Hi there, I'm Deanna, owner of Highland Gaming Minis. We are a small, UK-based business that provides a 3D printing service, producing resin miniatures under official licenses from a variety of independent tabletop designers.

Over the past few months, our small business has faced monthly DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) and Vero takedown notices from Games Workshop (GW) on our online shop platforms, Etsy and Ebay. These claims have targeted a wide range of generic models—everything from giant crabs to steam tanks and slugs—designs that we believe do not infringe on GW's intellectual property.

It appears that GW and its agents employ aggressive tactics to pressure small businesses into closing their shops. As a result of these repeated bullying tactics, Etsy has temporarily shut us down while we fight the DMCAs. We are not selling counterfeit copies; we are selling licensed alternative designs from creative designers in the community.

We have decided that we must take a stand. We believe there needs to be a clear line between intellectual property legitimately owned by Games Workshop and the creative freedom of the wider tabletop gaming community.

To challenge these unfounded claims, we have filed counter-DMCA notices against Games Workshop. We hope this is the end of the matter and that our counter-notices are respected. However, if Games Workshop decides to escalate this to court, the legal fees will be substantial. This is where we need your help.

We are reaching out to the generous tabletop gaming community to support our legal fund. We have already lost several thousands of dollars in sales and spend towards solicitor's fees. Expected communication between our solicitor and GW is going to cost several thousand more. The money raised will cover the costs of our solicitor's fees and the expenses of pursuing or defending a case in the UK's Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC). At outset we are looking to cover at least 10k in losses and legal fees with a final goal of 40k if this gets escalated to court.

By supporting us, you are not just helping Highland Gaming Minis; you are helping to fight for clarity on IP boundaries for all small creators in this industry. We want to operate our business safely, free from the monthly anxiety of waking up to a shop suspension notice based on a vague claim.

Every donation helps us fight for a fairer environment for small businesses like ours.

Our fight will set a precedent for other resin printers and impact how Games Workshop approaches them. So if you if are a resin printer or a supporter of resin printers, then please support us in any way you feel you can. Even sharing our message on social media will help.

If you are or were a resin printer and have your own experiences, please feel free to drop us a message, as all these stories will help our solicitors build a picture of misuse of DMCAs.

Thank you for your support.

Deanna