Independent designs

[Corduroy]

Recently this forum was asked to contribute ideas and suggestions for the millenium update of the CoPilot, hopefully the first of many updates of older Spyderco designs. A number of forumites, myself included, decided to design our own "CoPilot 2000s" for submission to Spyderco. A picture's worth a thousand words, right? In the process, I found myself designing other knives in completely original patterns that I felt would fill gaps in the Spyderco lineup, and I'm considering submitting these as well.

My question is this: what, if anything, can Spyderco do with designs submitted by independents?

Could they actually see production? Could elements from these designs be used in other knives? Or, because they do not come from in-house sources, must they be discarded?

What rights to these designs would an independednt have to waive for them to be useful to Spyderco? Could an independent legally waive all rights to a design in order to see it used? What is Spyderco's policy or attitude on this?

I'm not expecting anything that comes from my hand to be of use to Spyderco, but I know I'm not alone in doodling and dreaming. Is it in vain?

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-Drew Gleason
Little Bear Knives

 

[Sal Glesser]

Drew - Spyderco has purchased or is paying royalties on more than 20 designs. Some have been well known names (Centofante, Terzuola, Horn, Walker). Some have simply been (in my opinion) excellent designs (Wegner, SpydeRench). Some have been a "let's try it" to give the designer an opportunity in the "big marketplace".

We always try to keep an open mind (drafty brain) to anything that might be an improvement or a new adventure.

There is some legal prerequisite that Danelle can help you work out with Peter.

We are slowed down some right now on accepting and using new designs because we (I) over committed on the outside designs that we are producing. We have produced more colaboration designs than Spyderco in house designs over the past 2 years.

Each new design is expensive in development, prototypeing, tooling and marketing. Too many hurts the business end.

Actually, the redsigning of the coPilot on the forum I believe will be ongoing as we bring up each model.

The information we will glean from knowledgable knife people in early stages is far more useful and effective than "guessing" and putting a model out.

We've not yet figured out how to share drawings once that stage is reached. Perhaps Email with a few.
sal