Copy Cats! - does it bother you if someone tries to copy your doll's style/looks?

-lol- I don't copy other dolls. Though backstories are sometimes borrowed. IT can't be helped. Many of my dolls are Anime characters I fell in love with. But at least I pick characters hardly anyone does. LIke Rini from Sailor Moon, or Yuri and Wolfram from KKM. ^__^ My dolls are my own. In fact I've seen another doll running around here with the same color eyes and the same wig one of my girls has. I don't know if the other person copied and I don't care. I know my girl can't possibly have the same emotions, personality as the others. ^__^ And that makes me happy. Though someone else may accuse me of coppying or what not...not really I have pretty Unique dolls. huh. How'd I manage that?

-shrug- Everyone will feel differently about this. But if you have like a MNF Shiwoo you have to expect that alot of them will have the same personality. It's in the mold.

 

I wouldn't care if there were 1500 other Yus out there, because none are actually him, y'know?
Same with Imelda. They may be a canvas, but they're just my dolls. I don't care if there are others like them, because Yu and Imelda are the only ones I really care about.

And for the record, Yu is a teenaged bishounen warlord and Imelda is a shy little loli who talks to stuffed animals. XD

 

Well, maybe an artist of Picasso's caliber could create an entirely new facial arrangement for human-type figures that looks convincing... and I'm sure there are haute fashion designers who could make clothing that resembles nothing else on earth... but until they start working in the dolly business, we're left with a relatively small set of options to work with.

There are only so many ways to paint an eyebrow or sew a seam at 1/3-scale, Usagi.

 

I sincerely doubt anyone would want to copy my dolls in any way, but if someone did, I think I'd just be flattered.

 

It really depends on the extent of the copying. If the whole doll is obviously a copy of one of my own, then I normally find it to be upsetting. It's depressing to think that someone would take an idea or look that is exclusively my own and get credit for it mainly because so much work is poured into these dolls. I guess it can sort of relate to regular plagiarism in that respect?
Inspiration from someone else however, is a completely different thing.

Don't get me wrong, it's rare when a doll looks enough like my own to really upset me and on the contrary I am usually flattered.

 

@ Belladonna: I guess you could look at it as if someone took your idea from something you drew and wrote and didnt' credit you for it, huh? I think that's the only way I'd understand your feelings right now.


I, however, discovered from thinking about what to write for my English essay, that I think the whole concept of a 100% "original" idea or style to be outdated with such a place as the world wide web. I mean, everyone borrows ideas and styles from othr people. I know it sucks when they don't credit you for borrowing that idea, but it's not like they steal it from you. I think? Since they should be constructing their dolls on their own, right? It's not like you did it for them, so your doll still has it's own unique qualities even if you are the only one who knows about them. I guess the range of "art thieft" here is a bit different, since you can't really duplicate a doll exactly as you can with art. Unless you are being up tight and troublesome and buy all the exact materials the other person used for their dolls. :/

But I also think it's hard to find it flattering when someone intentionally copies your idea or something without asking. :/ If they ask you "is it ok if I get a faceup for my doll that is similar to yours?" I think it shows more maturity and would be more flattering.

Of course, when they use the MAJOR details of your doll for their own... that's really rude. :/

I've got mixed feelings about the views on borrowing and copying art on the internet, so... my feelings on copying BJD styles and such to be ust as confusing.

I just wanted to throw in my two cents.

 

Well, some dolls are based on or influenced by the same character from an anime, film etc. so in that respect there are bound to be similarities between dolls of fans of the same animes etc.

If someone copied my dolls look specifically...I would be very flattered that someone has draw inspiration from me but at the same time be a little annoyed that they were taking credit for it.
But then it's important to remember that some people just have similar ideas for characters by coincidence

 

If I bought a special edition doll that came with a certain wig, outfit, etc. I don't think it would bother me because it's kinda obvious that there are going to be other ones out there that look the same. But if I'd picked everything out myself, it might be a little weird to see somebody with the exact same thing as me. I'd probably just change my doll, though. Do something to make it unique again.

 

I'm not in this hobby for the *OMG MY DOLL IS UNIQUE* thing. I love the doll sculpts and the posability bodies and the ability to customize--but not because those things are unique, but because those things allow me to make the most beautiful doll that best matches the image I have in my head. So... I don't care if people copy. I don't see why it's such a big deal.

If you really want a unique doll, learn to sculpt.

 

I tend to be in the same boat as Natsunekko for the most part. I've been into dolls way too long to worry about the unique factor. However if a person were to copy a character that would be problematic. Similar color schemes and faceups are bound to arise, especially with the select number of popular artists.

Etit to add: I do agree with Belladonna that inspiration and direct copying are two different things. I've gotten several ideas from talented artists, but I don't directly copy anyone's look. Once again copying a character just doesn't sit right.

 

Well, I don't know how I'd feel if someone actually copied MY boys..but then..they're not that unique to begin with (other than the non-sweet faced chiwoo, but then, more and more of them are popping up, so..whatever).

I WILL say though...that I never really liked nanuri 07's until I saw some in real life. Then I saw the potential. But it was't until I saw a particular one on the forums that really made me WANT to get one. And I did. And while I LOVED the way this one nanuri looked, I didn't want to copy. Because, my boy had his own story, his own personality. My boy was mine.

So I sat and stared at pictures of this particular nanuri and figured out what it was that I liked BEST about him. And when I sent him to the faceup artist, I linked to a picture and I said 'i like the style of this eye makeup. I like the colors". Because really, I didn't want the exact thing, it was just the way the eyes had been done.

And when i got my boy back- he was so completely original, and so perfect. True, I probably could have just used words like, "this color" and "that color". But I wanted to show the look that I liked, the colors I preferred for his eyes, and let the artist work her magic of making him look perfect, and not like anyone else's.

Did I copy? definately not. He doesn't look like the other Nanuri at all. But was I inspired, and referenced a color scheme? yes. But I did so, knowing that the artist's style was not at all like that of the person who did the other doll's faceup, and that the artist I had chosen was perfect for MY boy.

 

That sorta happened to me once. In a way.

A few days [literally, almost] after I got my first BJD, my friend did, too. We had different molds, of course, so I was eager to see what she looked like! When I saw her, it turned out that they had the same wig!

I blame it solely on coincidence, though, considering we were looking through the same site and the wigs they had weren't plentiful at the time. ^^;

It happened again, though the following summer. We both ended up ordering the same Fullset doll from the same website. So of course, they were carbon copies of each other. :O!!
When I found out, my first reaction was WTF. Because I had told her that I was getting that doll long before I knew she was getting a new one. Her retort was, "WELL I got him first so YOU copied off of ME."

EVEN THOUGH mine had arrived sooner, but I was away and didn't actually get to the box until about a week later. :\

 

I have a Shushu named Effee, there is another Shushu on the forums named Effie.
I have a Tender Too named Cullen, and there is regular Too here on the boards named Cullen!

It's coincidence on both sides, I assume. It doesn't bother me much. I think It's kinda cool how it happens!

If some one intentionaly bought a DoT Camine, modded his nose and chin the same as mine and gave him a gray themed face-up....I would be irked, but not say anything.


There are only so many styles, so unless some one else has the exact same doll as another user with the same clothes, eyes, hair, personality, then that would be copying.
But just the same color hair and T-shirt probably isn't copying. :/

 

It doesn't bother me that much if it's been unintentional as I can just change his style/clothes/face-up as and when I want.

But if it's intentional, I might take note and let it slide if she/he just copies one of my dolls. But if she/he does it for all their SDs and MSDs, I might ask why. Once I know the reason, then I'll decide what I do.

But if another person owns the same sculpts as 2 or 3 of my dolls, does the exact same face-up as mine, wear the same clothes, shoes/boots, socks, accessories, wigs, eyes even...ya...I might get rather pissed as it's too darn obvious that they're copying my and mine dolls' styles.



I hope no one is so free to try that... Having dolls is to allow you to expand your creativity and stuffs...not for one to copy.

 

I wouldn't mind so much if people are influenced by my dolls, but blatant copying does get annoying and I would get really pissed. But I think I'd be slightly flattered by that though..

I guess everyone is influenced by something/someone and that changed the way the doll looks subtly. I'm sure I've probably done that subconsciously or without even knowing...

 

If this happened with me, I'd actually be really honored that someone would think I was cool enough to "copy" off of. xD;

If they're gonna copy how my doll looks, I wouldn't have a problem since it's their freedom to create what the doll looks like and if they like it, I'm not going to tell them to change it. But if they're copying my CHARACTER, hoo. Now that's a different story. D:<

 

I think I would probably be more in the flattered camp, or as is more my nature the benefit-of-the-doubt camp. While some of the dolls I want are original characters, some of the dolls I want are character dolls (I tend to be obsessively fannish), and in some cases with those, I know I'm not the only person to have that doll idea, so of course in those cases I feel it's no harm no foul.

The doll himself, on the other hand... *stifles a mad giggle* I could see him being furious at being 'copied'. Only to have me point out that he's much newer than the doll he's accusing, and that he's being quite silly. Time travel may factor into the argument. Crap, not even wending his way through the postal system and I'm a-writing photo stories...

=^__^=;;
Anneko

 

If someone does intentionally copies a doll of mine, it had better be a good copy. Preferably something that surpasses the original so I get the feeling I've inspired people to do great things instead of just being leeched off.

As for unintentional "copying", it happens. Just last week I participated in a group order and it turned out that I ordered the same limited outfit as the person who runs the group order. The two of us casually talked about how we liked the same thing and asked each other which doll was going to wear the outfit. We both know that even with the same outfit (and our dolls happen to have the same default hair colour: black), our dolls will be different and it won't make us love our dolls any less.

I think sometimes people confuse "unique" with "special". Having a distinctive doll that people call unique is an easy way to have a doll that is considered special. If more people have the same mold with a similar hair or clothing style then your doll is less unique and it becomes harder to make it come across as special. Then you should focus on photo stories or photo shoots for example to make your doll interesting for others.
There are people on DoA who may not have dolls of the most distinctive molds or looks, but they do make charming photo stories that make me come back and check if there's a new story with those dolls. (Sister-of-charity for example. It may not be everybody&#8217;s cup of tea, but she makes her dolls special through story telling and photography. It's no easy feat to copy that.)

But the main focus should be on how you look at your doll. Does your doll have to be unique for you to love it or do you like your doll and the way it looks despite what is going on elsewhere? Still, I don&#8217;t feel the need to enjoy the hobby through other people. It&#8217;s nice if people like my dolls and consider them special too, but my dolls will remain special to me even if they are mundane to others or copied a million times. You can copy my dolls&#8217; looks or back stories, but you can&#8217;t copy the love I have for my dolls.

 

If I bought a full set doll then I can't complain, of course there are going to be others out there that look the exact same unless I do the face-up myself but that might be the only difference since I probabley like the wig and eyes in the first place.

One of my other dolls being matched with another thou, let me think. I find it a bit hard to see that happening but the other day I saw a doll that looked like my obitsu as it had the same eyes, hair nd outfit minus the footware. I actually did a double take. When I noticed that the face-up was different, breathed a sigh of releif. My doll was still mine and thier's was still their's. Plus most of my dolls have handmade outfits so I doubt anyone would copy mine like that. I'm not very good at making clothes yet so they always look off a bit.

 

well, since there is essentially a set amount of options out there, there is a chance that somewhere out there there is a doll that looks just like yours. But as long as it isn't like blatantly obvious that someone is copying it's alright with me.