Really, Dollmore? Blatant Kuroshitsuji rip-off

this was TOTALLY the question I was asking myself whilst reading the thread...the ONLY way to find out would be to ask Dollmore itself.

 

It's possible, but as SakuraLee points out, if they have permission from the anime creators, they surely would have been able to use the name of the show to promote the item. Since they don't, it's fair to surmise that this is an "inspired by" work, rather than a licensed piece of merchandise. Either way, since it was ultimately inspired by another work to begin with (My Fair Lady), it's unlikely that anyone will fuss.

 

i think they probably paid for the copyright... i think. i mean, they aren't *that* stupid.

 

Ach, I was literally counting the minutes before this appeared on DoA

Agree that this level of copying is disconcerting to customers and manga-fans to say the least. However I had no idea if Dollmore had cleared this with the authors of Kuroshitsuji, so I didn't want to make accusations before I had the evidence...

Also I can't deny I once entertained the thought of making Ciel's dress for Claudia myself (admittedly not for mass production per se, but might still be considered plagarism?), and probably will look forward to seeing Sebatian's outfit on the market.

I don't know. If the flowers under the hat brim weren't so sloppily done maybe I wouldn't mind so much... o.O

 

I'm surprised so many people aren't even a bit put off by it. When a doll mold looks even a little bit like another people are quick to call copy, but with clothes people aren't so sympathetic towards the original creator.

I mostly find it a bit sad that companies like Volks go through the hoops to pay royalties to the artists they make costumes from, while other companies feel like they don't need to ask (and if they had asked, why wouldn't they label it as such?)

Here's the My Fair Lady outfit that inspired the original design. I think it's clear where they got their inspiration from, and it isn't here:



(I have to say, though, I don't mind people making costumes for their dolls. I am a bit put off by companies that try to dance around their copying, though.)

 

I can't see the problem... inspiration aside. The bows may be the only similarity there is. The one worn in My Fair Lady was form fitting all the way to the ankles, and their's looks poofy and fluffy. No, I'd definitely get one if that was a style my girl would wear. I see NOTHING wrong here.

- ShadowHawke -

P.S. Nice INSPIRATION there guyz!

 

I'm not sure why people should waste time by being angry. The best way to show Dollmore you disapprove is refuse to buy from them!

You cannot copyright human clothing. This is a law designed to stop one designer from claiming they invented the t-shirt or the denim jean and reaping royalties off other designers. Human clothes are functional. In comparison, you can copyright doll or toy clothing because they are purely for decoration and their decoration is in the design. Where this gets murky is Kuroshitsuji won't have copyright on doll clothing because the clothing didn't exist before Dollmore made it. Therefore Dollmore probably owns the copyright to the design, pattern and probably colour-scheme through creating that dress.

 

The outfit knock-off thing does not bother me in the least......for it to be a 'rip off', they need to be things that can compete. In otherwords, two doll dress companies, or two animation companies. One is taking money away from the other....but in this case, someone saw the dress on an animated film, and turned it into a dress for a doll. they don't compete with each other. Plus, it is a bit hipocrytical of anyone to say "they rip that dress off", if they buy cosplay dresses from shops, or commission them to make them for them. YOu are paying them for a design that is not theirs. To me, it's very similar, and DOA allows seamstresses/tailors here on DOA to take commissions for outfits for dolls that are replicas of stuff in anime....not to mention just blatently selling it in the forums. So, to me? No, no big deal.

 

(Sorry, I fixed a typo or two. Thing of mine)
Anyways. I'm quoting this cause. I have no need to type it out myself now.
It's an outfit based on a drawing which is based on a movie in the most basic of ways of putting it.
Who's lost anything here?
Of course, plenty of us can argue credit. In the long run, loss of credit in a situation such as this hurts no one. Not like it'll hinder anyone's sales after all.

 

Well dollmore isnt the only company that has taken images from artists and made them their own. Domuya got in big trouble with AerySoul about the stealing of their design...

http://domuya.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=73_86&products_id=707

and the actual artist that created the original design.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=61400&vendor=43825

AerySoul was contacted about domuya taking their design and not giving them credit. They then contacted domuya. AS was very nice about it in their email to domuya, where they werent unhappy that their art was made into an actual outfit, they were more upset that domuya had stated that it was their "original design".

It took observant people in the art community to spot this slight and contact the artist so that they could in turn contact the company to get them to change their statement on their website and give the true artist credit. So basically, unless companies are contacted/confronted by the artists directly many will get away with such things.

 

Well dollmores not the only one doing this and they've been doing this a while now though the other replicas of dollmores are not as blatant as the this new pink dress.

Does anyone remember the Sha and Tender Shall limited outfits that very closely resembled some Trinity Blood costumes? I remember there were people outcrying about that (and the final fantasy-esqe costumes of the other DOT limiteds) when they came out. Just pointing out that designers in the dollworld other than Dollmore make anime-inspired dresses because that's what the hobbisits like.

If it looks too close to the original for comfort or its something you don't want to purchase, dont. Simple as that.

eta; PsychaDurmont has even yet another example above me. I'm slow.

 

I like to see people get artistic credit for the things they create, but it may also be a case of this being too small change to get worried about. The outfit is $42.00. If they make 100 of them, you're looking at $4200.00 gross, maybe (guestimating) $3000.00 net profit. It may not be enough for a company to get their knickers in a twist about. Also, we get very upset over because Oriental companies don't feel the same way about copyright infringement and rip off our stuff. They may think it's all in a day's business.

 

uh, i dont think they asked for permission. is everyone just forgetting the whole deal with dollshe? yeah they totally asked for permission then didnt they

some companies just rip others off, its what they do and they dont care. i thought everyone knew that about dollmore

 

I really like this point, well said!

I understand people's concerns but Dollmore is a fairly big company (I presume), I'm sure they have the business nouse, not to get themselves into trouble. Even if it were only legit by the skin of their teeth, it's still legit....

It's a nice outfit too and wouldn't stop me buying it only because the legal stuff is for them to deal with, not the customer

 

I don't think they asked for permission, but clothing copyright is very different compared to doll copyright. Dollshe was already producing dolls when the body was ripped off, this manga doesn't produce these dresses for sale. Dollmore isn't infringing on the author's profits because the author doesn't produce that dress for BJD- or human-scale wear. Also, while I take a very dim view of copying in all it's forms, we need to examine this case from every possible angle and so far all someone has done is show a picture of the dress from the original manga next to the Dollmore product image. I haven't been shown Dollmore's responses to any inquries because no one has asked them about it, I also haven't been shown any 'yay or nay' responses from the mangaka to know whether they licensed the design to Dollmore or not.

If people really want to make a stand about this, they need to stop buying from Dollmore and email the producers of the manga concerned. Also, in many Asian countries, what we in the West recognise as a copyrighted drawing is a free-for-all! Would the authors of the anime concerned feel angry about doujinshi works based around that costume? Or cosplayers making and selling parts of the costume? (I for one adore the hat, both the drawn one and the Dollmore creation)

Until someone informs the authors of Kuroshitsuji and we get a clearer picture of their position on this issue, I think we're just blowing around a lot of pointless hot air.

 

I hope the original poster doesn't mind but I posted this over to the kuroshitsuji group on LJ. :3

Personally, I think it's flattering. It just goes to show how popular the show is if a company is going to invest time on making a dress from it. :3

I hope they make other things, too!

 

It's the way of the fashion industry. Walk into any halloween store and look at the costumes. Each company has their own variation on a certain character, but they all look the same. I mean, LegAvenue probably didn't get any rights to produce a Rainbow Brite costume and definitely not a Jasmine costume.




Disney's Princess Jasmine (Aladdin) --> LegAvenue's "Arabian Princess" costume

It's a double standard we (as a society) have. When an industry is as old as fashion, there are knock offs galore, we're used to it, we don't "care" anymore. Besides, in the area of costumes, if others didn't make it (if we couldn't that is) then we wouldn't have some! Like if I wanted to cosplay Sailor Moon (Anime or Live Action) I'd either have to go with the mass produced-licensed product which is a simple costume. OR I could got to a cosplay shop and get a really detailed version that looks strickingly similar to the one used in the show(s). Note this, I want to point out that there is no way I would be able to get the original (just like there's no way you could get the original from the anime because, it doesn't exist in a tangible form)
Someone else said this earlier, one item is dealing in 2D(anime, manga) and the other is in a tangible form.

The BJD industry is relatively new, and there IS a way to get a hold of an original. Which is why we go up in arms when a recast is made.


TL;DR ver.:
Costume v. Anime/Manga - Two DIFFERENT mediums. No way to get original
Doll v. Recast - The SAME medium. Ability to obtain original.

 

If the anime company complains, then it's a big problem. If they don't do anything, Dollmore will get away with it. Man, it's crazy and not really fair. If they did it like Volks and made the deal with studio that brought Gurren Lagann, it's a safer route. Ugh. That's disheartening.

 

And if they complain? What then? Many will just sew together the dress on their own, the Anime company can't sue independent makers for copyright. it would be pointless. and it would give them a really bad name. Negative publicity is much more remembered and talked about then positive.

 

yeah, im aware about the copyrights being im into lolita fashion, i was just saying that for the people who seem to think they asked permission. also, i dont buy from dollmore, after the whole dollshe thing, i think they handled it horrendously.