Calling Bruce Taylor.

[Jess P]

Hey Bruce,
Someone is trying to sell your plans for Blackfly on ebay.Auction #250073249638 I don't know if you knew this but it seemed like B.S. to me. Just thought I'd let you know. Jess

[Bruce Taylor]

Interesting. It seems this guy hopes to make a buck selling stuff that's already available for free (which makes him no worse than Evian and Poland Springs, I guess).

There are several outfits on the net that repackage free plans and sell them at a small cost. Usually they pull the material from old boating magazines (and most of the plans in this guy's "catalog" seem to come from the usual sources).

I guess he figures he's adding value by offering counsel and help to anyone who want to build one of these boats. That's fair enough, if his advice is good -- but, having read his sales pitch, I have my doubts. LOL

Anyway, thanks for bringing it to my attention, Jess. I have no real quarrel with what he's doing (though it would have been polite of him to ask permission first). His customers seem happy (99.5% approval rating).

I just read your thread up in B & R. Glad to see you're making headway on your project!

[Harry Miller]

Bruce, did you think your design would be classified as "vintage" so soon?:)

[Todd Bradshaw]

Just in case you do want to report someone selling your intellectual property without authorization (and likely get the listing removed) this is the eBay form you would fill out and send (fax) to them.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/NOCI1.pdf

Rickenbacker uses this stuff on a nearly daily basis to prevent the sale of copies infringing on their trademarks and designs. Apparently, if they become aware of fakes and copies being marketed and make no effort to prevent them, it makes it difficult to enforce their trademarks or Intellectual Property rights in the future. Other companies that have not followed up on this stuff have had their designs ripped-off and copied by the thousands (strats, Les Pauls, etc.).