IP refers to creations of the mind, the intellect, and the creator owns that creation, it is their property, that creation from their intellect.
Now that creation can be many things such as inventions, but it also includes literary and artistic works, it may be a design, a logo or a symbol,
even the names and images used in a product can be, and usually are, Intellectual Property.
Some things are perhaps already generic and perhaps too common place to be protected by name, take an example you may be familiar with, Space Marines,
that specific name has been in SciFi books for many many years, probably since the 1940's, Space is, well, Space, and a Marine is a type of soldier,
but it is the design of their uniform, the style of the model created, the shape of the moulding, the weaponry they carry,
all of these can be covered by the umbrella that is IP.
Now IP may also be covered by other legislation, legal definitions and protections that include copyright legislation and patents,
in which the idea, the creation, is registered to the person or business. There are also Trademarks which deal with the way things look,
the way it may be presented and perhaps the logo, or even the location from which it comes from, think Champagne, or Scotch Whisky.
IP and copyright may have different terms of reference and work in different ways, but essentially they cover the same thing, the protection of the work,
and the creation, the product. You may be perhaps more familiar with the rights of performers whether they are actors,
singers or musicians, the producer of the music or film, or even TV based content, all are protected by copyright,
and the creation of that material is still the Intellectual Property.
In the modern sense, websites and their content are also IP, it is the creation of the web designer, who, in turn, may hand over that design,
the creation, to the website owner, they now own the IP of that website, it has been transferred with consent.
Within that website may be other peoples work, for example, we sell items that are created by the Games Workshop™,
we may buy the model but we don't own the IP of that model, we own the product because we purchased it, we may build them,
paint them and re-sell the completed item, but we still don't own the IP of the product, and once it is sold,
the new owner doesn't own the IP either, just the product.
There was an interesting phrase in the paragraph above, transferred with consent. You can transfer the rights of IP, particularly if creating a product for
someone else, like a website. You can also transfer copyright, the ownership of the product design, and even though people purchase the end product
they still do not own the rights to the IP or its copyright. Respecting the IP is the acknowledgement of someone else's labours, it has cost someone time,
effort and probably money, to produce. Unless they choose to give it free of charge, give permission, they deserve to be compensated for that
time and effort in the form of payment, i.e. you purchase the product and the respect of their IP.
At SAA we respect other peoples IP, we may be inspired by others work, but we don't copy it. Where items are clearly someone else's work,
like the GW™ models, we say so, we respect their IP, we don't challenge their rights to that IP, we might have a similar product, but the point is,
it is similar and not the same, copying is to breach copyright and intrude on the Intellectual Property of the creator of that item.
In turn, we expect others to respect our IP, the copyrights we have on the unique product we make, whether that is our own scenery items
or the written works you will find on the site, including the text of the website pages, and the photographs of the products, all are our
Intellectual Property. Where we have used photographs we have taken of other peoples work, we tell you it is someone else's work, we respect their IP,
that is only right, it is fair, it is respectful.
It is a simple concept, respect, it is defined as a feeling of admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities,
or achievements, and having due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievement.
With regard to other peoples work shown on this site, we do appreciate the hard work, the time and effort others have put into the manufacture of that product,
having created our own models, and gone through the many trials of production methods and materials, and umpteen dozen example products
needed to make a final design and finish, we can appreciate the abilities, the quality of the finished item, we do respect and admire their efforts,
we can all appreciate the achievement of the final product, and we respect the fact that it is not our product, and
that we do not have the right to claim the product as our own work.
There we are, now you know WRIP - Why Respect Intellectual Property.
There is a very good article here on IP and what it is, and where it comes from,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property
