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Dear Dakka Dakka users
I have one serious question to you on GW miniatures molding.
My fried and I learned how to mold miniatures from both plastic and metal. We make high quality molds. So the average price for a mini is about 2$ in metal and 1$ in plastic (as you can see ) So we want to start molding miniatures in bigger quantities to sell them.

The question is, how can we mold minis in a legal way. What should we change in Howling Banshee in order to make molding it legal???
Waiting for your help. We dont want to do things illegally))))))

You need to sculpt your own master models.

Making copies of someone else's models is illegal.

Recasting is never legal. Make your own stuff from scratch and then you might have something; until then I'd keep quiet.

Thanks for your fast help.
What if I make guy from greenstuff that will look like imperial guardsman. So I won't copy anything is it legal in your opinion??? Can I use aquilla? Or can I make Horus model and sell it then???

Even sculpted from scratch, if your sculpts look too much like somebody else's, you can still wind up in trouble.

If you're looking at it as a serious business idea, you need to go and talk to an IP lawyer in your own country, rather than taking advice from random people from around the world on internet forums...

IP law is a minefield, and setting out specifically to copy another company's product is a path best trod carefully.

Constantine wrote:Thanks for your fast help.
What if I make guy from greenstuff that will look like imperial guardsman. So I won't copy anything is it legal in your opinion??? Can I use aquilla? Or can I make Horus model and sell it then???

Considering companies like Chapterhouse have their entire business model built around "Like GW but not quite" you could try, but they're up to their necks in court talks right now. Granted, you could do a sort of abstract aquila or just a one headed eagle and not get in trouble, and "dudes in flak armor with laser guns" has endless possibilities, so I don't think you'd be in trouble.

Constantine wrote:Dear Dakka Dakka users
I have one serious question to you on GW miniatures molding.
My fried and I learned how to mold miniatures from both plastic and metal. We make high quality molds. So the average price for a mini is about 2$ in metal and 1$ in plastic (as you can see ) So we want to start molding miniatures in bigger quantities to sell them.

The question is, how can we mold minis in a legal way. What should we change in Howling Banshee in order to make molding it legal???
Waiting for your help. We dont want to do things illegally))))))

Typically, when you ask the highlighted question, you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

Thank you for your help.
Do you have any ideas of things that we can make without even copying GW. Should we try making things like bases or terrain???

There are a thousand and one little outfits already out out there making bases, so you would want to be sure you can bring something unique to the table before going down that road.

Terrain is always a good option, at least if you can find the right mix of quality and price.