"15mm Dalek musings...." Topic

I, like many others here would love a 15mm dalek army, and I know at this time, it is just a fantasy as none exist.
While doing some sculpting, I was really thinking about this, should I sculpt some in the hope I could get them cast up so that we can all exterminate to our hearts content!
But here's the problem, when i thought about it, I started to think why no one has done it. Daleks are quite distinctive, so it would have to be different to make it a "not" Dalek and get around the BBC/terry nation infringement.
The only thing is, I don't want "not" Daleks, I want real daleks, plus if I did sculpt them I don't think that any manufacturers would risk putting them into production in case of any legal troubles.
Sure, I could possibly make myself a full set instead, but it would take ages (time I just don't have) or get them cast myself with my own cash (which I don't have either) so with this in mind, is there ever going to be a chance of getting a full dalek army? (or even a few squads for that matter!)

Life is cruel!!

Personally, I think some new Dalek's would be in order. Kind of how the Cylon's were updated in the newer series. It would be interesting to see where this could go….

Maybe if someone went the same route that Rodrick Campbell has been doing with Star Wars? Making unauthorized figures – but being completely open about the sales – and turning every bit of profit over to a widely-recognized charity?

Shapeways is the only other option I could think of… there are some decent Daleks around there, and one of the sculptors could probably be convinced to do one around 15mm tall.

Really, it wouldn't take more than two or three sculpts for a full Dalek army.

-Chris K.

So this has me thinking. It isn't illegal to sculpt and cast figs for your use. Is it illegal to offer to make some for cost to a buddy as well? If that is the case then would it be illegal to do this with say indigogo?

The R2 builder guys do this all the time. They of course have the blessing of the Lucas but I wonder how hard it would be to get a similar arrangement for miniatures.

Didn't someone make Dalek phone charms at one point?

link

Dan

They would be easy to cast from resin, using a 1 piece gavity mold, sculpt the body/head and base as one piece, scuplt a couple of variants for coolness sake, build a four sided lego square, place daleks standung up, you may have to use a plasticene base to stand them on, or some other way to ensure they don't float away in the silicon, poor silicon over the parts, let dry, remove the daleks, and poor in resin, you would need to drill a hole in the head to insert wire as the nose gun thing, done.

I have often thought about if this was approached as a co-op it might work. Every 6 months or so, the Co-Op would vote on a new project. Example, Daleks came out 1st in the poll with Sith coming in 2nd and new style Cylons coming out 3rd. From Jan-June the Co-Op would work on having Daleks made for the members (who fund the project, so there would be no profit). At the end of the Dalek run, a new vote would be cast for the next project. Not sure when everyone would put their funds up, and the rest of the details, just some thoughts.

I know there is crowdfunding, but I was thinking something a little more private.

I would also love to have Daleks, not "not-Daleks". The Highland Studios aproach might be a try.
(Has anyone actually ASKED the BBC?)
After all they are/were avalible in 28mm.

> Is it illegal to offer to make some for cost to a buddy as well

This is illegal almost everywhere. You can make whatever you want for your own use, giving them away is illegal.

> Making unauthorized figures – but being completely open about the sales – and turning every bit of profit over to a widely-recognized charity?

That is not legal either. Making a profit has no bearing on it, using the IP of others without license is illegal.

Only question is if the IP holder decides to go after said infringement or not.

How about one sculptor offers an offset, nobby trash can, and another a bubble turret, and you put them together and get…

Sorry, did I say that out loud?

Doug

Malleman: Sounds like a good idea, if a good secure system for collecting cash etc was devised, it could be a solution. I think there's an open source crowdfunding platform somewhere on the net, that might just do the trick. Its just like KS but there's no commission to pay (all the cash goes to the project manager) I can't remember what its called though! I'll take a look later and try and locate it!
Dynaman8789: It was never my intention to steal anyones IP, that's where most of my angst lies…I don't want to pee anyone off, BBC or otherwise.
deflatermouse: It might be worth enquiring about a license just to produce one single dalek sculpt, however the cost of the license might be far more than I expect and I don't want to make a huge loss just for a few daleks. I will make a few enquiries and if I can find out some info, I'll let you know!
Gunner Dunbar: If all else fails, I'll probably end up doing something like that! I just know that there's more than me after daleks in this scale!!

Kyn ell, no problem – I did not want you getting in trouble by following two bits of "advice" that often pop up in such discussions about IP.

1 – Giving it away is ok (it's not)
2 – Giving it just to friends is OK (it's not)

I really wish you could do it legally, I want 15mm Daleks!

Black tree design have 28mm daleks. They got around it somehow.

Maybe ask btd how they did it.

Maybe if you ask bbc they might not care. It supports one of their shows after all? Its not like u would expect to make 1million sterling from it. Just catering to a niche. Imitation is a form of flattery after all.

I'd buy some

BTD had a license, they didn't get around anything.
(They've been selling off "old stock" since the license expired… Must have had a lot of old stock.)

As far as getting a license, IIRC Crooked Dice did ask the BBC about a license, and the cost was prohibitive. Hence they just do generic miniatures that happen to look a little like some characters, and would never do anything as distinctive as a Dalek.

The BBC are unlikely to not care. See the situation with the Adipose knitting pattern.

GW in the mid-80's used to have the Doctors asssistants, Daleks and platic Cybermen, all with hexagonal bases . It was the time of Peter Davidson so was doing well, but not yet the decline during Colin Baker years and eventually canning.

If you made 15mm Daleks, I think you'd make your cost back. As you'd need at least 100 for an army. (As per Planet of the Daleks) I'd need 14 for Genisis of the Daleks but could happily get more to invade Earth with (red ones). And then theres the Dalek Civil War.

And all the WWW-II folk.

(They've been selling off "old stock" since the license expired… Must have had a lot of old stock.)

Older contracts must have been more generous. Nowadays there's usually a fixed amount of time to sell off old stock, then everything left has to be destroyed.