No that's not absurd.

He did that to me too. He even sued me!

And that's why I don't MOC.

|-|\/|

No it's not absurd, you took his idea. It doesn't matter about how you executed said idea or what colors you used or even that you designed it totally different from his house, you still took his idea. >

That's why I don't interlock the bricks.

Foolish superhero, you are Ole Kirk Christiansen!

~EW~

It is absurd, most of the time.

Normally it shouldn't be a problem, because he put that method of building out on the market for everybody to see, so he can't expect people just to praise him for how good it is and not try it out for themselves. Kirk would've had his time to get his sales of LEGO sets out of the house building technique, so now it should be fine for others to adapt this house-building technique and see if they can make some money out of improving it.

If I figured out and displayed how to put bricks together to make a near perfect sphere, I wouldn't mind other people trying out my technique as well as improving it to make a perfect square. Somebody would be bound to come up with the technique sooner or later, so it's not like I own the rights to the technique.

However, in the case of Kirk, what if he had just shown people this way of building houses and was using it to sell his LEGO products, when you appear with Smeagol-Blox which use Kirk's technique as well as some improvements, and you sell Smeagol-Blox to the people Kirk was selling to, competing against him for the most sales?

Kirk would be left without a chance at getting the most sales from his new technique, because his technique was so successful that you adapted and improved it to use against him. Is that fair?

And suddenly I'm thinking beyond BBC Contest 56. o_O

That's what copyright is for. If you don't want people to steal your stuff, go through the nessesary legal paperwork, or be ready for your technique to enter the public domain.

If I figured out and displayed how to put bricks together to make a near perfect sphere, I wouldn't mind other people trying out my technique as well as improving it to make a perfect square. Somebody would be bound to come up with the technique sooner or later, so it's not like I own the rights to the technique.

Oh hey look, it's the point of this whole entry. You found it!

I got the point of the entry, I was just trying for a satirical approach to the whole affair.

*Hugs yoooou* -Smeag

Kirk would be left without a chance at getting the most sales from his new technique, because his technique was so successful that you adapted and improved it to use against him. Is that fair?

Is capitalism fair?

There's a little saying my mother is fond of and uses often to dispel quibbles amongst my siblings and I:

Life isn't fair.

Make of that what you will.

Edit: Also, Ole called you from the grave, Smeag? O.o

While I agree, in general, I do think an entry in the contest did push too far in the 'well, you can't "steal" a technique' envelope. Ole Kirk marketed his bricks that way. But he didn't invent the technique for a contest, as the only person to come up with it, and then have his technique grabbed by someone else and improved upon. I don't care if it's 'fair' or not, it really wasn't 'cool'.

There are times when it's okay, but when it comes to such an extreme and out there technique like the one I'm thinking of, I just don't know if it's morally defensible.

Now I have to go look through all those polls to see what you people are all spouting off about.

That's why I don't interlock the bricks.

I so want to try this now.

Really, I do.

~Bunda

Foolish superhero, you are Ole Kirk Christiansen!

 

~EW~

"No! I must kill the demons" he shouted

The radio said "No, John. You are the demons"

And then John was a zombie.

Edit: Also, Ole called you from the grave, Smeag? O.o[/color][/b]

think he has a son named after him if im right

Thats Crazy Absurd! At one point it even was a recommended way of Building on the Lego Website!