BMW Claiming Copyright Infringement on Shapeways

[GRUNZ]

I do not know if I have to laugh at or despair about this, but it seems BMW has made a complaint to Shapeway for copyright infringement.
I have checked a couple of makers and all their BMW chassis have been removed.
How long before other car makers will follow suit?
So sad...

[arroldn]

This is sick. Is it because the word BMW is used to describe the chassis. Does a recording artist have to pay royalties to use the word BMW in a song? It's free advertising and does little for the song writer, singer or musicians. Is everything about the cheese? Oh do a need to pay a royalty fee to Spencer Johnson for using the word "Cheese" to describe money? Give me a break already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JULES]

99.99% sure it will not be BMW themselves making this complaint. If anyone has, it will more than likely be an agency that is trawling around for copyright infringements. They will be looking to see if Shapeways are indicating it is a 'BMW product' or is pretending to be a BMW product.

Most reasonably minded & sensible people would know that a 3D printed slot car chassis that fits a 'BMW' model has got absolutely nothing in common with Bayerische Motoren Werke.

The use of the BMW logo might certainly be an issue but the text 'BMW' used in a descriptive manner is not, ie, if the description of the product said:- "3D printed replacement chassis for scale model of BMW XXX", that would be fine.

Jules

[HWPSlotCars]

Probably best to stick with obscure designs from long defunct companies where any design or trademark has long since lapsed into the public domain. How about a 1935 Auburn Speedster? Or a 1927 Amilcar CGS?

[DaveKennedy]

I'm not surprised by this at all, they closely watch even the smallest details.

[Slot GT]

Not surprising. If I owned a billion dollar brand name I would be very particular about what that brand name is being used for. If the chassis turned out to be inferior (I'm not saying it is. Just as an example) I wouldn't want to be associated with it.

[GRUNZ]

People, here we are talking about a 3d printed chassis that has nothing to do with BMW except that it fits a BMW scale model.
It has nothing to do with the real chassis of a BMW real car...

[SuperSlab]

[Dangermouse]

Greed
It is everywhere and it is sad.

[mattb]

This kind of BS is typical of the world we live in today. It is run by lawyers, politicians and PR. There isn't much common sense anymore.

[Pappy]

[Scott V]

It really has nothing to do with the world we live in today or Shapeways being jerks. They have a TOS agreement that all users agree to if they want to sell products and profit from them and in those terms of service there is an area about copyright. If someone designed something that mimics a design from a BMW sold product or has the name BMW in it and they profit from it the IP lawyers will shut it down. It does sound stupid for such things that would seem petty but it is a blanket law. I had a friend selling tiny decal sets for HO slot cars years ago and he got slapped with a cease and desist order from GM over a decal that was about 2mm x 2mm. Just some obscure person in the world and they complained. It is very petty and yes there are lawyers paid to do this crap.

[mattb]

I think nothing is more ridiculous than Richard Childress Racing getting a copyright on the number 3 that they used on Earnhardts race car. They called it the "stylized" 3. I bet lots of 5 year olds had written that 3 before RCR even thought of it. To me that is as ridiculous as me trying to get a copyright on the letter M written in script because it starts my name. I doubt it RCR would have thought of getting a copyright on the number 3 back in the 70's.

This most certainly is related to the world we live in today where people sue a restaurant for coffee that is too hot. This kind of stuff didn't go on 30 years ago or more. It is a result of screwed up courts, lawyers and BS. Opinions may vary, but all the crap that goes on today would have been laughed at years ago. Maybe some of you are not old like me and don't remember the world we had back in the 60's and 70's.

[Pappy]