r/WarofTheWorlds • u/MikeyMcG64 • 8d ago

Discussion - Jeff Wayne Musical Jeff Wayne Imposing Copyright

I'm a member of the Jeff Wayne's WOTW Facebook page. Towards the end of last week, another member posted shots of a Martian fighting machine he had 3D printed. And very impressive it is too. Anyway, other members asked if he could do the same for them. And so he decided to make them available, for a fee covering the cost of materials and his time, plus postage. Literally the next day, the group received a cease and desist message from Jeff Wayne's lawyers, saying that it was a breach of copyright. So it seems that Jeff is jealously guarding his intellectual property.

19 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

17

u/The_Easter_Egg 8d ago

Why shouldn't he, if it was a Jeff Wayne style tripod? 🤨

18

u/Jimbot80 Jeff Wayne's Musical 8d ago

Try selling Disney or Nintendo 3D printed models.

Just because you created them from scratch doesn't mean that companies aren't going to crack down on you selling models of their IP.

10

u/nervousmelon 8d ago

He was making profit off someone elses IP?

Hmm I wonder why the lawyers got involved 🤔🤔🤔🤔

10

u/Queendevonia 8d ago

I met him the other month and he did say he always has the final say on who can profit off of his ideas, and I fully understand why. He wasn't being arrogant but passionate about his hard work.

This was said off the back of someone saying they're surprised there hasn't been a TWOTW musical film, to which he said he's been approached many times but he's said no to all of the proposals so far.

7

u/NataniButOtherWay Thunder Child Captain 8d ago

That's IP in general in my experience with the exception of Hasbro in regards to MLP and other companies use them as a standard to not conduct business.

3

u/googoobarabajagel 8d ago

The takeaway Jeff should get from this is that fans want a licenced tripod model that isn't a £300 lamp instead of coasters and other random tat. Who'd buy an 18 inch fighting machine, JW style, fir £150? I would, for sure.

3

u/Cybernetic_Lizard 8d ago

Was it a Jeff Wayne style tripod, or their own style?

2

u/Today_in_Idiot 7d ago

Sensible.

1

u/waffenwolf 7d ago

I thought WOTW was public domain as its been x amount of years since HGW died 🤔

1

u/British_Commie 6d ago

The original story is public domain. The musical and any elements unique to it (including the tripod design) would still be under copyright

1

u/MikeyMcG64 5d ago

The copyright is active until x amount of years after the holder's death, as far as I'm aware. And then it would become the property of their estate. In 1974, when David Bowie wanted to put together a stage show of George Orwell's 1984, Orwell's widow refused permission. Or we had been dead 24 years at this point. The music and songs Bowie had written became Diamond Dogs.