<The box I created shares a good number of steps with "Star Bowl", but it's <appearance ends up being significantly different (at least in my opinion). <Is any of this of relevance when talking about a model variation?
When perusing (US) copyright infringement cases, significant difference (form, function etc.) is a critical deciding factor, albeit, often the path to decision can be somewhat subjective. Reading court cases can offer much insight on derivative works. Exploring fair use cases will be of value as well, as building upon a work closely aligns with derivative works. The Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music Inc. case may be of interest as related to this discussion.
The one thing to remember...to bring a case forward, usually the work must have been registered with the copyright office, and, usually there needs to be tangible loss involved to the plaintiff. A copyright infringement is one thing; an attorney taking a solid case forward is quite another. Often, for these and other reasons, legally, copyright infringement is a moot point.
ORIFUN to all, Dianne
