Re:Ask HN: What is your money-making side project outside pr...
by holoduke on Sunday April 21, 2019 @01:19PM
(#19713211)
I am into older Maserati's. Own a couple of them. I do a lot of manufacturing myself. 3d printing, cncing. The problem is that whenever I design a replacement panel, wishbones or various other stuff and try to sell them commercialy I will get sued by the original Maserati company. On a low scale it's fine, but you will never get a living out of it.
The only parts which are in a gray area are rims, exhausts, filters, springs and couple of other parts.
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Re:Ask HN: What is your money-making side project outside pr...
by richk449 on Sunday April 21, 2019 @06:56PM
(#19715095)
What do they sue you for? If you are upfront about what you are selling, and you didn't steal any IP, it isn't fraud or theft of trade secrets. Maybe they have patents, and claim you are violating them? I can't see how it is illegal to reverse engineer a part and sell a similar version.
Re:Ask HN: What is your money-making side project outside pr...
by gambiting on Monday April 22, 2019 @01:31AM
(#19716767)
Exactly, 3rd party replacement market for car parts is huge.
Re:Ask HN: What is your money-making side project outside pr...
by swimfar on Sunday April 21, 2019 @07:33PM
(#19715223)
Similarly, a German-based company started producing replica Mercedes 300 SL bodies but they were shutdown and the bodies had to be crushed. Although, this isn't quite the same, because the bodies weren't used as replacement parts to keep existing cars on the road.
https://mercedesheritage.com/classic-mb-culture/mercedes-ben...
Re:Ask HN: What is your money-making side project outside pr...
by tyingq on Sunday April 21, 2019 @01:29PM
(#19713282)
Interesting. I suppose you could stick with manufacturers that either don't care, or are long defunct.
Re:Ask HN: What is your money-making side project outside pr...
by kbenson on Sunday April 21, 2019 @02:11PM
(#19713565)
If we had a right to repair law, presumably it would allow third parties to make replacements when the original manufacturer lo linger was.
Even without that, I'm kind of surprised they sue. Are they patenting each part? Is there case law that covers this? Or is it just a case of bringing a suit to scare people I sto stopping? I wonder.