I think you still are not seeing this. If Maceffects is going out of his way to make high-quality reproductions (as he has many times before), at the cost of thousands of his and others own money, how do you expect him to make back this money selling STL files at something like $50 a pop (if even that much)? How does he stop someone from buying the file, copying it, and then distributing it? He can’t be guaranteed a return on his investment without having a monopoly on it at the start - the entire purpose of copyrights and patents that we have had for the last few hundred years. Why would he even bother putting all the time and money in if people would then just take it for little or nothing?
Secondly, he doesn’t “owe” anyone anything. If you want to spend a few thousand and then give something away for free or just a few hundred bucks, you are welcome to. He didn’t have to make any of these things or even start the project at all. In fact, he could have done the project, made fifty copies for himself, and then gave everyone else the finger (except that he did it through Kickstarter). It’s his creation, he can do whatever he likes with it. He could charge $2,000 for one bezel if he likes…though I’m sure he wouldn’t sell any.
The point is the bezels, as well as the design he made to engineer the replacement, are his. The only people he technically owes anything to are those who helped fund the project. Outside of that, he has no obligation, no matter how you “feel” about it.
I, for one, am happy he had made it and has it for a reasonable price.
