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New Yacht Design or a Copy?

Discussion in 'Yacht Designers Discussion' started by AMG, Jul 24, 2006.

?

Design or Copy?

  1. Yes, it's a copy.

    49 vote(s)
    89.1%
  2. No, it's not a copy.

    6 vote(s)
    10.9%
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  1. foundrycourt

    foundrycourt New Member

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    Make it 11 - 1. Complete copy. Is Bling going into production? From the sound of your reply to Kevin, sounds like work has already started, if so someone has real taste:)
  2. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Since over a year, there is a client who has put together a comprehensive study on how he wants the 400' Double Bling to be built. All suppliers are contacted and if he decides to go ahead, you will not believe the specifications(!). So for the time being, I know a little more than I can tell, but not enough to say if and when construction can start...
  3. foundrycourt

    foundrycourt New Member

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    Thats great, Lets hope in several years we get to see her cruising the world. Your designs are so far ahead of everyone elses, that even in 10 years she will still be considered cutting edge. I can see why people are trying to 'borrow' your designs, even though it's inexcusable. Can't imagine you client, or yourself being too happy about it though, I know I wouldn't be.
  4. wdrzal

    wdrzal Senior Member

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    As soon as you draw or compose something ,it's intellectual property, yours,But you have to prove it. most people will put in in a envelope and mail it cetified to yourself and never open it. just put it away. The certification proves that it was composed before the postmark date.

    Would you patent or copyright "sliced bread" ? there is a difference



    But your in the business you don't need advice from us internet lawyers :rolleyes:

    Lars in your case because it was a project and the publicity it got it sounds like yours exsisted first,and you can easily prove it. Unless they have there drawing copryrighted at a earlier date and they can prove it, by the sounds of it yours was the original design.

    This I do know , every country is not a signator to a internatioal copyright protection, the _______ convention offers,can't remember the name..... so some countries don't offer any protection at all.

    Also in the USA you must register your propertery(copyright it) ,otherwise you can not recover monetary damages.

    Now the hard part, is it worth retaining an attorney?

    Since its not a "carbon copy" you need to decide is it worth all the legal bills to "risk" trying to prove your design was stolen thus recovering "credit" and "compensation" for your design.

    Did you do all the engineering on that design? or was it just a rendering,not that just doing a rendering is quite a bit of work thus worth compensation.....is your design being considered by a client ?

    Now for the :eek: question, what is that on the rear deck if not a sat com. ????

    ps.I like Bling better, I hope credit is given To whom it's deserved. :)
  5. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Yes, there are countries that have less good laws against copying and counterfait, but as soon as these products reach the more civilized world, they are seized and usually destructed.

    I can´t remember to have heard of any company making copies and selling under their own name either. This use to be a shady business.

    But let´s say they are planning to go ahead and build this yacht, in a world where design is one of the most important ingredients? Do they really think they will make a success, that the yacht and the shipyard will get positive press? Since they, or the buyer, must be aware of the origin of the design, how should they explain the situation?

    If their rendering wasn´t so well executed, I should still take it as a joke...

    And to answer your question, this is a Sat-TV antenna but could be any Satellite antenna. The idea is to be able to see the antenna movements and at night illuminated, maybe with a colored laser beam pointing at the satellite, as a fun piece instead of just another giant mushroom...:)
  6. brunick

    brunick Senior Member

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    I was looking at the yachts again and I saw some things that make me sick! I hate this shipyard. Even the glass from the fly bridge is on the same position as on "bling", including the sharp edges and everything.

    I would ask the shipyard if you can get the money their naval architect would get :D

    Copy!
  7. Tad

    Tad New Member

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    Obviously a copy.

    Theft of intellectual property is very common, rarely is there any recourse because of the international nature of the crime. Morally it stinks, but actually (legally) it's a different boat, not an exact copy.

    How does this happen? The owner goes to the yard and asks for "something exactly like this but smaller" the guy doing the work doesn’t have enough perk to change anything. And thus, a copy is born.

    As one who has had this happen, (by very prominent design firms) I feel bad about it, but see little you can do except scream, which you are doing. Keep it up.

    Tad
  8. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Thanks Tad,

    I know that going to court is a waste of time and money when dealing with guys like this. And this is not as when Hinckley for a while was going after some of the Picnic-boat copies, where the final decision anyway is by the customer. In a way, I think they have all gained by raising the interest for this Lobsterboat style.

    The Double Bling however, is a unique design to a 2-300 million yacht and making copies of such special yachts is rather silly. The Superyacht world is a small world and if they should build this yacht as they claim, it will do them much more harm than me.

    It is just that I wouldn´t like to see this distorted copy at all when my original design is under negotiation to be built... :)
  9. OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

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    Obviously I don't know to much about the finer points of Design or copywriter (no need to confirm).
    But out of curiosity, you have a Yacht like Nicole Marie http://www.nicolemariecharters.com/ which is built by PR Marine, which looks very similar to a Millennium product. What am I missing?.
  10. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    I think you are missing that most of those similar designs are made by the same designer...:)

    http://www.***************/paginas/begin.htm
  11. OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

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  12. dbart9

    dbart9 Member

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    This is such a blatant copy. I took the pictures into Photoshop, and put the copy over the Original and decreased the opacity to 35%, you can see that the position of the windows line up perfectly with Lars' design but have been stretched or shortened. It's as if the designer did what I just did and pushed and pulled some elements to make it a little different! What a joke...

    Attached Files:

  13. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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    Oh, dear, can we show up this Austrailian design anymore?
  14. OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

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  15. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Thanks for trying to find info, but this clarification is about protecting hull designs in the US, not about what Sensation is doing. There are a number of international laws and I know them pretty well since I have been a designer for many years.

    But whatever, an already published Superyacht design is not something you copy if you want to remain a serious player in this business.
  16. OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

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    I'm curious for some more clarification on this issues.
    Although I understand that a Designer can draw up "very similar" yachts for more that one builder, does a builder/yard not retain the rights to that design? as in PR Marine & Millennium. After all Millennium's yachts have this very distinctive style that is immediately recognized as their own. One would think that it would be copyright, and not allowed to be replicated by anyone that so chooses.
    Also, as recently discussed in my "just pulled in" tread, we have a Codecasa yacht "embark", which is extremely similar to yachts from Burger and even Broward, are these from the same designer, or is it just a free for all?.

    In other industries there is a sense of honor among the styling studios, as I haven't seen a Porsche 911 coming from Japan yet.
  17. Arniev

    Arniev Senior Member

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    Lars,
    Did you find out anything fron Sensation?
    Arnie
    :)
  18. TRY

    TRY Senior Member

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    Lars it's a copy!

    I'm a bit late on this (holidays) and if (as we all believe) Sensation is watching this thread, they must by now be very embarassed, especially if they really started to build!
    With or without courtroom drama (you're right it only benefits to the lawyers!) they face a dilemma, either tell their client or face serious counter-publicity in the (small) superyacht community.
    Yes, you should write to them, tell them off in their face, and point to the 100against nil support you got and will get.

    On the other hand, be flattered, only the very best get copied!;)
  19. TRY

    TRY Senior Member

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    A poll "copy or not?"

    Let's go for a poll!!!!!!!!!!!:p
  20. Arniev

    Arniev Senior Member

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    No need for a poll!
    The similarities between Lars' and Sensation's designs are just too obvious.
    :)
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