Roadtoad
Bufo Caminus Inedibilis
I wasn't sure where to put this one, so I decided this section might work. Primarily, it has to do with a well-respected Aussie naval architect, and copyright and royalty laws down under.
You might not have heard of R. Bruce Roberts Goodson, but he's one of several designers who draws up designs for home builders, (the others being ClarkCraft and Glen-L, as well as Dudley Dix and Sam Devlin.) In doing my research about these designers, Bruce Roberts' designs have consistently sold for either equal to their factory counterparts, or in some cases, higher. His plans are that good.
They're not cheap. You get voluminous information with the plans, and plenty of sheets of plans for things like pulpits, constructing your steering, and so on. Chances are, you could build a Roberts boat for about a quarter of what you'd buy it for. (Like I said, I've done my research.)
Some time ago, according to what I've been reading, the Bruce Roberts firm contracted with a guy named Phil Hogg, who would sell plans for the company. He would pay a royalty to the company, and the remaining profit would be his. This applied to plans which were created prior to a certain date. (1999, I think.) In order to sell the newer plans, he'd have to pay another fee, which he decided he didn't want to pay.
Here's where things get sticky, and I'm not sure how clear I am on the events, but apparently, Phil Hogg, and an associate of his, Paul Taylor, both decided they didn't want to pay the royalties. So, they've been selling plans from Bruce Roberts which, in many cases, are out of date, incomplete, or are inconsistent with such things as current SOLAS (Survival Of Life At Sea) standards. (If I've gotten this wrong, someone please correct me.) Roberts-Goodson then posted this message on his website.
I'm curious about a number of things, like how the hell can Hogg and Taylor can do this under Australian law, and what recourse people who get rooked have in these cases. (I would think Cleo might have some ideas, but after the "Quiz" battle, much as I respect her, I'm antsy about asking...) Hogg's site, (located here), makes no mention of the fight, though I don't suppose it would be in his interest to do so. However, Robert-Goodson is correct, that building with pirated plans, or out of date ones, will destroy the value of any boat you build.
I'm sure there's more to this tale, but given that, hopefully, I'll be able to get started with Westlawn Institute, (which is where Roberts-Goodson got his training) sometime this year, I'd like to avoid some of the more serious pitfalls involved in Naval Architecture. Truth to tell, if I can get a plans service to sell designs for me, as some NAs do, it would sure make my life a little easier.
A lot to think about. Hell, maybe if I can get hired by Bruce, maybe I could move waaaayyyyy down south, and annoy Zep.
Any thoughts, gang?
You might not have heard of R. Bruce Roberts Goodson, but he's one of several designers who draws up designs for home builders, (the others being ClarkCraft and Glen-L, as well as Dudley Dix and Sam Devlin.) In doing my research about these designers, Bruce Roberts' designs have consistently sold for either equal to their factory counterparts, or in some cases, higher. His plans are that good.
They're not cheap. You get voluminous information with the plans, and plenty of sheets of plans for things like pulpits, constructing your steering, and so on. Chances are, you could build a Roberts boat for about a quarter of what you'd buy it for. (Like I said, I've done my research.)
Some time ago, according to what I've been reading, the Bruce Roberts firm contracted with a guy named Phil Hogg, who would sell plans for the company. He would pay a royalty to the company, and the remaining profit would be his. This applied to plans which were created prior to a certain date. (1999, I think.) In order to sell the newer plans, he'd have to pay another fee, which he decided he didn't want to pay.
Here's where things get sticky, and I'm not sure how clear I am on the events, but apparently, Phil Hogg, and an associate of his, Paul Taylor, both decided they didn't want to pay the royalties. So, they've been selling plans from Bruce Roberts which, in many cases, are out of date, incomplete, or are inconsistent with such things as current SOLAS (Survival Of Life At Sea) standards. (If I've gotten this wrong, someone please correct me.) Roberts-Goodson then posted this message on his website.
I'm curious about a number of things, like how the hell can Hogg and Taylor can do this under Australian law, and what recourse people who get rooked have in these cases. (I would think Cleo might have some ideas, but after the "Quiz" battle, much as I respect her, I'm antsy about asking...) Hogg's site, (located here), makes no mention of the fight, though I don't suppose it would be in his interest to do so. However, Robert-Goodson is correct, that building with pirated plans, or out of date ones, will destroy the value of any boat you build.
I'm sure there's more to this tale, but given that, hopefully, I'll be able to get started with Westlawn Institute, (which is where Roberts-Goodson got his training) sometime this year, I'd like to avoid some of the more serious pitfalls involved in Naval Architecture. Truth to tell, if I can get a plans service to sell designs for me, as some NAs do, it would sure make my life a little easier.
A lot to think about. Hell, maybe if I can get hired by Bruce, maybe I could move waaaayyyyy down south, and annoy Zep.
Any thoughts, gang?
