Wrong kit

[Mozartman]

I have to admit I now have a problem, having bought kit from reputable manufacturers in the past I needed to buy a new kit, nothing big, like Model Dockyard Hayling Hoy. Had a discussion with wife as what I might do as the CAF Granado is on hold. Well without telling the wife I did purchase the Hayling Hoy. Well, my wife being a great wife bought me a kit without telling me. Now the problem. She saw a kit on a very well-known site 1:48 in Pear or Cherry and ordered said kit, great 2 kits now. It turns out the kit from the wife is not a copy or its very good one or it has come from the factory that are making the kit for Unicorn Models (HMS Wolf). I thought great a kit that would be good for build log only to be told by moderators that all is not well. I do agree with the policy of not encouraging rip offs, but what to tell the wife. I have looked on the web for Unicorn Models and can only find a Facebook page for new model coming soon. So this to me prooves that company’s are not copying designs but are being sold by the company who will make the kits or at least an employee of the company.

This should be a warning to all to be very careful of who you choose to do the manufacturing. Does anybody know of a WWW for Unicorn models & when the kit is officially released.

 

[James H]

45 minutes ago, Mozartman said:

Does anybody know of a WWW for Unicorn models & when the kit is officially released.

Unicorn Models are a banned manufacturer on MSW. We neither allow or condone promotion or links relating to them.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  My advise, mate, is not to hurt your Admiral's (wife's) feelings.  After all, "Happy wife, happy life" ... or for MSW builders, "Happy Admiral, happy life".  She did not know anything about the MSW banned supplier list.  She wanted to surprise you because she loves you.  So you can't reject the kit without perhaps causing hurt feelings - which are very important to the Admiral, nor can you do a build log on MSW.  But you can still build it after you do the Hayling Hoy as a great exercise.  You can say that the Unicorn is a fancier and more complex ship, and you want to build your skills first on the Hoy.

 

  Who says you have to do a build log on everything you make?  BTW, did you mention that another kit is on the way (if it hasn't come already)?  I've found that its always best to confer with the Admiral on things other than small purchases (supplies, small tools).  Now after you build the Hoy, perhaps your skills might not be 'honed enough' to take on the Unicorn.  Then, with the Hoy proudly displayed in a case or cabinet, you can choose another 'skill building' ship that you can do a build log on.  If you put off building the Unicorn, she is unlikely to get you another kit.  And eventually, you can build the Unicorn 'off line' ...         Johnny

Edited Monday at 08:25 PM by Snug Harbor Johnny

[JacquesCousteau]

There's a helpful list of banned manufacturers here: 

Unfortunately, both Unicorn Models and Modelship Dockyard are on the list, so neither model can have a build log here (although you can of course build them without posting a log). If you'd like to post a build log, it would be a good idea to check the list of banned manufacturers first and choose something that isn't banned. 

[ccoyle]

1 hour ago, Mozartman said:

So this to me prooves that company’s are not copying designs but are being sold by the company who will make the kits or at least an employee of the company.

 

You are oversimplifying the issue. It's not just a matter of copying a kit design -- the broader issue is something called intellectual property infringement, or IP theft. Manufacturers can get themselves placed on MSW's list for one or more reasons:

1. copying an existing kit desgn
2. using published plans or monographs to design a kit without obtaining the proper commercial licensing from the publisher of those plans
3. aiding and abetting the sale of such kits (i.e., facilitating the sale of stolen IP).

Doing any of those things will get a manufacturer (or seller) banned regardless of whether some of the kits produced by that manufacturer may be original efforts.

 

The staff at MSW, along with many rank-and-file members, have been doing what they can to combat IP theft for going on two decades now, so trust me when I say that we are far more versed on this topic than you are at the moment. Some of the kits you have described as "not copied" are in fact well-known (and documented) examples of IP theft. As for what to tell the wife, I would tell her the truth -- there's no shame in admitting that the kits were purchased in ignorance of the IP issue. That's happened to many of our members, who are happily now much better informed on the topic. It's really quite simple: either you agree with us that IP infringement is theft and therefore immoral and act accordingly, or you don't. If the latter, then just know in advance that any builds of the kits you have thus far mentioned will not be allowed on our site.

 

I sincerely hope you judge rightly.

[Chuck]

You can still go ahead and build them...No worries.  You now know the situation.   But no build logs here as it just encourages others to buy that stuff.   Hayling is a pirated design and so is wolf....That same company UNICORN has a habit of doing so with all of their stuff.  Wolf is just a badly converted wooden kit designed from the paper model plans.   Even though you can buy them from third party sites they are all just drop shipped from China.  Its a pretty common racket.  I am sure you can start a log on other sites if you like but as I said,  that just encourages others to buy them and some forums just do not care or they will insist that they are not ripp-offs just to make themselves feel better.  My guess is that is where you heard about these two kits to begin with.  I happen to know both legit manufactures and authors of those two who designed the originals for your ill-gotten kits.   Sad to say...other sites just dont care since it doesnt hurt them, but it does indeed hurt folks.   So best to check before you buy any new kits in the future.

 

I hope to see you start a log here in the future of a legit kit.   We have dozens and dozens of members who are in the same situation and dont care either way.   They will build it on that other forum and just not start a log here on MSW...but most of them do it purposely without any remorse or thoughts about who it actually hurts.  That is their choice.   We see it every day.

 

Our site sponsors arent very happy when we allow a pirated version of their product to be built here as a log....which makes sense.   Again the other sites just dont care either way.   But we do!!!

 

Hope you understand.  And yes you might hear from those other sites that the moment you buy one of these kits you are going to be banned and blacklisted from MSW yourself.  That is just nonsense.   We have never done that and will never do that.  The only time we have asked someone to leave is when they refused to respect our wishes not to promote that stuff and insist on being able to post it here.  So go ahead and build them and enjoy them.   And we will welcome your next build log when you start it from a kit that is not on the banned list.  Happy Modeling!!

 

Chuck