Sigh. Some things have happened. Let me explain:
Just over a year ago, I made a fan 3d sculpt of a mecha from Dream Pod 9's Gear Krieg. It was modeled from scratch, by me, in Fusion 360. I also made an optional arm set and a weapon set for it. All in 1/56 aka 28mm scale. Something which hasn't been available since Company B ceded the license for resin models in that scale. I put them up on Cults3D, free of charge, as I was happy with what I had created and to maybe help out some other people who were looking for this kind of vehicle in that particular scale. I was utterly clear that this was a fan interpretation of an existing design in a different scale and no profit or ownership was claimed or intended by me.
Yesterday, I suddenly got a very aggressive and insulting comment on Cults, from someone I had never interacted with before, basically accusing me of stealing Dream Pod 9s 3d models. Some internet tough guy having a bad day, I assumed. However, within the hour two of the three files I mentioned above were removed. After contacting Cults3D about this, I found out that this was the result of the CEO of Dream Pod 9 sending a pair of very overreaching and aggressively worded DMCAs basically demanding, under threat of litigation, from Cults3D to not only absolutely destroy any ability for me to ever again share my creations there, regardless of if they were even related to Dream Pod 9 IP. But they also demanded from Cults3D, again under threat of litigation, to dox me and hand my personal data over to Dream Pod 9.
I successfully refuted the DMCA claim, proving that my files had been released 6 months before Dream Pod 9 even first announced any digital releases in 28mm scale, and notifying them of tone and demeanor of the initial contact by the DMCA claimant. Cults3D reinstated my files to their site. To prevent further escalation/harassment, I scrubbed the weapons pack, all original designs by me, of anything that could reference DP9 IP. The file with the manipulator arms, I left down permanently. As a safeguard and to conserve evidence/reference should I need it, I kept up the file with the mecha design itself (Oddly the one which they didn't DMCA??), but devoid of the print files, and with a short explanation of why it was still up.
After which, the sender of the original message chose to further harass and accuse me.
If they had just contacted me openly and politely, if the sender of the first message had properly identified himself as an associate of the company, we could have entered into a dialogue and found an amiable agreement. Instead Dream Pod 9 decided to accost me from a position of anonymity and then immediately go for the nuclear option.
What makes it even more painful for me, is that this was the first more complex, multipart 3d model I was sufficiently satisfied with, and proud of, to share online, for others to see and use. It was, to me, my debut as a "serious" 3d modeler. And they trampled all over that.
This all has utterly cured me of a 20+ year love of the Gear Krieg setting and designs as well as any respect I had for the company.
So I'll be removing what references to Gear Krieg or Dream Pod 9 have/can find on this blog.
I've done some other hobby things in the past weeks, which I may share in a future post. But for now, I'm out of hobby or online posting mojo for a bit.
I hope you understand.
Till next time!
