Everybody is familiar with Wooden Camera which is the company behind many cinema accessories that make the life of filmmakers much easier. However, did you know that the company also sells some wooden replicas of selected camera models? Now you can buy a RED Komodo made of wood for $250. Is it a legit business step? Well, it depends.
Wooden RED Komodo Replica
A few months before RED enabled the purchase of the pre-production models of its new Komodo cameras, dimensional drawings were shared with the public. The goals of sharing those drawing were basically for two reasons:
- Allowing accessory companies to design and build stuff for the Komodo.
- To satisfy users’ curiosity about the anticipated camera. Many users have 3D printed a precise RED Komodo model just for the fun.
Wooden Camera is one of the companies that utilize that information. Wooden Camera is a well-known brand that produces awesome stuff for filmmakers. The company was founded in 2011 by Ryan & Elizabeth Schorman, a husband and wife team from Dallas, Texas. In 2016, Wooden Camera joined the Vitec Corporation, which is a leading global provider of premium branded products and solutions to the image capture and content creation market.
Precise wooden imitations of cinema cameras
It’s important to emphasize that companies which produce accessories for cinema camera, must have access to dimensional drawings of the specific model. That allows them to R&D-ing a precise accessory for a particular purpose. However, the question is, if those companies can sell an exact replica of the camera model itself. Well, this is a legal question that should deal with copyright infringement. Let’s have a look at the description of the Wooden Camera wooden RED KOMODO Replica that is being sold on B&H for $250: “This Wood RED KOMODO Model from Wooden Camera is a detailed wooden replica of the camera which features threaded accessory mounting holes on top and bottom. Designed as an accurate replica of the camera’s overall form factor, this wooden model is embellished with markings of buttons, switches, and dials along with representations of the lens mount and most of the mounting points”.
It’s important to note that printing this RED Komodo model is a no-brainer since we all have access to the dimensional drawings. Basically, anyone who has a solid 3D printer and/or CNC laser machine can print it at home. However, selling it is another thing, since it uses RED’s Industrial design rights which are intellectual property rights that protect the visual design of a product.
Do you need a license to sell a replica of a camera model?
Yes, you probably do need a license for selling those kinds of models, especially if the replica carries the manufacturer’s make or model designation, such as RED Komodo, RED Digital Cinema, ARMIA, ARRI, URSA and so on. Furthermore, the camera manufacturers can request you to take licenses and pay royalties for making these kinds of replicas. Moreover, so long as the replica is recognizably a copy of a particular camera, it may not be a defense that the replica does not use the manufacturer’s trademark make or model names.
Conclusion
Creating a 3D cinema camera replica made of wood (or any other substance) is cool. However, selling it without permission from the manufacturer is prohibited. In regard to the Wooden Camera replicas, I’m pretty sure they are all legally backed with valid permissions.
