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

I don't necessarily have a lot of custom or hard-to-find outfits for my crew, and some of my dolls have stock face-ups . . . I mean, it'd be silly for me to get upset if I saw another Notdoll Vampire with the same face-up/wig/eyes as Lysandra, because she's got her original face-up and eyes (they just suit her better than any other eyes I've tried in her), and I keep her in her original blonde wig a lot (although she's been a redhead lately) . . . and the idea of dressing a vampire in black lacy old-fashioned clothes is not exactly new

OTOH, if someone recreated Ivy (not just putting a Ttory head on a MNF body, but the same face-up/eyes/wig/style of dress), I'd be a bit perturbed . . . I think it depends on how far from 'stock' the doll is -- if it's something that you've done way out of the ordinary in terms of customization, it's far more "copying" than the idea of another Soony in a short black wig or something :>

-- A

 

I like to make my dolls have their own look- faceup wise- but I do like to ask some people how they get certain looks to their dolls- for example- Christy's Soah's freckles look so real- they amaze me so I HAD to ask her how she did it- but I do also like to copy similar clothing styles I have seen that look really flattering on dolls like mine so I can try my hand at designing things. But I wouldn't intentionally try to 'steal' anyone else look with out tweaking it to make it similar but not them same.

 

There are so many people on this board now that finding a doll with your doll's name is pretty easy. I think it used to be more difficult...
but as you see in the hobbies thread or when people list what they like (obsessions, trends) a lot of us share more than this hobby alone. Therefore, we're referencing similar hobbies and such to come up with our names.

I do feel funny when I see other dolls and such with the names I've given mine--but I also feel funny that I forgot CH made a doll named Lavender and I named my girl Lavender (Lavender Sage...).

I feel funny when I see similar Ani dolls... but I do have a Luts face-up... and Cami's really developed now, so... her personality matters more than her face-up in that case.

Same personality, name, and style/face-up/mods=odd. I'd feel stalked or something.

 

What exactly constitutes copying? As someone noted, a lot of the people in this forum share the same interests. Because these dolls are customizable, I want to believe that my dolls are unique and different. But who is to say where an idea originally came from.

For example, a few years before my first daughter was born, I went to an art show and saw some photos done by a woman whose first name was Alyssa. I really liked the name and added it to my possibilities list. But when my daughter was born I ended up choosing another name cuz she didn't "look" like an Alyssa. Seven years later her sister was born and she *was* an Alyssa. Unfortunately (or fortunately from her perspective , by that time, Alyssa Milano was on the rise with "Who's the Boss". There were three other baby girls at the hospital at the same time who were named Alyssa. It could be assumed that I chose the name to "copy" a popular actress. Wasn't the case though.

Original ideas seem to be a bit less common than I would probably like to think. I find it a bit disconcerting and depressing to give birth to an image of what I want my doll to look like and then come across a similar doll look in the gallery. And who is to say that I didn't see a photo of this doll a few months back and incorporate the things I liked into my doll image. Or that perhaps the other doll owner and I shared an interest in the same Saturday morning cartoons when we were kids?

I think I would only be upset if someone copied not only the look, but the name and character of one of my dolls. Depending upon whether I based my dolls character on someone else's ideas or a well known entity, I consider the character part as the most important since that is the part that could be considered truly unique.

 

I think that it all just depends.

My Too's name is Simon - and that's pretty common. Simon's look is unique, though. He's sort of Goth/Hiphop/Punk... and I based his face-up on an F-16 I thought was absolutely gorgeous.

Kazu-Kyohei is actually Kazuya-Kyohei (two of my favorite Japanese names put together). He's a severly modified Chiwoo - made to look like a Woosoo. If someone copied him exactly - I'd be pretty upset... especially with all the trouble poor Hisui went to to modify him that way.

~~~
I first fell in love with woosoos, by seeing Hisuida's woosoo. You could have shot me dead and I wouldn't have been able to see any other doll but hers. After I saw her woosoo, I knew that I had to have one. His face was gorgeous!

Haku-Takenaga is my Woosoo. I took his name from Spirited Away and from the Wallflower (one of my fav. movies, and my FAV. manga).
But I have to tell you, that when Haku comes (my woosoo with default Luts face-up), he won't look anything like Hisui's kid. Han Seo is original, and for that, I respect and adore him.
((Though if he ever needs a boyfriend, I'm sure Haku wouldn't mind...))
LOL :wink:

My Bee-A's name is Xharlii - Sunako. The Sunako comes from the Wallflower.
I've played Vampire the Masquerade for YEARS!!! Xharlii (pronounced Charlie) was my very first character, and to this day, she's one of my favorites.
At first, I wanted Xharlii to be a Shall, but I'm much much more comfortable having her as a Bee-A than a Shall (+ Simon needs a super cool hot girlfriend). XD

***If someone named their girl Xharlii, I'd have to really consider not killing them. I made up that damn name myself, so I'd be damned if someone robbed me of it... -_-

~If they named their girl Charlie, though... it'd be ok

 

I chose the name Silas before he came here, and I hadn't seen anyone else with a doll of that name. I know for a fact that there's a BF Jerome with the same name, but I don't pronounce the name the way it should be in the first place. xD It should really be spelt Syllas with the way I say it, but I liked the spelling Silas better...

It doesn't bother me, though. The name suits him perfectly and I wouldn't change it for the world. As it is, Silas still has his default wig and eyes, but I made my own adjustments. I added two feathers into the left side of the wig, and they run a smidgeon longer than the rest of his hair. I like them, and that was my way of customizing him since I didn't have the money for a new wig at the time.

But I don't think anyone's copied my doll's style. My doll hasn't even been shown off a lot, due to the fact I'd like to take better pictures before I bother showing him off. Many fashion styles are mainstream on this forum, though, just like in real life. Gothic, casual, lolita, artsy, etc. There's still room for originality, but many can fall into a category.

I design clothes. I've taken to designing for Silas, but am I going to leave him naked or with only his default outfit while I prepare for those outfits? Of course not! I've bought things from Black Lily, See No Evil, and SmallPackages. I'm not bothered at all that someone might have the same shirt or pants as him. The boy needs clothes!

It's just like seeing something you like in the store and pulling it off the rack. Do you worry about someone else having the same shirt? I don't. I picked it up because I liked it, and I bought Silas' clothes because they were do-able and fit into a plain, casual style while I design his 'real' style.

So even if there is a doll out there with the same name, the same clothes, the same wig and eyes... The same head mold. I don't mind it at all, because he's still my Silas, and I don't believe any other doll could truly be like him - and that comforts me.

 

I actually had an instance of this once. =/ Not naming names (partly because I can't even remember xD ) someone asked me what default make-up I had gotten with my Yder, as he is not Yder default. They wanted to get a normal Yder with schwarzaugen cool grey eyes, black hair, with the same make-up. That bothered me quite a bit. =/ While I know Winter is *not* particularly unique, I still know he is quite distinguished from other Yders because of his eye and hair combination. So having another on the boards with that same look would make me very sad, as I am an extremely unique and individualistic person by nature.

 

I found this topic interesting for a couple of reasons...

1...

Faren is my BW El...I adopted him from his first guardian who barely had time for him and started to post picture stories and such about him...he seemed to be pretty popular. Then I started to get emails wanting to know who painted him and where could a person get a face up like his done?...he has a factory face up but I have found his look to be rather unique among El's....this info I am happy to share but I am not thrilled with a half dozen little Faren clones cruisin' the boards when I worked so hard to develope a personality for him.

2...

Marilyn Monroe...for those of you who have seen her, you know that she is rather unique among BJDs...I went to HUGE lengths to create her in the image of the Late MM...she has thus far been postitvely recieved by the people who've seen her...I am again getting emails..."please create one for me?" I am not sure I want to...at least not yet...I know I could charge a premium for the work and the extra money would be nice...but how many Marilyns do I want to see, trying to walk in the shadow of my first creation...It's one thing if another artist creates their own representation of a well know image like Monroe...their's will never be the same as mine...but do I trully want to see (or create) a clone of my Blonde Bombshell?

No...I don't...no more than I want to see a clone of Faren (which I have seen by the way)

There is no way to stem the tide of creative interpretation...that I understand, but it doesn't thrill me to be the object of imitation. I have long held that everyone should be themselves and not strive to be what others are or have what others have. Imitating anything I have created just stiffles any unique creativitiy with in the copying person.

I know this is starting to sound preachy...I've been an artist for a long time and art should be individual...the name thing doesn't bother me at all...I know a dozen Pams and we are each different....but if I copy a Piccaso...it's still a pale shadow compared to the real thing...I'd be better to create my own way and be appreciated for that...rather than compared to the original....that's why my Marilyn is created in the original's image, not ment to be MM, but her representation as seen in my mind.

point...finally....lol

I don't like to see ANYONE'S doll copied...face up, or clothing, or style, or story, or personality...they are as unique as each of us and would you want yourself cloned?

 

This is OT, but ranmanekineko, I love your icon!!! It's just sooo cute!!!

 

^Thats my doll. It was completely coincidental. I bought the wig on e-bay long before I had my doll. Its a strange coincidence! I don't mind at all, I think its kind of neat.

 

Another great thread!

On the topic of copying names

My goodness, do you know how upset I would have to be if I fumed about everyone who borrowed or came up with my last name to represent themselves or their doll.

Heck even Walt Disney used it... It's an old Italian name, it just bugs me when people think that I'm the one who made it up and think that I copied them-- I've had it since birth. Been in my family for hundreds of years.

Similarly most of my dolls have Italian names. I know there are a few Celeste dolls on the forum. I wanted my first SD doll to have a blue theme. I won an outfit on e-bay filled with moons and suns and her personality reflects a time keeper, one who arranges the constellations. In Italian, Celeste means blue... it also is a reference to celestial. Thats how I chose the name. I hope I have not offended anyone by choosing a similar name and as you can see I wanted a Sarah Brightman look for the doll so I hope I haven't copied anyone but Sarah Brightman- and even then her eyes will not be the same color as Sarahs. I wanted green eyes

So many languages, sometimes the name you make up is unique to your own language, but a common name somewhere else.. Taki for instance is a greek name short for Costaki-- quite a common name in Greece

Sorry if i'm rambling on

Hugs,
Anna M.

 

Like PamSD, I find this an interesting thread.

I don't want to ever see a doll that looks like one of mine... I have seen one that was very similar and it annoyed the heck out of me, but I smiled nad got over it becuase I honestly don't think it was intentional. That said, I have nothing against names. I know there's another person out there with a BW Chiwoo named Damien, I discovered that soon after I got and named my doll - which all happened before I even discovered DOA, so I know that stuff happens. At least the similarities end with the first name. I also realize that my dolls have fairly common names, well, at least Damien, Tsukasa, Nathaniel, and Alyce aren't unique. Jadis and Kame Su I'd be a little surprised and I'd have to wonder.

I really do try, though, to make my dolls unique in some way or another. I make all their clothing, I've done the face-ups on three of them(one of my heads is still faceless), and hacked up a number of wigs to make them mine. I think there's also a certain satisfaction in having something unique. I remember at Otakon when I had Damien with me dressed up as Mana. A lot of other doll owners asked me what kind of doll he was (including another BW Chiwoo owner), and he's nothing more than a common BW Chiwoo with a default face-up and the eyes LUTS shipped him to me with. That experience alone made me realize that what makes a doll unique is really how it's made up, and I have to agree with those others here who feel cheated when others copy what they have put so much effort into making their own.

 

All "Jadis" might mean as a name is that someone has read the Narnia books. Regardless of the new movie, those books have been around since long before I was born - and I've liked the name since I read it in the early 70's - not that I've thought of using it for a doll name for any of my current dolls (I'd probably prefer "Aravis", lol), but there are loads and loads and loads and loads of people out there who have read the Chronicles of Narnia as children. Someone else's Jadis, however, might not necessarily have the same personality or looks as yours, unless you are both trying to make them the Queen (Empress?) of Charn based on the movie costumes or the book illustrations... :p

(And I wish someone would change that damned "u" in the title of this thread - Gods, do I dislike kiddychatspeak. :p)

 

:P :P :P to you too. XD XD

wayy.

OK, I'm done being childishly OT now... *ahem* XD

 

I wouldn't be upset if someone's doll looked like mine or had the same name. However, there were a few names I was thinking about giving my doll and I felt I couldn't use them when I saw another doll already had that name. It's not like I'm trying to be unique or original. It's just like if I was naming a child. If I already know someone with that name I will think of them when I say my child's name, and I don't want that! I also wouldn't want them to think I'm naming my child after them.

 

Well, my first doll was lovingly named Anika. I actually used a babynames webpage to look up a name that meant generous and bam, Anika stood out! When I got on this board I found at that there were two users named Anika. XD

Anika had a pink fur wig that I loved. People would always ask me where it was from (azizacreations.com just in case) and one of them actually bought it for her upcoming Tender Zen girl too! Imagine my surprise clicking on a gallery page and coming face to face with my doll! But only at first glance, really. The wig was styled differently, she had a default faceup and by that time I think my Anika was on her third face and they each had a completey different attitude.

Now, I'd be a bit wary if someone got a PW Sky and then ordered the exact same wig with the exact same combination of colors from Hairstar for her. That's a biiiit too close for comfort for me. :O

 

I love Soonys in short black wigs

Once, I felt weird seeing a doll in a short white fur wig with a headband, like Nikki is wont to wear. Then I said, Mel, don't be a dork My dolls and what I do with them tend to be fairly singular, mainly because I'm a big mixer and matcher and it's just oh-so-hard to emulate the delightful wrapped pieces of cloth and tied-with-embroidery floss style clothing that I favor. But were I to see another doll looking quite like any of mine, I'd probably laugh and wonder if they were as lazy as I am

 

I've been hit with the "Coincidence" thing when thinking of a name for my most recent doll. My original pick was to name him Valerian. It's a name I've loved for probably 10 years or more. Just so I wouldn't step on any toes, I did a search for the name Valerian here on this forum, and discovered that someone had just gotten a new doll and named him Valerian just one month previously! I didn't want that person to think I was copying the name from him. So, I ended up naming my boy Tarquin instead, because I couldn't find any Tarquins when I did a search for that name.

I'm rather sensitive to the fact that someone might think I'm copying them, and I would never copy someone on purpose.

That said, there are a lot of people with similar tastes (even in weird names!), and only a finite number of hair colors, and only a finite number of hair styles .... you understand me. There will be dolls that appear with the same names, or the same hair, or similar clothing, and it's mostly just coincidence.

 

Actually, I think it would be rather cool. XD
Identical twins, BTW, already ARE clones. I've often wished I had one. :/

I think often people are way too quick to assume that a similarity in personality or appearance (dress, mold, faceup) or name is a "copy", and unless it's an obvious combo of all three, I think there's usually more than likely a bit much "jumping to conclusion" going on.