Reissue Of Vintage Devices And Original Designers Rights

[SIXTYNINER]

Hi to everybody
a thread to talk (as well , and as knowledge for those who want to know)
about the original designers rights (copyright)
of their designed electronics devices
inside : pcb topology and layout , parts , etc..
and
outside : controls panel layout , colors , knobs shape, etc..

and the reissues of them by third-party for official sale
(private diyers excluded)

like for example Heritage Audio and the vintage Neve series , and others too ..

how much different have to be a reissue
for not violate the related laws ?

thanks in advance for any post about ,
cheers

 

[JohnRoberts]

As a design engineer I never once wanted to copy somebody else's design.

[edit- actually back in the early 70s I liberally borrowed from multiple amplifier designs. I mixed and matched different circuit blocks together, to make a hybrid combination. I never tried to represent the result as anything other than what it was. [/edit]

JR

 

[ruffrecords]

In the UK, if someone makes a product for sale then all the information that can be determined by examining it is in the public domain unless it is specifically protected. So you can copy or clone any or all of it except those parts which are protected. I suspect the law is similar in many countries.

Your question then becomes, which parts of vintage designs are protected?

Cgeers

Ian

 

[SIXTYNINER]

Hi Ian and thanks for post !

so , it's about "inside and outside" , combination of both ,
(i repeat : if for official sale , not as personal private diy).

- Inside ( excluding proprietary " ic " like Burr Brown , and others ) :
is the topology with the specific type of parts and "sequence" , for example the BA283 , or the 340 ,338 , etc... , or a full 1073 preamp with or without eq ,etc..
clonable without infringing any copyrights ?

- Outside : as on the first post , it is possible using the external aesthetics
( colors , graphics type an layout , knobs , push buttons caps , controls position and layout , etc..)
without any copyrights issue ?

...and about the Carnhill transformers like the "red" output one
with the label "manufactured exclusively for Neve" , it is really different ?
(any comparison with the "standard" type ? )

cheers

 

[ruffrecords]

Hi Ian and thanks for post !

so , it's about "inside and outside" , combination of both ,
(i repeat : if for official sale , not as personal private diy).

- Inside ( excluding proprietary " ic " like Burr Brown , and others ) :
is the topology with the specific type of parts and "sequence" , for example the BA283 , or the 340 ,338 , etc... , or a full 1073 preamp with or without eq ,etc..
clonable without infringing any copyrights ?

It depends if those things are in the public domain. Neve products were never available to the general public. Neve always provided a comprehensive service manual with full schematics. However, it is possible that the terms of business under which it was sold may have included a confidentiality clause stating that this information was proprietary and must not be made publicly available. Hence it would be protected by the contract with the buyer. Any later 'leak' into the public domain would not negate this.

- Outside : as on the first post , it is possible using the external aesthetics
( colors , graphics type an layout , knobs , push buttons caps , controls position and layout , etc..)
without any copyrights issue ?

The Neve logo is definitely a registered design. Neve may have registered the front panel layouts as registered designs which would also offer protection

...and about the Carnhill transformers like the "red" output one
with the label "manufactured exclusively for Neve" , it is really different ?
(any comparison with the "standard" type ? )

You would have to ask Carnhill about that.

Cheers

Ian

 

[SIXTYNINER]

.......You would have to ask Carnhill about that.

Cheers

Ian

thanks for post Ian ,
I can already imagine the answer
cheers