license fees and art

[Phillip Allen]

If one were to build a (miniture) copy of...say Hogwarts school...and do it right, one would need to license it with the proper people. How would one begin the process

[Popeye]

why would you want to build a replica of a public school in brooklyn

no wait , that was the sweathogs

[Phillip Allen]

As a mason who wants desperately to be able to retire...I have given thought to what projects I might do to bring in a little cash from time to time. With that in mind, I am considering doing the mailbox thing. The world (especially the world of McMansions) is rife with ugly brick mailboxes...I see no reason why I couldn't do better and at a profit.

[Popeye]

there was a mason here who got into building and specializing in real nice english style stone and wood fences , now he has so much work , he can't fill his orders

[Phillip Allen]

Maybe I could come up there and look for a nice boat and make a little cash at the same time... :)

[Popeye]

what exactly is a 'brick' mailbox ? :confused:

[Phillip Allen]

it is a stack of brick with a rural mail box stuck on top...thought to be the cat's pajamas by ignorant wealthy people

[donald branscom]

If one were to build a (miniture) copy of...say Hogwarts school...and do it right, one would need to license it with the proper people. How would one begin the process

You should contact the original artist and ask permission. Thats all.
In California the artist is supposed to get 10% of the selling price of the copy but it rarely ever happens. That is why many artists are broke. You have to have money to defend yourself in court.

Artists like (do not want to put his name) had enough money to defend themselvles
in court from companies trying to profit on copies of art or images.
Read the words to "All Along the Watchtower" song.
One line says, The business men come and dig my herbs and never know its worth. Believe me some did know his worth.

I know there are other versions of those words.

[Phillip Allen]

I wonder how hard it is to get in touch with the original artist...bet it's hard

[Bruce Hooke]

What exactly are you thinking of doing? If you are just thinking of building a few one-off mailboxes that look a bit like Hogwarts School then I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'd avoid putting anything in writing that says "Hogwarts School," and you might want to pick up on the theme but try to avoid making to exact a copy, but it seems unlikely that you'd get in trouble for building a few mailboxes that look sort of like Hogwarts School. On the other hand, a few mailboxes would not do much for your retirement fund.

If you are talking about advertising this as a product or service, or doing something on a production line basis to sell then you would need a licensing agreement. A good starting point for working that out would be to write to the author in care of the publisher. Who knows what licensing agreements she worked out with the movie studio (which I imagine is the source of the image you want to copy), but she would at least know who to direct you to if she does not hold the rights. I'd bet that whoever owns the rights would not be real interested in talking to you unless you are willing to put some serious money on the table. They are likely focused on licensing deals with companies like Mattel or Hasbro to build 5 million Hogwarts School plastic toys in China.

[elf]

Bruce is correct on all accounts. That's gonna be one expensive license.

Without a license I'd not even begin to think about it.

[Bruce Hooke]

If you really like the idea I would say that it is at least worth writing the letter, but don't be surprised if you either hear nothing back or hear dollar figures that knock your socks off. I think you'd pretty much have to hope that the author was inclined to do something nice for the little guys out there who have ideas like this. On the other hand, she may well have already signed various exclusive deals with big companies that would preclude any deals with little guys like you.

[George Roberts]

License fees are negotiated.

If you want to use the name, you might have to pay. Depends on the history of the name.

If you want to use the style, the style seems to not be owned/ownable by anyone. I suspect you need not have to pay.

[Vince Brennan]

You could always make one that Muggles couldn't see... might make mail delivery hard, though.... hmmm....



it is a stack of brick with a rural mail box stuck on top...thought to be the cat's pajamas by ignorant wealthy people


Don't forget the purple gazing ball atop the whole pile! "Taupsters" ALWAYS have a gazeball somewhere on the grounds....

[Bruce Hooke]

If you want to use the style, the style seems to not be owned/ownable by anyone. I suspect you need not have to pay.

Are you making this statement based on specific knowledge of this case, or is this a general statement? It is certainly my understanding that very distinctive images and characters can be owned (as in Mickey Mouse) and I don't see why this wouldn't apply to Hogwarts School, assuming it is a fairly distinctive looking building in the movies, which is, I presume, the source.

It is also worth remembering that while it might be possible to slip through on a "technicality" such as changing the look just a little, to do so might involve winning a very expensive court battle.

In any case, without that name it is probably a moot point, and the name is very clearly owned.

[Phillip Allen]

I am only trying to recognize that Ms. Rowling is owed "something"...

Other than that, my main thrust is to do a better job than the run of the mill junk I see out there. The ugly ones start at about $500 so if I can do remarkably better and include a recognizable style (my own) then the price can go up A LOT!

As to income...it is just a thought to make a little extra cash with chicken wire, cement and sono tubes and a little imagination...unlike the brick thugs whose work can be seen in many commercially pretentious neighborhoods

Getting more money does not give one better taste; it allows one to better display their poor taste to the rest of the world

[George Roberts]

Bruce Hooke ---

I think it is very difficult to make a claim that the building style is unique.

[Paul Pless]

it is a stack of brick with a rural mail box stuck on top...thought to be the cat's pajamas by ignorant wealthy people

On the rural route where I live, the brick mailbox pillar does serve a function beyond the mere aesthetic. It prevents teenage vandals from knocking your mailbox off the post with a baseball bat as they speed by.