Am trying to sell a die-cast 747 on eBay and then got a notice saying my listing is removed from eBay because the trademark owner Boeing saying I am violating their copyright by saying it’s a Boeing. I mean are they kidding me or what? Is that not a Boeing 747? The nose shape is wrong or something? Could one model affect Boeing sale that much? What am I suppose to call it???
Man, I just hate big coperations playing the trademark card and try to bully little people like us, it’s not like I am trying to steal their aircraft design or trying to call my own plane Boenig or something like that. Aren’t we all got a little too excited about trademark???
Well, Boeing, you may be big and pwoerful but get this, I will now hate your company forever and will boycot your brand, products where and whenever I can!
Well, just another coperate giant trying to ruin people’s hobby! LOL Just like UP made our trains all that much more expensive because they wouldn’t renew the old licensing agreement and in the process, made a lot of lawyers rich and the cost of locomotives increased by 10-20%! In fact, I don’t think the full extent of the new licensing cost had hit yet since they are yet to get everyone to sign.
Well, see, that’s exactly what those coperate giants think! They will just bully little people like you and me because it’s easier and it cost less then if they were to sue Airbus for copying their rivet’s shape or something! LOL
I think the way it’s going, you just watch out! If you model a Macca’s restaurant without their permission, they might just come into your house and make you rip it down! And what about all the model railrway we build using the company’s names etc? Are we not able to call it BNSF Mojave branch line because it’s trademarked? It’s about further errosion of our personal freedom and I for one not happy about it.
Hahaha…I think Boring 747 just about sums it up about the company it refers to! LOL That’s exactly what it is, people in their legal department is bored and got nothing to sue Airbus about so in order to keep their job, they need to try finding something else to do. May be I should buy a trainset to get them started in this great hobby instead! LOL
Boing is going after unliscensed model plane manufacturers. For example, the brands ‘Gemini Jets’ and ‘Dragon Wings’ are supposed to be okay. If you still have problems, just list it as B747. People will know what you are talking about.
It isn’t just civilian airliners that Boeing is going after, either. They also want to control their products in the military arena as well. P-26 Peashooters, B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-29 Super Fortresses, B-47 Stratojets, B-52 Stratofortresses, etc. And not just Boeing products, but also all the previous airplane companies that they now own, too. Firms like McDonnell-Douglas (F-4, F-18), etc. (hmmm…sounds like UP). And, IIRC, it’s not just Boeing but also other military contractors as well for things like tanks, arms, and so on.
Fortunately, there was Congressional pressure to pass a law that would not allow a company to license products built for the government (so no fees or controls on who can make B-17 models…but there could be fees for 787’s). I don’t know if such a law was passed or not, but it was big news in the plastic modelers hobby a little ways back. Someone here must know.
As model railroaders, we all better hope that EMD’s new owners, ALCO (which I think is still around as a parts supplier), GE, and F-M (which I know is still around) don’t get it into their heads to do what Boeing is doing. That would be bad news all around for the hobby.
I think the joke is you coming on a Model Railroading website crying the blues about having your Ebay listing of a model plane pulled. That is the real joke.
I did and I thought the UP thing was a big joke as well. License fees are old news. How much money do you think sports teams, Walt Disney or Nascar drivers make from fees they charge? How much do you think the Dallas Cowboys have made selling hats, shirts, etc? Do you really think Tiger Woods deserves 100 Million dollars to use Nike golf equipment? Do you really think Dale Earnhardt SR. deserved to make his 10’s of Millions charging a fee for a shirt or hat. Don’t forget poor old Mickey Mouse, how much do you really think Walt Disney has made charging a fee for the use of his likeness? 500 Million? Maybe over a Billion now? License fees are a fact of life so don’t come on a Model Train website crying about Ebay pulling a listing you had on it. Maybe your time should be better spent learning about the laws that govern license fees.
There’s a difference between what you do for your own personal amusement and using a trademark in commerce, i.e., when you sell something, so, no I’m not concerned that UP’s attorneys are ging to raid my home.
In fact, I don’t think the full extent of the new licensing cost had hit yet since they are yet to get everyone to sign.