U.P. drops model train royalty fees

[Zwingle]

SPDRs: U.P. drops model train royalty fees

[tree68]

True enough - UPRR Website says the same thing.

[CopCarSS]

What ever shall the UP detractors around here complain about now?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

What ever shall the UP detractors around here complain about now?

Probably for daring to operate their railroad as a business.

[Lord Atmo]

ah, this is a good move by UP. i have grown to better understand them and i can't say i hate them any longer. i AM angered that they patched all my beloved CNWs, but it isnt enough to hate them. they changed their own paint scheme enough to take the blandness out and maintain consistancy (yes i like the hood flags. i dont know why some people dont) 

i can not find that article on the royalty stuff however (on UP's site at least). what is the status now? do toy train manifacturers now just need a license and permission from UP to make models of their power or predecessor power?

at the same time, UP is being a real sport about real trains and painting locomotives in predecessor schemes. apparently if they allow you to do it, they also will send you paint diagrams and paint mixing guides to aid you in this. i'd have to say that seems pretty nice!

thanks for doing this, UP. i'm serious.

and going off on another tangent, i saw some HO UP models with their new lightning stripe too. i gotta say that scheme change really looks great!

[CopCarSS]

Probably for daring to operate their railroad as a business.

You mean that they don't exist exclusively for the purpose of meeting my railfanning needs? How dare they!

[bobwilcox]

Probably for daring to operate their railroad as a business.

You mean that they don't exist exclusively for the purpose of meeting my railfanning needs? How dare they!

No, but they do operate to increase the value of my stock.  I'm glad Jim Young or someone else got this mess behind them

[Lord Atmo]

Probably for daring to operate their railroad as a business.

You mean that they don't exist exclusively for the purpose of meeting my railfanning needs? How dare they!

they do a small bit of that though. like when they donated an SP SD45 to a museum. or how they sometimes run 844

but it baffles me really. why did they try to get royalties? i would think all the freight they move would rake in more than enough money

[Anonymous]

but it baffles me really. why did they try to get royalties? i would think all the freight they move would rake in more than enough money

You work hard to make a name and reputation for yourself, one that you have pride in. It takes years to gain the reputation that makes your name a desirable commodity.

If some slob  discovers that he can make a buck painting your hard work onto the sides of the toy trains he is trying to sell, WHY SHOULDN'T you be entitled to a share of that?


Secondarly, to control the use/misuse of your proud name.

Suppose the aforementioned slob discovers he can make even more money painting your name onto toy garbage trucks as a joke, and selling them as a novelty, having firm control of the name is the first step towards forcing him to stop.

I never blamed UP for wanting to control use/abuse of their tradename.

BNSF should now produce a line of toy UP rolling stock that the wheels seize everytime you couple a UP boxcar next to a SP boxcar,    just to mock the way the railroad melted down during their merger. Being able to fight back when faced with nonsense like that is what it's all about.

[bobwilcox]

If you do not control your name someone else may take for their own.  It would not be a good thing if the Union Pacific, etc. name was owned by a lawyer in Wuhan.

[Pathfinder]

There is a sticky on the MR forum here about this.

LOTS of discussion about this within the model community.  Personally I do not see the big deal, I have no problem with a company trying to protect its hard earned image (good or bad   ) and I have no problem paying the extra if I want one of their models on my layout.  In the grand scheme of things, I think that this issue has been blown way out of proportion to its impacts.  Just my 2 cents though, others obviously disagree.

[JSGreen]

I believe the issue is related to the thread a month or so ago about Wal-Mart selling a model with graffitti. Nor directly influenced by, but the issues are related.  By properly licensing the trademark, they can control how it is used, and presumable prevent one like that which is clearly UP underneath, but which overall gives a negative image of the company.  Apparrently doesnt protect them from "unflattering" use in art or social commentary, but it will when someone is trying to make money off of the Image.

I wonder if whoever orignially came up with the idea to get a cease and desist untill they collected money from the model makers for using the logos is still employed with the firm...sounds like they should have gone straight to what they just agreed to, been lots less public relations nightmare, and overall less expensive!  Wonder if they have too many lawyers on staff looking for something to do to make a name for themselves, and if not, what important stuff was ignored while this was going on....

Here's an Idea...how about making sure someone in Public Relations gets to comment on Lawyers ideas before they charge off and single handedly save the company from evildo-ers....

[n012944]

If you do not control your name someone else may take for their own.  It would not be a good thing if the Union Pacific, etc. name was owned by a lawyer in Wuhan.

 

If that was all that it was the UP could have put a $0.01 royalty, and no one would have said a thing.

 

Bert

[Lord Atmo]

regardless, i'm proud of UP for willing to do this. it shows they DO have a heart for their predecessors and respect for their history enough to let us model them with more ease. i'm modelling CNW and already own an athearn SD60 and C44-9W (which i have said way too much at this point, i'm sure. i just LOVE those models! LONG LIVE LOMBARD HOBBY!) and will likely buy more as i see more discounts. but because of this move by UP, i think i'm going to have to buy a UP locomotive too. as a ways of saying "thank you". ok i'm actually buying 3 UP locomotives. maybe even more. (an SD70M, DDA40X, and an FEF 3 to be renumbered "844")

 

[Anonymous]

It'll be REAL interesting to see if the prices at retail are actually reduced as a consequence of this

[vsmith]

It'll be REAL interesting to see if the prices at retail are actually reduced as a consequence of this

I doubt it....just raise the price of everything else to match

[One Track Mind]

O ye of little faith....at least two manufacturers have already announced that they have lowered the UP-related items back to the normal MSRP of non-UP-related items.

 

[Poppa_Zit]

Egads! Does this mean nay more Heritage units?

Say it ain't so, UP.

For the record, I had no problem with UP trying to protect its intellectual and real property, including their marks and trade dress. That's just good business. As I said in other posts, I had no problem with them collecting licensing fees if they used the money to keep alive its Historical Equipment program. Which eventually was announced.

 

[Lord Atmo]

yeah but at the same time, i dont want to pay more for HO CNW locomotives only to have it go to old UP locomotives. if UP was going to run old CNW stuff, i would pay extra royalties on all CNW products

 

besides, i'll take a CNW SD60 over 844 any day

[CNW 6000]

If that was all that it was the UP could have put a $0.01 royalty, and no one would have said a thing.

 

Bert

I'd have paid a penny on every UP engine purchased.  Wouldn't matter to me cuz any parts that said Union Pacicic get patched over anyway....

Seriously though protecting their name with a small (read as a couple/few cents per model) fee isn't that bad.  Even a couple of dollars would have been a bit much IMHO.  I'd never buy any UP models if I had to pay that kind of extra for the name.

[Lord Atmo]

the problem is that they were demaning royalties for models of their predecessor's locomotives too. i was pretty wound up about that till UP finally cut the crap

[Andrew Falconer]

I wonder if they will still be assisting in access to the historical documents about the real railroad equipment. No payments might equal working for free? Who is going to do that work for "free". Sure they are still on the UP clock, but that documentation access for model railroad companies is hard work that requires excess compensation.