Class Politics Building your own Laser legal?

Merrily

Administrator
In the open discussion forum there's a thread about using an old Laser hull to make a mold, from which to make a carbon Laser. The young aspiring boatbuilder did not want a class legal boat, but just a boat to knock around in. He says his Laser would weigh 30 lbs! I have no idea about the feasibility or expense of this, and that was not the point of discussion.

So is the Laser patented? Would making a copy solely for you own use be like copying a music or video disk for your own use and be legal? I doubt it. I think that it would be illegal to make a copy because boat makers, such as Vanguard in North America, buy a license to make the Laser.
Are there any lawyers in the house?

Merrily
 
Not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV>

I think:

1. You can make anything at all for your own use. Except for few things like drugs where the government has added to its powers...don't get me started...

2. You can probably make and then give away almost anything but you can't give away stuff without properly respecting the copyrights.
Example: The director of a choir can't make copies of sheet music and pass it out. Each copy has to be properly paid for.

3. The boat would not be a Laser unless it is built by a manufacturer according to the Laser Class rules, the builders manual, and have royalty paid.

4. The hull shape may be somehow controlled by copyrights such that the materials used, and using of non-laser materials may still create a shape which is controlled by the Laser designer's copyrights.

5. It is not nice to copy other people's designs.

6. It would be fun to make a super light weight "laser shaped craft" just to see what the heck it does.
further: I bet Bruce Kirby would love to see a 50 lb boat sail, but he might ask you to cut it up after everybody gets a ride.

7. If you ever showed up at a Laser regatta and tried to sail it without resigning in advance and staying the hell of the course while others are racing, you could be banned from sailing for a long long time.

8. I have babbled about creating such a toy for many years and have always decided it would cost way too much money for something I cannot even use for racing.

9. Your regular Laser would feel like a slug after sailing a super lightweight Laser...That risks ruining your long term fun...bad thing.

10. there are always 10 things on these lists
 
gouvernail said:
5. It is not nice to copy other people's designs.
1. Exactly. This is why designers design things. Especially not nice if one plans to sell one or two or 10,000 to make a few bucks.

2. If 30 lbs, it would float at completely the wrong height and be completely unstable. This is why Naval Architecture is an art and a science - there are a lot of calculations and experience involved in making a shape that goes through the water nicely, is stable in specific conditions and loadings, and floats level. If the hull weight changes, everything changes.
 
MasterMike said:
2. If 30 lbs, it would float at completely the wrong height and be completely unstable. This is why Naval Architecture is an art and a science - there are a lot of calculations and experience involved in making a shape that goes through the water nicely, is stable in specific conditions and loadings, and floats level. If the hull weight changes, everything changes.

That is my opinion too as expressed in the thread "If I had an old Laser I'd" http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=3240

Merrily
 
According to Maritime Law set up by marine industries throughtout the United States, a boat would only need to have 3 things different in order to call itself "its own." For instance, i am also a classic SeaCraft collector and enjoy rebuilding them (i am on my second), these boats have the revolutionary reverse chine design. SeaSquirt, a completely different company took the exact same hull, changed the deck level and entry points and made minor hardware adjustments and is now a prefectyly suitable, legal to sell boat. Thus said, if one were to change the materials used for a boat, not only would it be expensive, it would be legal if he also changed the other 2 things needed. But i think you could still keep the Laser design while doing so.

Thanks,
Brendan
 
Why on earth would you build a laser out of C/f its not a very fast design anyways comparded to other boats if your gona do something like that why not build a c/f 505
 

Back
Top