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buying/making body panels for viento
ch1ef - 5/8/11 at 09:31 PM

Hi,

I have recently bought my first Luego viento, the car is going to be used alot for track work and no doubt get damaged/destroyed.

My concerns after reading past threads is these panels are hard/impossible to get now adays? If I smash the panels off my car at some point and I cant buy the panels im in a sticky situation with no super easy solution?

So where do I stand if I made copies of the panels? Im guessing its fine for my own use, but as im sure your awear getting moulds made is rather expensive so to make it more viable would it be something I could get made in a batch and sold on to members?

I dont want to stand on toes, but at same time I dont want to be making a thread months down the line on how to made panels from scratch!

rusty nuts - 6/8/11 at 07:28 AM

You have u2u

jollygreengiant - 6/8/11 at 09:33 AM

You have U2U.

Legally, I believe it is illegal to make direct copies of panels and then sell them on. I believe that no one on this sight could condone or support such action.

JGG.

PSpirine - 6/8/11 at 09:51 AM

Interesting - aren't there companies that reproduce TVR and other bodies/panels in FG?

wilkingj - 6/8/11 at 11:35 AM

quote:
Originally posted by PSpirine
Interesting - aren't there companies that reproduce TVR and other bodies/panels in FG?


Its suspect its all a question of Copyright.

Make them a reasonable amount different, and its not a copy anymore.

I really cannot see Luego suing a customer over making himself a new panel for his own use.
I mean to say, they would not stop you repairing your existing panel. Its just a question of the extent or the repair, and how much of the original was left to work with.

For starters how would they find out if you didnt say anything?

Now....if you started selling them, then thats a different situation, and you might expect representations from Luego in that case.
This would definately NOT be a good idea (to make and sell them).


Just for the record, these are my personal views, and I am in no way connected to Luego, and cannot say or know how they might react, or what they might do in such a case. Its just my thoughts on the matter.

As mentioned by JGG, I would not condone any illegal activity either.



[Edited on 6/8/2011 by wilkingj]

ch1ef - 6/8/11 at 11:50 AM

Thanks for all the replies, I fully agree its illegal to copy panels from a company, but if the company is not producing them then its a different situation! But yes I also agree that changing them slightly would make its legal to the point that in court it would be hard to sue as they are not direct rip off's.

At same time, I hate people who copy parts and sell them for a much smaller cost as they did not do any research and development etc. This is purely to be done if luego are not producing panels anymore or likely to end production soon!

SteveWallace - 7/8/11 at 09:20 PM

The current version of the Luego web site says that they have some spare body panels for sale


Luego GRP

wilkingj - 7/8/11 at 09:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ch1ef
Thanks for all the replies, I fully agree its illegal to copy panels from a company, but if the company is not producing them then its a different situation! But yes I also agree that changing them slightly would make its legal to the point that in court it would be hard to sue as they are not direct rip off's.

At same time, I hate people who copy parts and sell them for a much smaller cost as they did not do any research and development etc. This is purely to be done if luego are not producing panels anymore or likely to end production soon!



Its NOT a different situation al all!
Just because they are out of production, it does NOT mean that no one owns the copyright.
Luego may not be trading, but as far as I know Ben Still (or someone else) owns the company and hence all the rights.

Michael Jackson is Dead, but his estate (or whomever he bequeathed it to) still gets the royalites on the sales, and performances of his music.

The original company who built my house, is long gone, and is now a dormant company. However the covenants in my deeds are still fully active and I have to get the current owners of the old company's solicitor's permission to make any changes to them. ie the dormant company is owned by a much larger company. However the company itself is not acitve. This does not change any of the legal rights or obligations.

Basically an Inactive company would still own the rights to their products and designs.

ch1ef - 8/8/11 at 09:23 AM

Your right, I wrote it wrongly, I ment if panels are there to buy then we have no problems and just buy them from Luego, but the situation is different if we cant buy them and will be forced to make our own custom panels (not copies!)

thank you for the replies, my fingers are crossed luego offer full service again shortly

wilkingj - 14/8/11 at 08:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ch1ef
Your right, I wrote it wrongly, I ment if panels are there to buy then we have no problems and just buy them from Luego, but the situation is different if we cant buy them and will be forced to make our own custom panels (not copies!)

thank you for the replies, my fingers are crossed luego offer full service again shortly



Ah you have got it now... Custom panels! Not exactly the same as the original.
I cannot see Luego taking action against anyone making a panel for their own use or tp relace damaged panels etc.
Making them and then selling them openly on the market is clearly a different matter as previously discussed.

All good fun eh?


ben lord - 3/11/11 at 04:41 PM

All,

I havent stopped selling the GRP. I think I have had about 3 requests this year!!!!!!!!

The main issue with the GRP is delivery costs. Parcel force wont deliver the large items, bonnets etc. So they have to go via another courier, who charge on volume and not weight. A viento bonnet on its own is about £60 to deliver within mainland UK.


Ben

ch1ef - 3/11/11 at 06:01 PM

good to hear!

I do wonder how the bodykit companies sell bumpers with low postage cost's, I think some courier companies must offer a deal with companies to carry there stock because of the amount of business they can give them in return, I know this was a case in my old company, we sent 5meter lengths of wood with TNT for cheap as it was on business contract

regards

jollygreengiant - 3/11/11 at 06:24 PM

U2U's