everyone has to draw reference from somewhere in order to make their creation 'screen accurate'

However, if the images have been 'stolen' or published without the designers permission, you may be treading on toes.
Do you know if the images have been made freely available by their creator?

 

[davros]

Is the design that is available on the net, readily available to anyone who wishes to make the to make the box or the stencils.

Jim

 

[electraflier]

Not a legal expert, but it is usually cool if the people you got the files from ect had a chance to be made aware first, from you, rather than stumbling on it by themselves or being informed by a third party. Most folks I see casting give frequent and visual nods to their sources and file creators.
Recasting is buying a prop from 'flikster ' (hopefully not a real member name) and making a mold then selling it as your own work. That is seriously wrong.

 

[Filandrius]

You use someone else's designs (obviously, these are from the movie, designed by the prop makers) but you still make everything from scratch. Now if someone would buy your panels, mold them and sell them, THAT would be recasting. That's my humble opinion, anyway.

 

[TheDarkPope]

The designs I make the stencils from come from a site where the person made the design he copied from the movie made them "freely available". I think that made sense. He drew pictures as accurately as he could from watching the movie, then he posted them online making them available. So from black and white pictures I cut, form, and etch in either my kitchen or back yard the panels in question. So yes, anyone can go to the same website I did and use the pictures to etch their own panels.

 

[Nobby]

I don't think you've got anything at all to worry about then

 

[hydin]

As a prop God, and probably THE MOST SINGLE IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THIS FORUM, I know my opinion counts above all these other... let's say "plebes".

That's short for "plebeians", in case you were wondering.

Now, onto this issue of recasting. Don't do it.

The situation you describe, to my ever so AWESOME AND IMPORTANT opinion, is not recasting. Dude threw his work out to the world to say "Hey, go forth and use these if you want". Unless he or she specifically said "Don't sell my designs you asshats!" then you aren't guilty of recasting as per the board goes.

It will be a while before you are allowed to sell them on the board here, but I appreciate you asking about that. It's a unique situation and you handled it pretty well.

NOW OFF WITH YOU, for I am busy and need to get back to important things!
Chris









PS - :lol sorry, couldn't resist. Someone called me an "imperial ******* with godlike delusions of grandeur" earlier (based on the post count) and I just had to take the chance to prove em right. Great question, and welcome to the board

 

[TheDarkPope]

hydin I almost peed myself reading your reply! I'm not worthy of your approval as of yet, but I look forward to the day when one as mighty as yourself can smile down on me.

I just don't want to do something on here that I shouldn't. I've read some about recasting but couldn't find a circumstance like the one I'm in. As for selling here on the forum, I can wait. I do sell them elsewhere, and won't mention where unless a mod says I can mention the site before my time is up. I will of course do it here only when allowed.

 

[Nobby]

Fleabay is only a semi-dirty word

 

[epilepticsquirl]

Be grateful you were able to contribute to his 20k goal. :lol

 

[Robiwon]

Pictures, we like pictures here....

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

...
The situation you describe, to my ever so AWESOME AND IMPORTANT opinion, is not recasting. Dude threw his work out to the world to say "Hey, go forth and use these if you want". Unless he or she specifically said "Don't sell my designs you asshats!" then you aren't guilty of recasting as per the board goes.
...

Chris, kudos for irritating new members !

Is it opposite day again? Or is that Bizarro-Hydin writing? Or am I all of a sudden on a Bizarro-Version of the RPF? Wait, this isn´t run by russian hackers, is it?

Seriously, just because something´s freely available doesn´t mean you can just grab it and use it.
Give credit where credit is due, at least. Ask the original creator if you can use his artwork. If he says "no", then accept it and come up with something yourself.
Everything else is not necessarily "recasting", but using another artist´s work without permission. Please read up about "orphaned artwork" and the storm that a world wide movement against copyright had created.

We had cases here where someone used another artists work without permission, and that ended badly. I think it involved a Doctor Who Tardis key.

And please, can we not start a discussion about how this hobby works and everybody´s copying etc.?

 

[Jeff C]

The important question is not whether it is cool with the RPF, but if it is cool with the guy who drew up the images you are working from. Only way to find that out is to e-mail him and ask permission. If he says "yes," you are golden. If he says "no," then you either need to find an artist who will give you permission, or put on a Hellraiser Blu-ray and make some templates from scratch.

 

[hydin]

Chris, kudos for irritating new members !

Is it opposite day again? Or is that Bizarro-Hydin writing? Or am I all of a sudden on a Bizarro-Version of the RPF? Wait, this isn´t run by russian hackers, is it?

Seriously, just because something´s freely available doesn´t mean you can just grab it and use it.
Give credit where credit is due, at least. Ask the original creator if you can use his artwork. If he says "no", then accept it and come up with something yourself.
Everything else is not necessarily "recasting", but using another artist´s work without permission. Please read up about "orphaned artwork" and the storm that a world wide movement against copyright had created.

We had cases here where someone used another artists work without permission, and that ended badly. I think it involved a Doctor Who Tardis key.

And please, can we not start a discussion about how this hobby works and everybody´s copying etc.?

Hey, someone has to bug em, might as well be me :lol

On a more serious note, I agree with you. The biggest portion of the recasting argument to me was "was the work made freely available to use?", because if it wasn't, boom immediate guilty recasting verdict.

If it was uploaded and meant to be used, then by all means use it. I also agree that you should ask permission before using anyone's artwork to "improve" your own piece. There's a world of difference between "Hey, here are some pics of stuff I make" and "Hey, here is a template to use to replicate your own stuff".

92% of this hobby boils down to "Don't be an *******". 6% boils down to talent/hard work, and the remaining 2% is the GDP of a small country.

Chris

 

[terrafovea]

Hydin, you keep making me look for a "like" button!

Yes, please, DarkPope, we would like pictures! Just because we can't buy em' does not mean we can't see your beautiful work! I am on deck thinking a freely available pattern is not stealing. That would make a lot of pepakura folks very sad.

As for the recaster thing.... EFFING UGHHHHH..... this never even occurred to me! Total newb over here, and I'm putting MEGA love and effort into highly detailed Avengers style Loki armor. I plan on selling a batch or two, just to offset the cost of the materials, and I cringe at the thought of someone recasting and selling my work. Is there any way to prevent this? Just last night I saw an Iron Man build with some purchased parts. There was a giant DO NOT RECAST in like... the armpit area or something... and at the time I wondered what that was for. Now I get it. Perhaps with the Loki armor scrollwork being so intricate, I could sneak my initials into it somehow, but I still don't see this as a deterrent to that kind of thievery.

Shame folks would do that kind of thing, but I guess there's little to nothing to be done about it.

:confused

 

[TheDarkPope]

A quote from the website from which the artwork was found (through internet archive as the page is currently no longer available)...

"We are the original company that created the 'new, updated' panels that many eBay sellers are now using, since we allowed the pattern to become freely available on..."

As for pictures... I've added a few thumbs.

I thought about selling on Fleabay, but these are handmade, and not all of them are perfect. Because of that I take pictures of each piece, and price them accordingly. It's a little more work for the person buying as they have to figure out what piece and quality they want.

I'm glad I could contribute to anyone's post count.

I understand home made replicas can cross that intelectual property line and all that. I get that I'm not Dimension Films, and they aren't getting a piece of my "action". I was just looking for what it means on this board to recast something, because I'm not using my own original idea, or artwork. I just removed a ton of babble, as I didn't want to babble. Now I'm babbling.

 

[terrafovea]

....these are actual brass....?! The detail work on these is so beautiful, I actually got the creeps just now!

Hit me up when we're both no longer newbs and can talk biz!

 

[TheDarkPope]

Yeah, it's .005 inch thick etched brass, and the wooden thing is my table (not to be confused with a very large box) I did a bunch of homework, and started making them about 2 months ago. I currently have 30 or so pieces available on that website "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade, vintage, and..." I'll be making more after Comic-Con. I see you live in Long Beach - as do I. Any chance you're going to Comic-Con this weekend?

 

[Hogosha]

I looked at your pictures........and I say no good. This is not "kosher"! Please send them to me for proper disposal!lollol

Great work! I, like the others would not consider this "recasting" or stealing someone else's work. They put it out there, you used it, and made beautiful shiny things!