Re: [MV] Ethical Question

mblair1@home.net
Mon, 23 Aug 1999 08:54:33 -0700

Regarding repro MT-250 bases:

INDUSTELE@aol.com wrote:

> THE ETHICAL QUESTION: I'm torn between making a 100% exact replica,
> or making a 98% accurate copy. My reasoning behind this is that
> since these things are so scarce, some crook may try to pass them
> off as original if I made it 100% exact. I can duplicate the
> original nameplate and probably the original rubber parts, and make
> it 100%; or I can change the nameplate and put a current date
> stamped in it and use the original rubber parts and make it 99%
> [...] I'd really like to know your opinion on this.

My own opinion: I would make it 100% correct, and then stamp something
like "REPRODUCTION" in the metal in an indelible fashion in a place
where the appearance will not be harmed, but somebody holding one in
their hand would not miss it. For instance, I might make the nameplate
look original (because a screened nameplate is easy to read from a
distance), but stamp "REPRODUCTION" fairly deeply into the metal of
the base (where it won't stick out like a sore thumb after painting,
but it will be difficult to obscure completely). This way, you have a
base that looks almost exactly "right", but you have taken reasonable
measures to make it difficult for the unscrupulous types to take
advantage of people.

What do y'all think about that?

P.S.: I've never been anywhere near the South, but my company was
bought by Texas Instruments a few years ago, so I am now required to
say "y'all" a lot. :-)

--
Mark J. Blair, KE6MYK <mblair1@home.net>
PGP 2.6.2 public key available from http://pgp.ai.mit.edu/
Web page: http://www.qsl.net/ke6myk/
DO NOT SEND ANY UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL EMAIL TO THIS SITE

=== To unsubscribe from the mil-veh mailing list, send the single word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of a message to <mil-veh-request@skylee.com>.