[Paddlewise] Nadgee, Max, Boat Copying

Ken Rasmussen
kayakfit_at_fidalgo.net
www.kayakfit.com

Regarding:  Nadgee, Max, Boat Copying

I regret that I haven't seen the entire thread or the Nadgee kayak, but I
disagree with the previous posting by Peter Treby.  Regardless of the legality
of copying a hull shape, it is immoral to copy a hull shape without the
permission of the designer.  I have a kayak that I have modified the hull on
so it acts different than it originally did.  I could take a mold from that
hull and reproduce it, but I'd still be ripping off the original designer.  It
is a very easy thing to take an existing kayak, criticize it, and improve it.
It is a great deal harder to create something new from one's own imagination.
The law is just a clumsy attempt to create a workable society.  It often has
similarity to what we think of as morality, but it is not morality.  Most of
us would feel guilty if we used someone's design without permission, and that
is as it should be.
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