Are racetracks copyrighted?
Are racetracks copyrighted?
Author
Discussion

wormburner

Original Poster:

33,896 posts

282 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
If you had enough money, could you build an exact replica of, say, Monaco, or Laguna Seca, and open for business?

(purely hypothetical question) (obviously)

Life Saab Itch

37,069 posts

217 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
wormburner said:
If you had enough money, could you build an exact replica of, say, Monaco, or Laguna Seca, and open for business?

(purely hypothetical question) (obviously)
Don't know.


If Hockenheim short circuit is copyrighted, then Mercedes Benz owe them a lot of money... wink

Richard-G

1,743 posts

204 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
That's a good question actually!

With regards to hockenheim Saab, I think (I'm 90%) that merc paid for the stadium section when it was first built so maybe they have a deal.

Richard-G

1,743 posts

204 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
That's a good question actually!

With regards to hockenheim Saab, I think (I'm 90%) that merc paid for the stadium section when it was first built so maybe they have a deal.

Shaw Tarse

31,886 posts

232 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
I don't know, but wasn't it Ascari who built a track replicating famous corners from different track?

1point7bar

1,305 posts

177 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
Imagery of some circuits is protected.

How much intellectual property is invested in the shape of a private road?

If you tried to sell your copy as Laguna Seca etc then you might be infringing the integrity of the brand enough to be asked to refrain.

majordad

3,630 posts

226 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
Porsche openly say Leipzig Track is a copy of many GP tracks. They even call some corners the same name.

zetec

5,180 posts

280 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
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The episode of Top Gear where they went to Spain with a M3, a C63 and a RS4, wasn't that track modelled on corners from various other circuits?

MiniMan64

19,336 posts

219 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
Isn't there a company up in Sweden somewhere that has cut replica's of several famous race circuits into an ice field?

I vaguely remember reading something in EVO.

Mattt

16,664 posts

247 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
zetec said:
The episode of Top Gear where they went to Spain with a M3, a C63 and a RS4, wasn't that track modelled on corners from various other circuits?
Ascari Race Resort - as mentioned above?

DanDC5

19,991 posts

196 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
I'd say it's tricky to copy a circuit exactly what with the elevations and stuff. I'd imagine it's more the licensing to use the name, logo etc that is copyrighted rather than it's actual shape.

Life Saab Itch

37,069 posts

217 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
DanDC5 said:
I'd say it's tricky to copy a circuit exactly what with the elevations and stuff. I'd imagine it's more the licensing to use the name, logo etc that is copyrighted rather than it's actual shape.
Merc managed to copy thehockenheim short circuit precisely. Their DTM cars test on the copy.

Life Saab Itch

37,069 posts

217 months

Sunday 27th May 2012
quotequote all
The copy is at the "secret" wink mercedes test circuit in north west germany.


It's got a 7km oval and in the middle is a perfect replica of the Hockenheim short circuit.


I've found it a couple of times on google earth, the last time by searching in google for "mercedes test track".

vtgts300kw

640 posts

206 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
Life Saab Itch said:
The copy is at the "secret" wink mercedes test circuit in north west germany.


It's got a 7km oval and in the middle is a perfect replica of the Hockenheim short circuit.


I've found it a couple of times on google earth, the last time by searching in google for "mercedes test track".
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=53.051946,+7.508297...

StevieBee

15,284 posts

284 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
If they are, I'd imagine that Arena Essex would have had something to say about Wimbledon or Great Yarmouth by now. Or vice-versa!


Redlake27

2,255 posts

273 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
Life Saab Itch said:
The copy is at the "secret" wink mercedes test circuit in north west germany.


It's got a 7km oval and in the middle is a perfect replica of the Hockenheim short circuit.


I've found it a couple of times on google earth, the last time by searching in google for "mercedes test track".
So that's why Merc have struggled to make a decent drivers car for years.

They heard their rivals were doing hours of testing at a famous ex-German GP venue. So they tried to go one better, and built an exact replica of the wrong venue.

PabloTeK

1,073 posts

204 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
StevieBee said:
If they are, I'd imagine that Arena Essex would have had something to say about Wimbledon or Great Yarmouth by now. Or vice-versa!
Or indeed any of the 1.5 mile "cookie-cutters" in the USA hehe

davepoth

29,395 posts

228 months

Monday 28th May 2012
quotequote all
http://jalopnik.com/5891398/man-wants-to-build-exa...

You can't fault this guy for ambition...