This message is forwarded from Don Stackhouse and Joe Hahn at DJ Aerotech Tom H. Nagel Columbus, OH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Stackhouse @ DJ Aerotech" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 11:23 AM Subject: product discontinuance
> Paul, Tom, > > I included a copy f the message below to RCSE, as well as some of the other > lists, since I felt that it was something that many of the subscribers to > RCSE would be interested in. > > However, I quit RCSE about a year ago (the vicious attacks, lies and > character assassination as a means of suppressing alternate viewpoints got > to be more than I felt like putting up with), and if I remember correctly, > I think RCSE has some sort of filter to keep out messages posted by > non-subscribers. Did this message ever get posted on RCSE? If not, any > chance one of you could forward it to the list for me? Or, do either of you > have Mike Lachowski's e-mail address? > > Thanks, > Don > > >As some of you on these lists may recall, three years ago we were > >approached by EMI, a company hired by Lockheed-Martin to administer their > >trademark licensing program for them, regarding our Roadkill Series P-38 > >kit. It is Lockheed-Martin's policy that ANYONE (no exceptions) must be > >properly licensed by them to legally make models of any of their aircraft, > >including the ancestor companies such as (but not limited to) Lockheed, > >Martin, General Dynamics, Convair, or Consolidated. > > > >We had the choice of either discontinuing the P-38 kit, or obtaining a > >license. During the negotiations, we were told of various benefits to us > >that being license holders would include. > > > >We decided to try it their way, and invest in a 3-year license. The cost > >was a token amount for them, although it was not a token amount for a tiny > >company like ours. Still, if the benefits outlined to us were real, it > >would be a worthwhile investment. > > > >To make a long and painful story short, the benefits did not materialize > >to any significant extent. In addition, they are now insisting on a much > >bigger cost (from our point of view, but not in their eyes) for renewal of > >the agreement. Given that the real benefits we experienced fell well short > >of what we'd been led to expect, and did not even justify our original > >investment, we simply cannot renew at anything even close to the proposed > >terms. There are plenty of other kit subjects from companies that do not > >subject us to this sort of treatment. > > > >We do have a few remaining of the two kits that are subject to this > >license. We are discontinuing production and sales of our Roadkill Series > >Lockheed P-38 and Model 10 Electra, effective either 12-31-04 or when the > >existing inventory of these kits runs out, whichever comes first. If you > >want one, better get it quick, once they're gone, there will not be any more. > > > >As far as the other Lockheed-Martin related kits we had in development, > >some Roadkill Series, some bigger, and some giant scale, those will never > >see the outside of my computer. > > > >We're sorry to have to take this position, but they have really left us > >with no real choice. > > > >As far as any pressure on EMI or Lockheed-Martin from any of you reading > >this, in reaction to this turn of events (such as what some list members > >did three years ago), please refrain from doing so. We do appreciate your > >concern. However, we were told by the good folks at EMI three years ago > >that they "could make it difficult for us" if that occurred any more (even > >though we had nothing to do with the actions of others back when it > >happened, having in no way asked anyone to do any such thing), and I can > >only assume that threat still stands. At this point, Joe and I are > >relieved to be rid of this whole unpleasant affair. > > > >Don Stackhouse @ DJ Aerotech > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://www.djaerotech.com/ > > RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
