It won't lead to the demise of the hobby. It could significantly increase the cost of the hobby or drive it down a path where models are no longer produced and we move back to toy like standards and representations of trains.
I wonder about the mindset of these railroad companies who impose such restrictions.
As Pat Hammond has said it would be pointless countering with a claim that the models provided advertising as the railroad company would simply argue that it did not want the advertising and did not request it.
Why has the hobby suddenly got itself into this state after 100 years?
Both Hornby and Bachmann have a very good relationship with senior staff at British railway companies so lets hope this is a "USA thing".
And modellers in the USA would simply take up modelling European subjects if American subjects are no longer available.
One thing to consider is that modelling in the USA is a one billion dollar business. It is nowhere near that size in the UK or Europe with subjects being largely fragmented around Europe. It could be that American railroad companies want a slice of this very big pie which from a European perspective simply is not there. Have I answered my own question above?
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Bearing in mind that this affects all modelling. Radio controlled subjects including boats and planes and cars. Slot cars. Kits. And so on. Most models are subject to a licence. Hornby pay £1,000,000 a year for licences to produce models linked to F1, NASCAR, World Rally Championship racing and so on. Why should trains be imune from this?
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And given that Hornby do pay £1,000,000 then the companies that issue the licences have a duty to protect the licence holders who have paid good money for the rights and this applies to any attempt to copy a subject for commercial purposes.
Happy modelling
Gary
I wonder about the mindset of these railroad companies who impose such restrictions.
As Pat Hammond has said it would be pointless countering with a claim that the models provided advertising as the railroad company would simply argue that it did not want the advertising and did not request it.
Why has the hobby suddenly got itself into this state after 100 years?
Both Hornby and Bachmann have a very good relationship with senior staff at British railway companies so lets hope this is a "USA thing".
And modellers in the USA would simply take up modelling European subjects if American subjects are no longer available.
One thing to consider is that modelling in the USA is a one billion dollar business. It is nowhere near that size in the UK or Europe with subjects being largely fragmented around Europe. It could be that American railroad companies want a slice of this very big pie which from a European perspective simply is not there. Have I answered my own question above?
Bearing in mind that this affects all modelling. Radio controlled subjects including boats and planes and cars. Slot cars. Kits. And so on. Most models are subject to a licence. Hornby pay £1,000,000 a year for licences to produce models linked to F1, NASCAR, World Rally Championship racing and so on. Why should trains be imune from this?
And given that Hornby do pay £1,000,000 then the companies that issue the licences have a duty to protect the licence holders who have paid good money for the rights and this applies to any attempt to copy a subject for commercial purposes.
Happy modelling
Gary
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