The Energon Pub

Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:22 pm

Ha argh waaaaghlord i be wanting a bootleg galvatron and t'would pay many a doubloon fa da booty argh *cough* ahem... anyway I'm not to sure about the legal ramifications but I would assume that so long as you don't start mass producing them and not market them as Galvatron to avoid copyright (maybe take a page out of the chinese market and sell him as laser-man or something) and only as a fan product, I can't see Hasbro being too bothered in the unlikely event they even found out. Morally I say go for it, we are owed a decent Galvatron mold and the way Hasbro have been treating us lately I say stick it to them. Yargh argh hahaha argh etc...

Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:38 pm

Well, I'v known a few people how have made molds and reproduced things on a small scale with no problems at all. (except when they tryed using resin and it melted though a bin) I knew of a guy in my collage who made molds of GW figures and sold quite a few to friends, and had fairly big army himself at the end too. If no-one who cares finds out, it cant hurt right?

I'd be interested in one too, although I am lacking, um, dubloons at the moment.

Man, if you go though with this you gonna be rich!

Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:30 pm

Be carefully where you draw the line there Waaaarghlord.

Ultimately any profit made on this kinda venture would be possible profit lost from the guy who painstakingly made the first mould not just the company who "pumps out the figures". Knowing an artist in a similar field I know how much that can sting them and annoy them as their "art" has been hijacked, plus these the simple fact that they are probably another TF devotee just trying to make a buck out of their hobby.

I'm all for people reproducing "unavailable" or "lost-mold" figures because their only completely legal option would be the 2nd hand and collectors market, and any KO or similar would not affect the original 'Point of Sale'.

My advice - if wanna make another Galvy - keep it yourself and should you further consider distributing self-casts then pick what you choose to use carefully.

Shockingly my thoughts on music downloading and piracy are similar (if an albums deleted then I can't buy it - what can aI guy do then?).

Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:30 pm

waaaaghlord wrote:New Babylon 5!!!!!

How long I have waited and how sweety, sweety, sweet-sweet it looks. There I was seeing if Legend of the Rangers was available on youtube (couldn't find it) and I discover that they've only gone and made a new feature length, The Lost Tales. Now all we need is a region 2 release, or failing that to see if I can figure out a hack for my piece of s#it DVD player.

I'm a bit of a fan by the way.

Fan here too - the £100.00 plus I've spent on Tf's and KO's the last 3 months was suppossed to be put slowly aside for the Bablyon 5 box set so I could finally watch every episode in order and fully appreciate the plot arc.

Mini-collider arrived late on Monday so now I won't have any spare time for such pursuits. However Plushformers and Robot Heroes are so on the Menu!

BTW. the wife knows about approx 1/3 of my collection but that's mostly because I've been really lucky with several ebay bulk lots (seller didn't recognise Classics Prime & Tit Soundwave), they've come via work and she's sick to death of hearing about Transformers.

News Credits: 149 · Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:21 pm

High Command wrote:Oh and selling? Anything interesting going?

Indeed. I have decided that everything bar Core G1, BTs/MPs and classics is likely to go with a few misc gems being kept.

Once I have a full list I'll let everyone know.

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:46 am

Supercollider wrote:Mini-collider arrived late on Monday so now I won't have any spare time for such pursuits. However Plushformers and Robot Heroes are so on the Menu!

Congratulations SC, the next generation of our pyrate crew begins here.

I used to have everything bar B5 LotR on video but the season 1-3 box sets got burgled from my flat in Derby a few years ago so I'm also looking to acquire the Universe DVD box at some stage. I think my record for watching the entire arc was about 10 days, and my eyes were bleeding after that. Without sleep, food or toilet breaks it should be possible to do a single sitting inside of 5 days, but that would truely twist the mind out of any recognisable shape.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:44 am

Supercollider wrote:Shockingly my thoughts on music downloading and piracy are similar (if an albums deleted then I can't buy it - what can aI guy do then?).

When it comes to music and videos, I have a slightly different opinion on the matter.

In the end of the day, the music and film industry is one of the largest, most bloated, most ripoffish industries on the planet, and the anti piracy clips with the 'piracy can stop new music happening' are so much of a lie that it makes me wanna dl stuff more. The idea of these people sitting in their mantions with all their money sueing people who have peanuts cuase they dl a song makes me sick.

As such, I will dl anything I know I wont buy.
This either means:
1: music or dvds I dont think I'd like enough to be worth the price.
2: music or dvds (mainly dvds) of things that are so popular that they are always sold at a horendously bloated price (I dled all of the xfiles cuase at the time every series was something like £90 or £100).

Sorry for the rant, but it is just an area that pisses me off some, cuase these people rip the general public off, then get angry when the general public done wanna pay their prices.

As for what waaaaghlord wants to do, I'd leave it to things like classic Thrust's wings and spares for G1 figures. Something the average fan cannot get hold of very cheaply that wont step on people who are trying to run a honest business.

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:53 am

waaaaghlord wrote:Good god, why have I not heard of this before? What machevelian minds have been working to keep the most important thing to come out of America for years from my attention? Just what is it that waaaaghlord's wittering on about this time?

New Babylon 5!!!!!

How long I have waited and how sweety, sweety, sweet-sweet it looks. There I was seeing if Legend of the Rangers was available on youtube (couldn't find it) and I discover that they've only gone and made a new feature length, The Lost Tales. Now all we need is a region 2 release, or failing that to see if I can figure out a hack for my piece of s#it DVD player.

I'm a bit of a fan by the way.

AargH! Ye just made me dad's day Waaaaghlord!

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:07 am

Hm, two for and two against the casting idea. This is exactly why I called it a moral dilema. It is worth noting that by the time this would be done the 100 or so units that are being produced officially would already be sold anyway and other than potentially effecting resale value for people that had shelled out the asking price in the first place (and there's no way that I'd be looking at a Chinese style operation of cranking out production run quantities) I can't see how it would affect the original manufacturers financially, just the infringement of copyright issue. At this stage it is only a thought anyway, and this sort of feedback is exactly why I asked the question rather than just knocking a load up and setting up a new ebay account from my work IP once I get back to the nurseries in February to shift them annonomously.

News Credits: 2 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:45 am

Never watched Babylon 5, but that's good news for ye fans of it. Personally, I prefer the new BSG. That show is one of the best shows ever IMO and certainly the best show of recent years. Great acting, fantastic scripting, continuity is kept in check, brilliant effects for space battles that add to the episode instead of detract from it, I could go on but I wont bore you. But that does remind me, I need to get series 2 before series 3 comes out in November. When I get some money.

As for your plan waaaghlord, that is tricky. Mass marketing it would certainly be illegal and the guy who did the original would certainly step in. But producing a small quantity. Hmm. Would that be any different than those who make the KO cassettes in China? I don't know, that's why I'm asking. You are providing a service to fans who can not afford the high price of the original. And you would make sure anyone who gets one from you knows for certain they are getting a KO, not an original. That would certainly help things with certain legalities, officially announcing it is not an original.

I know I haven't given you a vote, but I honestly can't vote either way. The pro's and con's balance each other, but I hope I helped.

And congrats on Mini-collider. Start corrupting him to the way's of tf's when he is young.

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:21 am

Aargh! Congrats on Mini-collider Supercollider, better late than never I always say

News Credits: 6 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:33 am

waaaaghlord wrote:Nice one DS, I do believe that I'll be ordering that this Friday.

Now for a complete change of topic and a moral dilema concerning the Galvtron model kit. I've just been reading a tutorial on making latex moulds to cast resin pieces with and believe that the techniques should be adaptable to reproducing a frame based kit that already has all of the piece divisions and flow chanels sorted out. Obviously some further research and some practice pieces, probably using the rediculously cheap Kabaya KOs, will need to be undertaken before I even think about trying this out on the actual article and potentially ruining a very expensive piece of kit.

Assuming that tests go well and I decide to go ahead with casting Galvatron, what do folks think the pros and cons of this would be? I'd get to paint up a couple of versions for myself, say in metallic and flat colours and could offer some to fellow collectors as well. There's even the possability of making a smaller mould for the cannon parts and using a translucent material for those. I could look at this as a service to the community at large and a way to offset costs, but the fact remains that it would essentially be bootlegging. What are the legal ramnifications on copying an item in the UK that is produced in limited quantities under a licensing agreement in Japan and just how much trouble could I get into? Also I'll need to look at costs and see just how viable this would really be.

One final question, if I were to pull this off who wants one and what sort of price tag should I set on either repro kit versions and fully modelled and painted versions (obviously bearing in mind assosiated production costs) that would actually be acceptable to people and get this sweet looking kit, or at least a version of it even if not the original into more peoples hands.

Bear in mind that this is the first time that I've given serious thought to casting anything and at this stage I'm really not sure just how good the results are liable to be. This may not happen at all, but I thought it would be a better idea to take a quick sounding here than to post the idea over in kitbashes and start a premature fuss.

Just call him Robo-changerz Glavmotron and your fine.
I've yet to hear of Alosyha getting in trouble for casting tf parts, and he did the Botcon Thrust wings.

If you keep it to a limited run of say, 50 pieces or less of an extended period, and possibly waited till we got news of the originals being sold out, I don't think there'd be any better way to do it.

As has been said, not all fans have the dubloons to purchase such things. And it's a shame, especially when they really want them.

Plus you'd have extra cash for the christmas period.

Welcome Justicity, to the lair of the pyrates!

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:03 pm

Aargh! Ye need to change yer sig Master Blaster, I gots one more front page than ye Aargh!
And welcome Justicity Aargh!

News Credits: 6 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:13 pm

Optimus Frimal wrote:Aargh! Ye need to change yer sig Master Blaster, I gots one more front page than ye Aargh!
And welcome Justicity Aargh!

Arrghh.... :-(

News Credits: 767 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:18 pm

Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, very disgruntled indeed!

I want them BotCon exes, and I can't get them, I mean it's my money my unspent Birthday and Christmes money from over the years, I want them and I'm not aloud to buy them, WTF?!?!?

I'm bloody 19 it's my money so why can't I spent it?! :-x

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:33 pm

The Master Blaster wrote:
Optimus Frimal wrote:Aargh! Ye need to change yer sig Master Blaster, I gots one more front page than ye Aargh!
And welcome Justicity Aargh!

Arrghh....

Bwaharghharghhargh! :DEVIL:

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:34 pm

Dead Metal wrote:Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, very disgruntled indeed!

I want them BotCon exes, and I can't get them, I mean it's my money my unspent Birthday and Christmes money from over the years, I want them and I'm not aloud to buy them, WTF?!?!?

I'm bloody 19 it's my money so why can't I spent it?!

Aargh! Um... Tony Blair? George Bush|? Global Warming? It must be one of those three's fault... Aargh!

News Credits: 767 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:40 pm

Optimus Frimal wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, very disgruntled indeed!

I want them BotCon exes, and I can't get them, I mean it's my money my unspent Birthday and Christmes money from over the years, I want them and I'm not aloud to buy them, WTF?!?!?

I'm bloody 19 it's my money so why can't I spent it?!

Aargh! Um... Tony Blair? George Bush|? Global Warming? It must be one of those three's fault... Aargh!

No!
It's me archenemies, Mum and Dad!

News Credits: 767 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:42 pm

Optimus Frimal wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, very disgruntled indeed!

I want them BotCon exes, and I can't get them, I mean it's my money my unspent Birthday and Christmes money from over the years, I want them and I'm not aloud to buy them, WTF?!?!?

I'm bloody 19 it's my money so why can't I spent it?!

Aargh! Um... Tony Blair? George Bush|? Global Warming? It must be one of those three's fault... Aargh!

No!
It's me archenemies, Mum and Dad!

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:46 pm

Dead Metal wrote:
Optimus Frimal wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, very disgruntled indeed!

I want them BotCon exes, and I can't get them, I mean it's my money my unspent Birthday and Christmes money from over the years, I want them and I'm not aloud to buy them, WTF?!?!?

I'm bloody 19 it's my money so why can't I spent it?!

Aargh! Um... Tony Blair? George Bush|? Global Warming? It must be one of those three's fault... Aargh!

No!
It's me archenemies, Mum and Dad!

Gargh! Are ye sure, I'm pretty sure it usually be one of the three things that I said...

News Credits: 2 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:21 pm

Optimus Frimal wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, very disgruntled indeed!

I want them BotCon exes, and I can't get them, I mean it's my money my unspent Birthday and Christmes money from over the years, I want them and I'm not aloud to buy them, WTF?!?!?

I'm bloody 19 it's my money so why can't I spent it?!

Aargh! Um... Tony Blair? George Bush|? Global Warming? It must be one of those three's fault... Aargh!

Argh, if ye go far enough up the conspiracy ladder, it's always one of those two.

Stop picking on Global Warming, that's the reason we have such sunny Augusts. And wet June/July. And snowless winters.

:-?

Arrrgh, blame Global Warming. Thar be the culprit!

Sorry to hear about yer woes though DM. Don't suppose making them walk the plank would do any good?

News Credits: 6 · Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:06 pm

Dead Metal wrote:
Optimus Frimal wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, very disgruntled indeed!

I want them BotCon exes, and I can't get them, I mean it's my money my unspent Birthday and Christmes money from over the years, I want them and I'm not aloud to buy them, WTF?!?!?

I'm bloody 19 it's my money so why can't I spent it?!

Aargh! Um... Tony Blair? George Bush|? Global Warming? It must be one of those three's fault... Aargh!

No!
It's me archenemies, Mum and Dad!

Like you said, it's your money.

You're 19, an adult in most countries, including Germany.

You want em, go buy em.

What are they gonna do, pull down your trousers and spank ya?