New Chinese Piracy

Any word from Soom yet? I know someone (or more than one person) said they were going to notify Soom about this, so I was wondering if anyone did and if Soom has made any kind of official response?

 

But he wasnt even pretending to call them his own. The whole purpose of this shop was to provide painted replicas of the original painting. He possibly even did do other paintings - I can't exactly remember what the article said because I was just glancing over it...

Several countries in Europe are socialist nations, but they don't carry out these practices. The Chinese government and greed are the real problems, as well as the communist mentality that all things are owned equally by everyone...

 

Ah, that's excellent, Akasha. I'm glad you notified Soom about this and that they're going to take action against the people trying to re-cast their dolls. I'm still not sure what Soom can do since they're in Korea while that 'company' is in China, but I hope someone manages to stop them before they start pumping out fake, re-cast dolls =____=

 

Wow, that's insane and rather bold. I'm glad that Soom was notified.

 

This made me laugh so hard I scared my cat away. I wish I had hacker skills because I wouldn't feel bad causing harm to this "company".

Aside from what already been said at least it seems people who buy from them will be getting a doll even if it is a dishonorable thing to do, copy art or knowingly buy copied art...
But you know what might be fun, turning this "Up yours" back on them, people should go on this site and vote for dolls that don't exist, Ex:" I want a Billy from homeland dolls."
and a bunch of people go in and vote for it. It wouldn't do anything (I know) but maybe frustrate them into not taking votes anymore? Make a joke of these jokers.

 

To their credit, they may not know any better. I sure as hell wouldn't. I'd see the pictures, think "oooo, awesome doll and cheap!", then click Buy.

I'm not saying what this "company" is doing is right. Not by a long shot. I think the whole thing is horrible. You put all this time, blood, sweat, and tears into making a doll. Then some company recasts the thing. I'm just saying some of the "cheap doll" people might be noobs, like we all used to be.

 

I kinda think this whole thing is hilarious in a sick way. I'm surprised at how open they are about copying but i also find it sort of respectable that they're being open. Even if what they're doing is morally wrong.

I just hoped they're stopped before we see a ton of fake little Glots and Glati's floating around. Soom works hard on their sculpts, just like any other honest company. It's a shame really but we saw it comming.

 

I totally want a Billy from Homeland Dolls... Although they'll smell a rat straightaway unless it's changed to Billiwoo from HomeAngelLand Dolls

Blame it on the communists... Yes, several countries in Europe are socialist nations, and copying happens in Europe too, believe it or not. Bootlegs are also made in capitalist nations and theocracies too. You can't pin it down to one ideology, no one can say "Oh, because the Chinese government is communist they're destroying our hobby by allowing all these knock-offs..."

Greed and communism don't naturally go hand in hand, when communism is all about sharing and equality. When greed comes into the situation you cease dealing with something communist and start dealing with something a whole lot darker.

The issue of intellectual property is just as murky in Russia, and it isn't terribly clear in Japan either. Russia is no longer a communist nation and Japan never was, so how do you explain that one?

 

I thought Angelwings would be a good fake company name. but it seems, because they are beyond legal reach, aside from educating ourselves, warning the companies and new buyers the best we, as serious upright collectors, could do is mess around with them ... I wonder if it would have any legal implications on our end though?

 

I'll ask my friend in the police, I'll see what kind of sentence baiting international dolly fraudsters would carry!

 

Just remember... in Soviet Russia, ball-jointed dolls bootleg YOU!

Aaaand back on topic, I agree that perhaps the shenanigans should be reversed on this "company". As said earlier, if it gets them to stop polling potential buyers, then that's +1 for our team.

 

I guess the best thing to do from our end is, as many have said, keep ourselves informed, and then to spread the word where we can... blogs, websites, other forums etc!

It's nasty to think of someone purposefully voting and then buying one of these dolls, and just as upsetting to think of someone who ends up with one accidentally Can you imagine....

 

Oh my lord this is horrible! To think someone is doing this so obviously and making money! I saw they even have pukis! That makes me worry they will start knocking off littlefees since they are extremely popular now. Just thinking about this makes me sick to my stomach. I hope this company is stopped!

 

Honestly, this is why I am wary of being from the secondhand market. Not only do you have problems with sellers taking your money or not reporting damages, you have to deal with copied dolls, too. (Though the copied dolls did originate from a company, thankfully DOA gives us pretty good information on which companies are trustworthy.)

 

You know, I almost feel sorry for future new folks who don't actually do their homework, come on here with their bootleg (not knowing it's a bootleg), and post pics along with, "Look! Here's my new beautiful arrival from Moe!"

Imagine the backlash that will cause (on both sides).
There be rough seas ahead, cap'n.

 

I did not say that communism was all about greed. I was saying its the fault of the chinese government (not just because they're communist) AND greed. The Chinese Gov doesn't care enough to enforce or even create copyright laws so YES. It is the Chinese gov's fault in a big way because it lets people think that because it isn't against the law, it's okay. I was referring to the communist thing exactly BECAUSE communism is about sharing and equality. All I said before was that the communist mentality that "what is oned by one is owned by all" is what makes bootlegs morally ambiguous in some people's eyes there. If I'm wrong, and that isn't the communist mentality, you can correct me, but please don't put words in my mouth.

I'm glad that Soom knows at least what's going on. I just wish I knew that there was more that they could do. What was that one company that Volks closed down? They must not have been a chinese company.

And I LOVE the idea of spamming their boards. That would be hilarious. Too bad we can't all speak chinese because that would be simply -awesome- xD...

It's too bad that we all have to be so moral or else I would say, set up this fake Angelwings or whatever site, and offer 'dolls' on it, and when they buy one, send them nasty letters instead and run away with their money, bahaha... EDIT: or better yet, some really poorly made dolls *rolls eyes*

but no.. wouldn't be able to live with myself.

 

Just as a side note--I'm pretty sure Van Gogh’s Sunflowers work is in the public domain by now. His estate doesn't get paid for the millions of prints of starry night knocked out by places like allposters, either, or for all the t-shirts keychains coasters tea-cozies frisbees and everything else his work can be printed on. He's not a company with a copyrighted product, like dolls. I'm not sure the guy doing copies of his painting, to be sold as a novelty, is quite the same thing. For one thing, Vincent Van Gogh is not still trying to make and sell paintings, and the guy doing the copies is not trying to pass them off as the original. ^^; Lots of American companies do pretty much the same thing, like every month I get a catalog from Design Toscano trying to sell me printed on ZOMG real canvas replicas of everything Waterhouse ever painted.

What the bootleg companies here are doing is trying to undercut a company by making cheap copies of its products and selling them as bold-faced copies in order to rake in some cash and run. Dolls are art, but in this case, they are a copyrighted product that's being ripped off in order to defraud the rightful producers. Making them more like copied Chanel purses than art copying.

I know some action has been taken against fake bag producers who sold their goods on ebay, when the fashion houses sued. It is possible the doll companies could take similar action. Even if these are copies made in china, if they are trying to sell them internationally then there are international trade laws in place that, hopefully, will give the rightful companies some legal recourse.

 

God, that would be terrible. I guess we'd all have to be understanding and inform them of what they really have in as nice a way as possible.

Has anyone contacted Luts or any of the other companies that they have mentioned copying on the site? Maybe just emailing all the reputable companies and giving them a heads up would be a good idea.