Casting a model that uses a GW model as base but it HEAVILY converted with GS infringe copyright?

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**winnertakesall**

Do you reckon that still counts as copyright infringement, and would be taken down from Dakka? Or does a cast of a heavily converted mini count as your own design? This is for personal use and not for sale.

**ColdSadHungry**

I would assume that you would have a conversion design that counts as your own but the basic model, no matter how heavily customised would still be owned by GW.

If you're just making one or two for your own use in your own army then I doubt there'll be any issue.

Start selling them and there would be problems.

I am not a lawyer and have no idea but this is just my attempt at a common sense reply

**Brother SRM**

If it's for personal use only I don't think anybody will get on your ass for it. No lawyers will be knocking at your door because you have some cool models hanging around.

**The Dreadnote**

If you can convert it enough to make it unrecognisable as a GW mini, why not just start from scratch or use an armature?

**xlightscreen**

what dreadnote said. Copyright is a complex thing. Its not just if they look the same its if your attentions of use are the same and so forth and so forth.

But yea personal use no problem.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Technically you're not allowed to cast GW's models period. However they wont give a damn unless you start selling them to make a profit.

**shealyr**

MechaEmperor7000 wrote:Technically you're not allowed to cast GW's models period. However they wont give a damn unless you start selling them to make a profit.

Technically this is untrue.

GW wouldn't want you to cast any of their models for any reason, even if it is personal use.

But if it's personal use, they'll never know...

**Doctor Optimal**

xlightscreen wrote:But yea personal use no problem.

Well, "no problem" in that it's exceedingly unlikely (as unlikely as Andy Chambers coming back to head up a "New Media and Social Networking" division at GW) that anyone will bother you about it. But if they did, you would be hosed because it is difficult to see GW adopting a lenient, broad-minded stance on what is (after all) probably illegal in most jurisdictions.

I'm not being judgy either. To be honest, if I had the skills and the materials to do it, I might, at least for things I need masses of (right now it's Shootas).

**MechaEmperor7000**

shealyr wrote:
MechaEmperor7000 wrote:Technically you're not allowed to cast GW's models period. However they wont give a damn unless you start selling them to make a profit.

Technically this is untrue.

GW wouldn't want you to cast any of their models for any reason, even if it is personal use.

But if it's personal use, they'll never know...

True. Also, I dont know about GW's models, but we were taught here at Sheridan that if it's more than 60% original and yours, it's good enough to count as an original (this is concerning animation).

**Far Seer**

If you paint up the casted model, then I doubt anyone would know if the base for the converted model is casted or real.

**Vaktathi**

If you cast the model, that in and of itself is copyright infringement, no matter how much you convert it afterwards. Your work is based upon theirs and thus is in part their work.

That said, it's not like GW will know or really care unless you start selling such castings, in which case they have every right to very much care.