Quote Originally Posted by Normb666 View Post
What they should really be saying is that they're ensuring that only the moneyed elite can enjoy their vehicles, because no-one else can afford them.
To be fair Norm, companies spend a lot of money building up their brand which in many instances is far more valuable than the individual products they sell. Louis Vuitton make fancy handbags and fancy stuff that posh folk spend ridiculous amounts of money on. Maggie and Bertha who buy a knock-off copy on the beach at Torremolinos for 10 Euros rather than a proper one at 1500 Euros aren't a lost sale to LV but the fact that they, and the rest of the Skegness bowling club can do that dilutes the value of the brand which is why companies like Louis Vuitton are very proactive in protecting their brand officiously. Some other companies are less proactive unless their nose is rubbed in it and some companies aren't bothered. However, all the companies have the same rights.

The problem with making a replica of anything is, well, the clue is in the name. You are copying someone else's property, whether that is physical or intellectual. If you do that without their permission or agreement or under a license then you may run into problems if they object and, depending on how they object, that may have expensive consequences. As ever the devil is in the detail.