Sad news,,, Re Stormtroopers

[Uruk-Hai]

Other thoughts on the subject, I have no details just food for discussion.

Licensing products to casters over the world. Then prices for customer might drop due to cheaper posting? Also a licensed caster might be protective of inlicensed recaster in his domain? Perhaps this allows for a cheaper product in a market with less ability to pay?

Other than that, what about having a retailer in the same country that can press charges? Or producers go together and hire a laywer, yes I sad the bad word, in the same country as a recaster than can represent all of the manufacturers that being ripped off? There perhaps even be ones that are willing to work on provision?

Cheers
Janne Nilsson

 

[Oda]

Such a disrespect for artists/producers of figures is very sad indeed.In a commercially oriented world it is quite difficult to put a stop on a discraceful practice like recasting.Perhaps if there are some lawyers among us they can offer advice on how can figures and original sculpts marketed by modelling companies be considered as original designs protected by the international laws for trademarks and patterns.You cannot use a song or play without the written permit from the creator and without paying royalties.Why should it be any different with figures?After all they are artistic products.

Reaaly sorry for all your troubles.Hope you get justice for you and your company.

Oda,

 

[stu]

Another kit recast,,,this time Poland.

I haven't sold it so again I must try to find out how.

Please if you are contacted from any recaster area's when selling kits ,,,message me with the buyers details so I can maybe prevent these recasters finishing me off.

Stuart

 

[Nap]

Stu

Bloody hell mate ....what a horrific situation for you , how the heck do they get the casting if you have not sold any .....hope this is sorted

...the hobby needs company's with your skill and passion

Nap

 

[Viking Bob]

I have the same views as Nap, hang the B---tards as well.

 

[polyphemus]

There's been a recent case on here of a member subjecting an oop figure to a degree of conversion & then selling castings through the forum. Even an oop figure might still have the copyright owned by someone.

Geoff

 

[stu]

Many thanks chaps !!! I must admit it is getting me down and hopefully I can sort it. If not ????

Today I start my Ebay challenge.

Hope it works

Stuart

 

[1969]

Stu have you tried these people http://ukantipiracy.co.uk/ or even Action Fraud to see if they can help. They may have more leverage.

Steve

 

[stu]

Stu have you tried these people http://ukantipiracy.co.uk/ or even Action Fraud to see if they can help. They may have more leverage.



Steve

Hi Steve

No but I will keep that in mind....many thanks mate

Stu

 

[stu]

4 Recaster scum now reported

In total it has taken 2 hours just to report this and all my products are now registered with copyright and certification.

I cannot thank Celine and Matt from Elgreco Miniatures enough for all their help and advice.

Your hobby is fighting back

Stuart

 

[Viking Bob]

Excellent news Stu.

 

[Hawk_Uk]

4 Recaster scum now reported

In total it has taken 2 hours just to report this and all my products are now registered with copyright and certification.

I cannot thank Celine and Matt from Elgreco Miniatures enough for all their help and advice.

Your hobby is fighting back

Stuart

Hi stu,
Would you mind sharing how you did this with other manufactures..

Cheers

 

[1969]

Stu, you can report this to Action Fraud, they will then issue you a crime number(Piracy is a crime) this may give you more leverage with E-Bay if they fail to act.

Hope you sort it out mate,
Steve

 

[stu]

Hi stu,
Would you mind sharing how you did this with other manufactures..

Cheers

Sorry john...not able too as this is an open resource for recasters as well.

Stuart

 

[Marco22]

very sorry to hear this !
the recasters are killing the fig bussiness like Stuart and other firms trying to make a decent living out of it ...
there are many manufacturers complaining... and ebay does not really do much...
maybe the idea of preorders can help ...
many painters are behind you and this plague ...

 

[JonH]

Hi Stu.
Not nice when you have an excellent product and it gets ripped off. Best of luck with nailing these ....people.
As an aside your web site shows that nearly all your 120mm figures are out of stock-do you think they'll be available again?
All the best.
Jon

 

[chailey]

Playing devil's advocate a little, but would the idiots that buy these pirated figures actually fork out the thirty/forty quid that Stuart and others are charging for a resin kit? However galling it may be to have your hard graft stolen I'm pretty sure the vast majority of serious modellers would only buy from reputable sources so how much revenue is actually lost? Unfortunately you will never stop things of value being copied, whether that be model figures or Rolex watches, all that can be done is to appeal to the vast majority not to buy from these sources and for Stuart and others to pass on projected losses to the customer....Retail chains have been doing this for years!
ebay see's the modelling fraternity as slightly cranky middle aged guy's playing with toy soldiers, Christ, they even list the hobby under "toy's", so why so surprised when they don't see the importance of somebody selling counterfeit kits...
Good luck with trying to weasel out the Shanghai pirates (or wherever else they come from), but I fear others will be standing in line to take over from them.
Steve.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

On the other hand. Lets say that the products are out of the price range of those who buy pirated recasts.

I would say that they will spend on the hobby what they can afford and if there is no pirated figures they would spend their money on legitimate products.
So the hobby as a whole looses on it.

Cheers
Janne Nilsson

 

[ellie]

Sorry late to this thread, as Stu has been saying it's become a very real problem. Having been in contact with Stu and Gar and other companies over the past few months the situation as become even more a problem and it's hitting just about every manufacture.

Ellie's Miniatures has been hit by this problem I'm sorry to say that we too have had to take the line of not supplying parts of the world with our product, as we know for a fact that if we ship to these parts 9 times out of 10 within a few weeks it's copied. the damage this is doing to companies both large and small is immeasurable. we do not want to stop selling to customers in these parts of the world ( we have some very loyal friends their) but new orders are tainted with the thought these people might be re casters or genuine customers. it's very difficult one to know what to do in this situation. we know that they can order through other outlets that we ship to we have no control over that.

E bay are not bothered I have contacted them so meany times I have lost count with very little effect as long as they get their cut they do not care very much. but at the end of the day it's the people that buy these re casts that are helping this problem to carry on the way it does. One re caster had over 1500 positive feed back for the product he was selling. and when I say he had a massive range it was an understatement. he had everyone in his e bay store. ( he has been reported so meany times yet he is still trading). 1500 feed backs is a lot of kits and people who are buying the re casts. and he is just one re caster, if you added together the amount of re casts on e bay it's in the thousands. think about the lost revenue to the companies. and then think about why some companies are having to take a very long look at the future of their company.

Every time a re cast is sold it's less money for the companies that is being ripped off to invest in future projects. it's the companies that have to stand the loss and some times that loss makes it more difficult to get the money back that has been paid for the master and production cost. sometimes it could take months to get the outlay back for the Figure/bust you have laid out for instead of weeks. this puts pressure on that company to function. it also hits the sculptors who some it has to be said make a living from selling masters to us. every re cast could mean one less new release, or one step closer to companies closing their doors for good.

We all try and educate people that buying re casts are not doing the hobby any good and in the long run will destroy this wonderful hobby.

Ian

www.elliesminiatures.com

 

[Ferris]

Perhaps it is easy for me to say, because I'm merely a customer and not a producer, but nonetheless if this problem of recasting is really getting bigger it is time to adapt the business model.
Now you producers take big risks by having high initial cost for the master and boxart. A recaster needs just one copy and he has the same product with much reduced initial cost. If the likes of eBay are not doing much (which is disgraceful in my view) one is left with few means to do anything about it.

Having said that, you producers have one thing that recasters do not have: innovation. The recaster by definition does not bring anything new into the market. There will always be some base level interest in old kits, but are we not most motivated to buy that latest new release? A recaster is not going to bring that excitement.

I wonder if it is not time to move to a different business model. One like kickstarter, where customers invest in the original cteation. The whole thing only happens when the investment is covered. For example, producer A shows a concept drawing of a new figure and announces it intends to have it done by sculptor X. Only once the investment has been committed to, is the figure actually sculpted. Original investors get extra heads and other goodies, anyone buying the figure later will get just the basic figure, to ensure there is an incentive to pay up first.

This model would have the extra benefit that no lemons will be produced. If a figure attracts insufficient interest it will not be made. Only the hits will get done.

A recaster can of course get his hands on such a figure as well, but that is less relevant now, because the investment has been covered already. In fact, subsequent figures couod be offered at a reduced price by the original producer, meaning it will be harder for a recaster to undercut the price.

I totally agree that recasting and, even more so, buying recasts are very low things to do. However, if it is really killing you, perhaps it is time to adapt the business model.

I'd be interested to hear comments on this; on why it could or could not work.

Cheers
Adrian