posted 09-10-2019 09:29 PM
Having the desire and ability to be able to produce accurate replicas of the original contractor models is a skill many people would not have. Having the awareness that third parties may attempt to pass such things off as original should not be a driving force to prevent you from using your abilities and skills as you want. If you are open and honest as to how you represent the product you make, then you have done your due diligence regarding the matter.
You could take steps to make changes or build in methods of differentiating your model from an original, but there would be people out there that have the skill to remove or modify such things, as is the way.
There will be a group of people who will serve their own interests above others, and not want you to bring reproductions into existence through the fear of reducing the individuality or value of their items. Of these people, there would be a percentage that takes great offense, others that would want assurances that your work does not devalue their item, (something you cant provide for many reasons).
Some people don’t like the idea that such rare and original items become locked up in private collections, while others put their collections on display for interested people to view. Many of the original items probably would not exist today if it were not for the collectors saving such things from becoming lost.
It would seem a shame that someone with the skills, abilities, and desire, to make replica items that could be used to carry on the memory of some of the lost programs or could also be used to educate future generations of people about some of the past engineering feats, decides never to make such works of art because of a fear of bad people doing bad things.
Furthermore, any company or organization that purports to be able to identify original from non original items, and fails to pick up the difference, are either bad at their job, and should never have been allowed to promote themselves as experts, or, it is evidence that the replica work was true to the original.
If you have the ability to make great works of art, and the desire to do so, don’t let fear be the reason the never let the world see your abilities. As long as you represent your work accurately, be open about what it is, you are only doing good things. You are also keeping the memory alive for more people.