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Stealing Ideas from Others

Mar 1, 2011

    1. I am inspired by lots of things I see here on DOA, but if I feel inspired enough to buy the same doll as someone else, I change the faceup and clothes. If I am inspired enough by someone's faceup to want a similar one on my doll, I do not put it on the same sculpt as the original. There are ways use inspiration in creative ways that do not offend people. With thousands of dolls on this and other forums, it is inevitable that there will be similarities, but I think that outright deliberate copying is to be avoided.
       
    2. It's okay to be inspired just make sure to make the idea your own twist. Make it unique even though the original idea was from somewhere else. I am constantly being inspired to write and plot out stories and characters from anime, and other stories. The fun part is making it your own and not a wannabe copy.
       
    3. If I feel inspired by another persons doll I like to talk to them about it, its what this forum is so great for...idea sharing, the creative process, getting inspired, seeing how other people do things youre not sure of... Theres nothing wrong with seeing something in a doll you would like to do yourself.
       
    4. To be quite honest, I think every creative thing I've ever done that has inspired anyone else came from someone somewhere else to begin with. I draw from zillions of things to create my characters, including myself, and I don't think there's any way to really get away from that. That said, it's important to me to make sure that even if the character comes from dozens of other inspirations, it needs to be the sum of its parts.

      For example, one of my favourite future doll characters is called Chaii- now I've both seen the name used before (spelled differently- although I did not get it from that usage) and, I got the character from two specific places: an amateur comic from smackjeeves, and a photo of a girl's doll here on DoA.

      The comic gave me the general character, and the photo gave me the face. It doesn't bother me for several reasons: firstly, the girl's doll is actually a female, and Chaii will be a boy with a different style and look- just the same sculpt. Second, what I took from the character from the now defunct comic is the basics(i.e hair colour, and type A personality)- the back-story and all the little details that bring a character to life are mine(i.e style of clothing, family, origins, behavioral quirks etc.). So I say, take a foundation from wherever you want, but always make the house yours. As long as people did that, I wouldn't mind if they took a brick here or there from me. :)
       
    5. Inspiration is a beautiful thing. I live for it. But, I try to make it my own in the best way possible. In this case, if I felt inspired by this doll, I would go out of my way to make it my own thing even if it's just a small change. I wouldn't want to have people insist it's copying and I wouldn't want the owner of the doll to think I was stepping all over their idea. Even if the idea is a very common one and is everywhere, I try my best to make it me. :D
       
    6. I am going to add my 2 bits here, which will basically be a re-hash of some points that other's have made. I think the whole concept of copying has gotten a little silly. There are no truley original ideas any more out there. If it has been done, you can guarantee that someone has done it before you. And really, its actually a compliment - you have done something that someone else likes so much that it has inspired them. Would I care if someone 'copied' one of my dolls? No, not at all. If someone got a pink Baha, named it Honeysuckle and had it act just like my girl, I would find it really great. I would love to see it evolve into the person's own character, which, as someone before me stated, could never ever duplicate mine, since the creators are so different. Besides, the idea of taking the credit of inventing an epileptic doll is ridiculous (I'm not saying anyone has done this or that anyone here is personally ridiculous). No one is that special to be able to own the concept. Just have fun creating your doll the way that you want him created.
       
    7. It all depends on how specific things your steal are.
       
    8. I am constantly getting inspiration from others - games, anime, dolls, real life... I try to mix it up so you can't see the (sometimes blatant) inspiration sources. O.o

      Of course, with the doll with epilepsy and the medical bracelet... If you like the idea well enough, go for it. Things like epilepsy are an issue, like albinism (and boy have I seen a lot of those!). The only issue I see is that medical bracelets are generally cut from the same cloth, so to speak. They have to follow a certain pattern and design, otherwise they blend in with actual jewelry. Which is fine if you don't want people knowing you have a medical problem, but kinda defeats the purpose of a medical bracelet. O.o
       
    9. Honestly I would say don't outright copy her dolls character.
      You said you have a fascination with seizures, go google it,
      there are many reasons someone would have them, not just
      epilepsy....I know someone who had childhood epilepsy and
      trust me there's nothing cool or fun about it......also my dog
      has them, again not fun or cool, scary and sad is more like it.

      Now, I only have a few OC's, and after reading other comments
      I realized I probably wouldn't want to share their stories anywhere
      because the general idea seems "it's OK as long as you make it
      your own". In the doll world I can't say I really agree that you can
      steal a dolls character.....it's all imagination, what you believe to
      be your dolls personality and history. As a fiction writer that hopes
      to be published one day I avoid taking ideas directly from others
      and would hope the same respect would be given to me. But that's
      the real world, where plagiarism gets you in trouble. There are no
      laws or rules in the BJD world about idea theft, just sculpt casting
      etc. The truth is almost everything in the world is built upon other
      peoples ideas; designers, artists, companies, chefs (!) are all inspired
      by others, sometimes they get in trouble, but usually they went the
      extra distance to create something entirely theirs and "unique"...
      It's definitely a debatable subject, but hopefully since it's a GD things
      will remain civil:sweat In the end it's your choice what you decide to
      do, if you feel wrong doing it and if you worry this doll owner will be
      upset then it's probably best not to.
       
    10. I'm sure you're getting a lot of contrasting answers here.

      Lula78 has a very good view on this. And as a writer myself I can see where she/he is coming from. I would also agree not to copy ideas to the core. Instead, you should give your doll a different disease or condition and have a different kind of medical bracelet or necklace made. When it comes down to it, EVERYTHING is plagiarism is everywhere, but it's the difference between nike and reebok, levi and hydraulic, this rock band and that rock band, soom and iplehouse, your character and their character. The idea is: if you like it make it yours, but in making it yours you have to make not theirs anymore. Which requires a bit of tweeking. You like the character, you like the idea of illness, etc. Fine. But make those things your own. Trust me, you'll be better appreciated for your own originality, no one will have to know you originally stole a character so no one will whisper about you and avoid you, and all will be happier in the end. Especially if you're going to attend a meet up with said person. Certain people might outcast such a thief. Be inspired, be creative, but don't straight out copycat.

      I'd advise you, in your fascination with seizures, to study them on google a little and see what else strikes your fancy for this doll. You will probably come up with something much better.
      Good Luck! :chocoberry
       
    11. I agree that we draw inspiration from all around us, and really can't help but be influence by the things we see and interact with. But to me there is a big difference between getting your gears in motion after you see a concept you like, and straight out emulating it.

      For example, my Mr. Have is an amalgam of various things that are all over the bjd hobby. He's a living doll made out of scrap parts, dresses all spooky and strappy and gothic, with strange ink bottle goggles over his eyes and a giant tophat. Gothic dolls are common in the bjd universe, as are dolls made from "scraps", as are "living dolls", and goggles are all over the place. But its the way he's put together that I think makes him pretty unique. If I saw a doll with any of the elements I listed, I wouldn't consider it a copy, because each element on its own is common. But if I saw a doll with all those elements put together in the same manner, it would be pretty instantly obvious that someone was more than "inspired by."

      As long as your doll doesn't look like hers, and have the same backstory, and have the identical bracelet its still an "inspired by." But like others have said, if you can take the idea of "epilepsy" as a jumping off point instead and make it your own, it will be a lot more interesting and rewarding in the long run... (What if you give him a helmet, against seizures, he he :D)
       
    12. This. It would be really respectful to talk to this person whose doll has inspired you. She may be really pleased that her idea has touched you so, and may even help you brainstorm ways to put a new spin on the idea for your doll.
       
    13. To be honest I think that its not really stealing, whose to say who came up with what first and second make it your own whatever that means to u. I have a doll who I purchased because I loved teh sculpt because my friend had that sculpt and no one ever can believe they are same sculpt because we made them very different...my friend modded the eyes a bit on mine. Also I just think that there are so many different spins u could put on it. Such as a medi bracelet or even designing you're own medial alert bracelet. I have a blind doll (partly because I am visually impaired) and instead of a seeing eye dog or using a cane she has little faires that are her seeing eye fairies just I guess take the idea enjoy it and make it you're own some how...or do a lot of research and come up with something that similar and use that. But I don't think its copying...I think u have to decide if u think its copying.
       
    14. I see a lot of people mentioning here how 'doing that might hurt the person you're copying', but how about we look at it from another angle, too? How about the person who might be hurt that they're not allowed to do what would make them happy because someone else has already done it the same way? That doesn't sound very fair to me and it is an angle which most people seem to view as null and void.

      If the OP (using the OP as just an example here) would absolutely only be happy with her doll and it's character if it had the exact same illness and medical necklace as the other user's doll and not just the same illness and a medical bracelet (though that was an excellent suggestion as an alternative item if it appeals to the OP!), why is it okay for her to be hurt by not being 'allowed' to do it while it's not okay to hurt the other user by doing it if it is the only way the OP will be happy with it?
       
    15. Inspiration is one thing, all out copying is another.

      Something like giving a doll the same illness, so long as the rest of the doll is its own character, I don't see a problem with it. There are (sadly) plenty of epileptics in the world, and possibly other epileptic dolls. Characters in the doll world are very personal, so it's best to tread lightly. People will get very upset when an original character they've spent a long time developing is blatantly copied.

      That said, sometimes someone else will come up with a strikingly similar idea all on their own! (It always freaks me out when that happens :shudder) For instance, I have a zombie character that I would love to make into a doll. He has places on him that show bone through the flesh (or have no flesh), is nervous, and dresses in an old world style. I have never put him up on the internet, and only a handful of close friends know he exists. And yet, somehow a member here came up with a character that's pretty similar, especially in the places that bone is showing... eerie! Maybe we shared some kind of cosmic brain wave. :lol:

      On the other hand, I also have characters that come from a world where there's an Alice in Wonderland theme... Would I get upset if I saw another Wonderland themed doll? Heck no, that'd be stupid. We doll owners seem to have a real love affair with Wonderland. If I saw another character that was like mine in a lot of other ways, then I would get upset.
       
    16. I think it should be ok. As long as you do not have exactly the same thing. Honestly, I do not think of it as a bad thing. we all learn from each others. There is nothing bad about it. You will eventually find your way and your own style after a lot of learning and trying. Thus, I think learning good things from others is a good thing.
       
    17. I have had that happen too! I had the idea to turn a fl ante into a sheep, with a white fluffy wig and horns and hooves with gold eyes because I wanted her to interact as the "golden fleece" from... was it Jason and the Argonauts? but I took too long to do it because another member had the same idea, and I feel like now if I made the doll everyone would be upset i copied her.. It can be so freaky when coincidences happen like that!
       
    18. This ^^^ I can't agree more! I also don't believe it's ok to copy as long as you do it better. As an artist, I find it offensive.
       
    19. I just don't understand the desire to co-opt somebody else's imaginings so literally. It seems like a lack of self-trust.
       
    20. I think as long as you make it your own it's okay. If it was something simple like a piercing, then I wouldn't say that's copying - a thousand other dolls could have a lip piercing, for example. That's not copying :O But if you pair it with the same colour wig, face up and clothes then that is copying a character and kinda bad. However I would probably find it flattering because it means they admire your style, however I'd rather they label me as their inspiration rather than say it's their own brainchild.
      Some people can be pretty sensitive about copying, I know... so it's difficult to know where to draw the line because so many people draw it in different places.