Over the past three years I have purchased 8-9 sets of experimental aircraft plans, most from the original source, but a couple online from third parties after confirming they had not been previously used to build a plane. When purchasing from the original designer, or the designer's heirs, I'm often, no usually, very disappointed in the level of service. More than once, I have had to call/email over and over, even threaten legal action, just to receive the plans I have pre-paid for. In one case, I simply never received them, but my check was cashed... Ironically, the plans I have purchased or traded for through e-groups or Barnstormers have arrived promptly, in excellent condition, as promised. I recently traded one of my sets for another design and both of us simply gave each others word that we would put them in the mail, provided each other with the confirmation delivery number, and within a week, we both were proud owners of designs we were now interested in.
There are a lot of good people in the world, but not everyone has what it takes to run a business. If plans distributors want to make $$ off their intellectual property, but don't want to, or perhaps are unable to, take on the responsibility of providing quality service I wish they would admit so to themselves and find a distributor who is willing to do so. I'm sure there are companies out there who would be happy to take on the responsibility of licensing KR plans, and would probably provide Mrs. Rand reasonable compensation for doing so. Its not exactlly a new business model... Tony ps this opinion may be worth twice the value of my previous post... and three times what you paid for it...
