It's probably not gonna happen.

For a long time there was a hint of a possibility of it becoming some sort of an official release, but that's off.

I know there are people who want this, and who are willing to pay, but if I started selling this myself I'd have lawyers all over me.

Putting it up online for free is the only remaining option, but I already consider myself lucky I never had Lucas's lawyers knocking on my door because of R2-D2. I don't think I want to take chances with putting this up.

So, if the situation stays the way it is, it's not gonna be available.

(Besides, I never did get to writing instructions.)

 

That sucks.

Honestly, I don't see how you could get in trouble for putting it online for free - there are TONS of unofficial papercraft from all franchises out there that go on living worry-free.

They even had that G1 Optimus papercraft model online at some major site (I can't remember which), and they received no backlash that I know of.

Unless Hasbro starts selling paper models, I don't think there would be anything to worry about. Even if Hasbro DID care, the worst thing that would happen is you get a C+D letter.

They don't go after kitbashers and artists, why would they go after you? It's the exact same thing.

 

Its essentially just a couple jpegs of fanart, i dont see the harm in putting it online.

 

i dont see how anything would hold up in court against you.

it is just fanart, 3d fanart, but fanart still

 

the worst that they could possibly do would be to issue a cease/decist order, which would mean you would have to take the download down, its not like you could actually get into trouble for it.

 

Hasbro isn't losing any income from this (which they would have to prove), and lawsuits are very expensive to pursue. It simply wouldn't be worth the time or money, and that's if Hasbro even gave a shit about it.

Why not just post it as an image? You aren't profiting off of Hasbro's intellectual property by posting a free jpeg, and you can't control what people do with it.

 

Oh well its better dissapointing people than getting sued for possibly millons

 

I can't tell if you're kidding or being sarcastic.

 

If it was me, I'd risk losing the millions.

 

 

People make money off of kitbashes, and I've never heard of any problems...

As long as you're not making a profit, no lawyer can do sh** to you. Believe me, I've researched the h*!! outta copyright infringement... 

 

I honestly don't even understand how its a question. I mean, if I go on deviantart, download a piece of say, Josh or Makotron's transformers fan art, cut it out, and make a standee.... no one is going to swat-raid in through our windows and shoot us in the face.

If it was inappropriate to make and freely post images like that the entire fan art board would be illegal.

 

I guess what we are trying to say is,

RELEASE IT!!!

It's too cool to be forgotten, let it live on!

 

I did not give all the reasons for this thread, and I wasn't totally truthful. I have my reasons.
It has served it's purpose to some extent, the situation has changed. Now there is another wait. Whatever will happen, I need to put together instructions. And for that I simply won't have time until at least january or february. Too much going on... like dusting and packing my collection before moving.

 

I'm not exactly clear on what's going on here--you posted a bunch of reasons, without prompt, that weren't 'completely true?' I mean, if you had other reasons you didn't want to share, why did you even start the thread?

The model, if it's the one I remember seeing, is cool, almost certainly wouldn't invite harsh legal action, and could be assembled by many with at least photos of a completed model (we are TF fans, after all--pretty good spatial comprehension here). So release it, or don't--I mean, it is yours--but what's the point of the thread and subsequent updates?

 

Does Hasbro even really care about kitbashers/artists? Do they have spies in the forums just waiting to sick lawyers on fans that want to sell their TF related artwork. I don't think so.

You other guys might know more about this than I do but has Hasbro ever sued a fan for selling something. The closest thing I can remember even coming close is maybe KCC or Rabid Squirrel getting a C&D letters. I don't even think Mark gets harrassed by Hasbro and he sells a lot of custom stuff.

Hi-Q, it's not like you're some company reproducing TF molds to make cheap KO's.
You're basically selling JPG files that other print and make the model. Hasbro IMO shouldn't have anything to say about it.

 

I think the thing is, he wants to sell it and make money off it (which is fine), but he does not want to get sued. There is small chance of that happening, but I guess there is a chance if he sells it.

Now, I think the chances of that go away completely if he GIVES it away, but I don't think he wants to do that. If he can't sell it, I don't think he will release it - also fine, as it's his, but I think that's a somewhat lame attitude. Hence, the "other reasons".

Hi-Q, if you can't/won't sell it, please, PLEASE release the files for the rest of us. It's a wonderful piece that we should all enjoy (like any other piece of art), and it costs you nothing to let the file out. Don't let it rot on a hard drive, never to see the light of day again.

Squirrelcar is right about the instructions - a lot of us don't need them. Perhaps just some pic of the separate built parts, or pics of one at various stages of building would be enough. Don't let having to make instructions deter you.

Personally, I would be honored if I knew people all over the world were making something like this that I designed. That alone would be more than enough payoff for me.

 

So says the great Murderface...

Good point. I am really impressed with some of the paper models on your website, especially the HOS BB - WOW! I hope you release it so we can enjoy it, but again, it's your art, and you are the one who put the effort into it. But there are alot of people who find it really nicely done. I don't know about selling it, but if you were to, say, put up a donation area to help alleviate the labor hours you put into it, I am sure some of the fans would throw a few dollars into it.

 

yeah, this is not a viable excuse. look at ebay. people directly RESELL existing merchandise, sometimes customizing it, so that they make a profit.

 

With a single item there would be small chance. I sold a built one at ebay. With a digital kit it's mass sale. Well, depending on the number of buyers, but that's besides the point. My talks with IDW indicate that this would not go appreciated. They may not be Hasbro themselves, but should have a good idea.

Lame attitudes is what I do best. But...

... there will be a release. In some form. There are talks going on again after all on some higher levels. If that doesn't work out, I'll put it on my site. It's just gonna take time again.

It's exactly such pics that would an essential part of the instructions. And I don't have such pictures. I need to buil another one and take pictures in the process. That's something I won't have time for for several months. I'm quite sure many of you can do without. A main reason for me to do this first is simply that I want to. With this I'd something as complete as possible to be released. That said, depending on how things turn out, I may not wait after all, but I can't say for sure yet.

To be fair, that is a good payoff. I know this already, the things that have gone on with my R2-D2 and Martian Tripod are awesome.

I tried that at some point. Didn't work.

 

Well then...YAY!