GW stance on casting for personal use?

[Grim Dog Studios]

Hi all, 

 

I wasn't sure on where to put this but assumed this was the best place. My question regards the stance games workshop takes when you cast bits that they produce for personal use?

To explain the situation at hand, ever since seeing the cover art of False Gods I have loved the design of the Luna Wolves on it, in particular the helmets that they all have. 

 

I currently have a plan in which I was going to make a small kill team(with the idea of producing a full army eventually) with helmets similar to these using the Ivanus Enkomi helmet as a base, where I would fill in/smoothen the skull face section of the helmet and remove the helmet crest for plain tactical marines etc. I would then cast the converted helmet as the Enkomi helmet itself is a rather expensive bit from bits sites. Here's the helmet in question:

 

 

Whilst I don't have a "regular" 40k store that I play at, I do occasionally play games at Warhammer world with my friends, and would like to avoid a staff member coming over and telling me that I can't play because they have mistaken the helmet as a third party bit afterwhich I will then explain what the original source of the helmet was.

 

I hope I have explained myself well, not too sure if I'm making sense or not. But your thoughts on what GW stance regarding something like this would actually be would be greatly appreciated!

 

Cheers, James

 

 

[NovemberIX]

For personal use it shouldn't be a problem, even if an employee were to walk up and ask about the helmets it's a very simple response, you cast them yourself because you wanted your army to look how you wanted it. Do they need to know what you used as a base, no. Is it a bit of a legal gray area, maybe, it is ethically wrong, no, because GW doesn't make the helmet you want.

 

Generally my response to this stuff is if you have to ask, you shouldn't do it, but in this case you are well within your right, and I highly doubt anyone at WW would toss you out because you didn't use "official" helmets on your marines. That's even assuming an employee would walk up and inspect your models to see if they're all official GW branded merchandise, which if I'm gonna be honest is a low probability.

[Mileposter]

It's largely equivalent to Green Stuff -ing your own helmet, which many GW folk encourage. So long as it's for personal use alone, you should be good!

[Aothaine]

Anyone know the significance of the metal dots on the right shoulder?

[Ciler]

Reinforcements I believe. It's usually seen on Mk V armour.

 

Also I don't imagine there would be any issues if you were to green stuff a few helmets.

[Evil Eye]

It varies immensely from store to store and manager to manager, but I asked what the stance was a few years ago and the bloke said "As long as you're not being silly about it, it's fine, I certainly don't see the problem, especially with rare/OOP models".

[Grotsmasha]

GW is fine with casting "for personal use". There has even been White Dwarf articles on how-to greenstuff push-moulding :tu: 

[Grim Dog Studios]

Many thanks for the comments/advice all, I must admit I highly doubt anything would ever come of it, I just wanted to make sure!

Also thinking about casting some other small bits if I can ever get my hands on them. Them being the small Pugio that comes with Alexis Polux as well to add to all my marines. It's a nice little dagger that's of a decent size and doesn't take up loads of room like the usual combat knives you get in marine kits.

And also the leather straps/cingulum militare that Khârn the bloody has as well.

 

 

I do like a good roman theme as you can tell!

 

Thanks all, James

[Kierdale]

If you think there’s going to be trouble then just tell them it’s the FW Enkomi helmet and that yes, you bought dozens of him. Just for the helmet.

If they doubt you, ask them to prove it.

Right about then they should bow down at your feet ;)

[battle captain corpus]

I've both worked in and hobbied at GW with non GW products and homemade products and myself as a staffer and manager never gave a fig. Small components used to enhance GW products was always fine. Full minis, for instance using Scibor bodies etc, is frowned upon.

I liken it to eating a Burger King in a McDonalds. ;)

Respect the wishes of the individual manager, phone ahead if concerned. :)

 

BCC

[Halandaar]

Even if you didn't want to own up to casting your own (which is fine), you could just say you spent months buying up every Enkomi head ever listed on eBay to convert them.

 

It's perfectly feasible, and in that instance GW would still get their money from the original sale of the model so no reason for concern from their PoV, regardless of the fact this is the exact thing you're trying to avoid!

[Xenith]

Using GW IP for profit = NO

Using GW IP = OK

 

As long as you are not selling their designs, it's fine. 

[twopounder]

What do you mean by "casting"?

 

If you mean "recasting" (copying GW parts) then no, not in any way, shape or form and not for any reason. Not even private use. Copyright law prohibits any form of duplication for any reason.

 

People REALLY need to actually READ THE LEGAL MATERIAL before giving legal advice. As per GW's own information on Intellectual Property:

 

 

 

• Non-commercial recasting and 3D printing. Do not cast or scan any materials based on Games Workshop’s IP. Reproduction for personal use is not an automatic exemption from copyright protection in many territories worldwide. Likewise, do not produce and distribute designs which substantially copy Games Workshop’s products (see ‘Imitations’ below).

 

So yes, it's illegal to re-cast parts and no, you can't do it for your own private use.

 

Source: https://www.games-workshop.com/en-JP/Intellectual-Property-Policy

[Major_Gilbear]

I learned about press-moulding using greenstuff from a White Dwarf article, and so I think as long as you don't make a big thing about it or re-cast whole parts of models (or whole models), and it's only for personal use, then I can't see you'd have any trouble.

However, getting into discussions about the technical legalities of how much is considered okay, and under what circumstances, pushes the conversation down a slippery slope that at best ends up in arguments.

I have tried to leave the topic open within reason so that you could get some opinions and examples on the matter, but now I think that the discussion should come to a close.

Please feel free to PM me or another Forge Moderator should you wish to reopen the thread and have a good reason for doing so.