When is it alright to accuse someone of copying your doll/someone else's doll?

I look at it like this. I pick colours that I know look good on me, and I wear a lot of big skirts and petticoats and amazing shoes Someone, somewhere is going to see me and either like what I wear or dislike it. Because I don't have a caption around my neck saying that this is my personal style, anyone is free to emulate my style, but they will have a difficult time trying to find identical outfits because I use a lot of unique sources for my clothes and the dyed fabrics I use can differ wildly from one piece to the next.

In the end, someone can dress similarly to me...but not identically. I also feel that imitation is flattery only when the originator is credited. If someone came and asked where my inspiration came from, I'd tell them frontiers women from the old west brought into the 21st century by the way of Joss Whedon's Firefly If they then told someone they were inspired by me, who was inspired by Joss Whedon...I think that's fair, because everyone who had a hand in creating the look gets their due.

As for dollies, I can see how it would be hurtful to see a copy of your doll and nothing about where the inspiration came from, but I also know from experience that styles overlap. I'm not the only person in the world to love the style from Firefly, so it isn't a stretch to think I'm going to see someone else dressed in the same style as myself. Also, who here isn't guilty of seeing something they love on someone else or another doll and being inspired? I think there should always be a place for inspiration and like Nautilus, if I see something on someone else or their doll that would be perfect for Gwenllian I will see how I can go about re-creating it...but I would say where I got the idea from (if I was able to - dang people not going around with nametags!)

 

I know nothing about this, but there is the chance that some people copy accidentally. Authors are advised never to read their own fans fanfiction as subconciously it may appear as a new idea in their heads, and then their publishers get sued - if we seen an idea we like, it may be stored away in our minds to resurface someday. Say I saw a doll I liked with red hair and white eyes (random colours there), I might forget the specific doll after a few weeks and then a few weeks after that, remember thinking that red wig and white eyes are a good idea. Then, thinking it's a good idea, I'd put that on my doll.
Just an idea, but perhaps there is more in the picture than we think. I don't know, my doll is so new, he only has default random faceup and wig and eyes.
Ooh and another idea - fashions such as "goth", "emo" wigs etc - aren't they a form of copying? I don't label myself but many people call me "emo kid", and often they use the joke, "Well, you all say you're individuals, how come you look so similar?" It's true, there are underlying styles - the lace of gothloli, decora hairclips - that are seen as wonderful ideas and the copying with individual flair of these is how fashion movements start. Could it be the same in the BJD world?

 

As long as people still said "Oh, that (for example) Viktor Blasphemie is a *blatant* ripoff of Ratty's Victor Profane," rather than "You know, Ratty's Victor Profane looks a lot like Viktor Blasphemie." I'd be perfectly happy. I think that applies to characters in my writing as well.

 

My doll Marishka (a modded oldskin F-28 girl) was a blatant copy of Boudicca's mind-meltingly beautiful doll Nadeshiko... and I always said so publicly. ^^;; I always wondered if she hated my guts for that! But I couldn't help myself (shame shame) I was so in love with that face!

The name similarity (having an 'ishk' in it) was a Freudian slip, haha... My son was watching VanHelsing and the vampiresses were yelling the name "Marishka" and I though "Oh that sounds pretty, I'll give her that name". LOL!

On the other hand, I've had people *ask me* if they could get a "Sigunn" (that big-earred RML elf girl I have), and I know I've helped at least one person do just that.

So I might be terrible, but at least I'm not a hypocrite!!! XD
Raven

 

I agree with Jescissa about giving due credit. Like if someone "copied" my Elle and pawned it off as just their idea then I'd be miffed. (Then again by "copied" she'd have to be the same exact doll and same/very similar style (clothes/wig wise) and a very similar attitude, and meeting 2 of those criteria is ever so easy without being "copying") If the same person said "Oh, I drew inspiration from..." then I would definitely be flattered and say "Let our dolls be friends!"

But this is such a wary topic because everyone has such differing opinions and criteria to their judgment.

 

although it can be annoying, copying is the greatest form of flattery.
i've seen plenty of dolls that i would want almost an exact duplicate of, but do not do so because people tend to get touchy about it.

there's also the old saying "good artists copy, great artists steal." not literally steal mind, you. ^ ^; steal the technique. plently of famous artists stole ideas from older or less knows artists. there is only so much originiality in the world.

i understand the desire to be unique, but i think people need to just chill out and think of it as a complement.

 

Seeing as I didn't MAKE my doll or his clothes or anything, I wouldn't care. I'd just see another very similar doll. I don't think it's wrong to want to do that, or to do it, any more than it is wrong to make a character doll.

I'd start asking questions, however, if I had done a special faceup/body art and later saw the same work on another doll. However, I wouldn't be bothered, as long as the person was honest, and said they had been inspired by my doll, or that it was just coincidence. (I'd have a good laugh at the latter). But honestly, I wouldn't mind at all if someone "copied" my doll. It's not like they're taking anything from me, and if it's a matter of fame/attention, and the other person gets credit, obviously some aspect of the dynamic of that doll is more appealing than mine. As BJD is to me a very personal hobby (I'm not doing it for anyone else; any "Isn't he pretty??" that I do is just gushing emotions), I'm not concerned with getting any kind of credit, and I'm not bothered by anything like that. That's their doll, and I hope the owner loves it as much as I love mine. Where that's not the case, now, that is the real tragedy.

 

There has been a doll that looks awfully like mine but I haven't and probably will never accuse the person of copying because I could be mistaken. I guess I take it as a compliment that they like the look of my doll and I'm not too upset. Just a little wierded out.

In the end, I know that my doll is mine and no one will replace him and no one can even come close.

 

I think that if you are going to copy a doll, at least say it. I don't like to copy peoples dolls and I don't understand why people don't add something personal to them at least, when they have to copy.
I think the border between being inspired and coping. E.g. if you find a rare girlmold and put it on a boy body. This is quite unique the first time it's done, but would the 2nd person doing so be copying? If the 2nd person says that she/he is inspired by the 1st person doing so, is it still considered copying? Isn't that the way things always work, that 1 person get an idea, and others are inspired by this person?
I wouldn't consider the last scenario copying... If girl mold/boy body, boy mold/girl body combinations was to be unique, everybody would be copying each other...

 

I can actually see both sides of this debate pretty clearly.

On the one hand, when you put a lot of thought and effort and creativity into making a doll uniquely your own, and when you spent hours, days, even weeks trying to get just the look you want for your doll, and you're so proud of having come up with the concept and execution entirely on your own...to have someone just come along, buy the same parts you did, and cobble together a virtual clone of your creation can feel almost as bad as a slap in the face. "See, what you did isn't so special--look how easy it was for me to copy you!"

On the other hand, when you see a doll creation that moves you as particularly striking or beautiful, and something in you says "Oh, I've got to have that doll!" but the owner isn't willing to sell...yet you're sure, in your heart, that that particular doll is the one and only perfect one for you...well, what can you do but try to emulate it as closely as possible? What's so wrong with drawing inspiration from another artist? Artists thrive on inspiration and there are no really "original" ideas anyway! And let's not forget that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"--it wouldn't be a cliche if it wasn't mostly true.

My personal take on this is that I would never want a doll that is an exact copy of someone else's. While I might look at a particular outfit or wig and eye combination and think "Oh, cool!" and use that as inspiration for my next doll, I wouldn't want an exact copy of anyone else's doll. Like any artist, I'm not content to just copy. If all I wanted was copies, I'd get my own Xerox machine. I want to express my own creativity and put my own spin on what I make. I did that when I was a child with my fashion dolls. I did that as a KiSS artist. I did that as a pixel doll artist. I did that (and still do) with my fashion Obitsu dolls. I will do that with my BJD(s) as well.

As I believe has been repeatedly stated here, anyone is allowed to do whatever they want with a doll they own, up to and including making an exact copy of someone else's doll, down to the body, head, wig, eyes, face-up, clothing, and even the name and backstory. But if all you want is a doll that someone else thought of, without making any effort to put your own personal stamp on him or her, you might as well buy a premade off eBay. Or collect Barbies.

Just my $0.02.

 

While I draw inspiration from others' dolls, I don't copy. I do my own faceups and while I save pics on my pc of color schemes or techniques I like and study them, I will never do the same look. Besides the fact that the molds are never the same, each artist has their own flair that sets them apart.

Also, I am very inspired by historical fashion BJDs, especially Neale's. My doll(s) are rococo girls, but they will never look like Neale's.

 

I really go out of my way not to copy other people's dolls and how I photograph them. To me, being unique is something, (good or bad) that I really push for.

The thing is, that when you start out, you might be inspired by something or someone, say a rock star or an anime character, there may be a lot of room for said copying. There might be hundreds of Hide or Gackt or whomever on this board without the standard DOA user knowing. And that's really fine. Up to the doll owner really. What I like is what people to with the idea of the cosplay or how they shell their stars. I know my current favorite doll reminded me of a rockstar, I named him off that, but he's not that rockstar at all. Not by a long shot.

My thing is that, no amount of work is going to really get someone to get my exact doll or look in photos. You can get pretty darn close, but my stuff is still going to look unique because I handle my camera differently and how I style my dolls. It's just a perspective thing if that makes sense (hard to explain)... it's my lighting, doll posing, ideas and photo editing. However, I could be dead wrong, but well... who knows?

 

Personally... I would never accuse someone of coping my doll, If someone did by chance have the exact same doll, dressed same head to toe, same faceup and stuff, and I found out that they might have intentually based that doll off of my own, I would feel flattered that someone liked my doll so much that they wanted to have one so similar *shrug* I would feel a little uncomfortable possibly, that my doll was no longer unique, but I wouldnt tell that person to change they're doll.

All my dolls are being based from origonal characters, (or anime characters ^^ If someone accused ME of coping, I would feel very hurt, but I would deffinatly want to sort things out, But I dont think I would change my doll if it was one of my origonal characters, I might be influenced by drawings, movies, animes, and even other dolls on the type of doll I want, but I'd never copy someones doll purposely.
Though I have been inspired to like a curtain doll mold just from seeing someones doll that was very beautiful for the sulpt, and then want that doll, but I come up with a complitly different style, and try to make it as different as possible from that doll, to be origonal *I love uniqueness and dont want to copy people*

 

I wholeheartidly agree with this, munakchild. There is no point in denying that you like something because you are afraid of being like other people for it. I had a roommate in college with whom I went to the LA tofu festival. She and I split up for a brief bit to do some quick shopping. When we reconvened, it turned out that we had purchased the exact same orange festival shirt! Uncanny. However, rather than admit to the fluke instance of our similar tastes and laugh it off, she promptly turned back and exchanged it for a green one. She ended up with a shirt that she didn't want simply because she didn't want to be seen as "copying" or "like" someone else. She later even went so far as to borrow my orange shirt! lol. Silly thing as she was, she would have been a lot happier had she truly thought for herself (rather than sticking to the mantra, "I must be different!") and got what she wanted in the first place. Thus, there are those out there who think that "being different/individual/unique' simply equates to "doing the opposite of what everyone else does", even if you would really like to go with the flow based on your own taste. Odd conundrum, that is.

Now, with the more attributes that are shared between two dolls, the likelihood of one of them being copied a bit is increased. This is a given. However, I think that it is the one that is doing the intentional copying that ought really to be concerned. Inspiration naturally feeds off of the preexisting beauty and creativity that it beholds: but if all you have is what you see and emulate from elsewhere, then you have nothing of yourself, just imitation. Now there I go contradicting the point I made previously.. eek. I guess it is up to the one taking the previously-made doll concept to decide if this will make them happy or not. hrm.

 

If, in all honesty some one found my doll to be THAT enthralling, someone copied one of my several "soon to be"s, then I'd probably be flattered. I might PM them and ask about it (perhaps ask them to change or remove one or two elements) and leave it at that. If they didn't change those things, well, what ever, it's on them for copying, and I'll still be the one with the original idea (as original as BJD style can get, I suppose?).

But, it's never ok to accuse some one publically, or in stead of someone else. Mostly because there are plenty of things that can come up coincidently without there being any direct copying involved. Face ups, clothes style, hair styles, names. it can all happen.

 

Raisallie~ that's so true! It sadly simply becomes a pointless heckling and flaming (or maybe even self-ostracization, who knows) of the shamed internet copier. Age-old adage this may be, but imitation is indeed the best form of flattery.^^ Though I would be sad to see someone imitate a doll without at least notifying the originator, I also think it is a huge compliment.

 

I think in my case I'd kill that person for copying my Phoen.
He's my child and and first he was a manga character I designed. Then I wanetd him as doll badly. that's why I found this board and actually started with BJDs.
I still am drawing him and wont stop, because he's such a great person =)
And yeah if someone copies him...

And as AlphaCow said, you can't prove it someone copied your doll, until you show drawings or other design sheets for your doll that you uploaded on a art site(the date of uploading is important!). Or photos with the date on it...

 

I personally could never copy someone else's doll it be too personal for me, especially a backstory. Although like others have said I think because its a small BJD world theres only so many combination of eye color, hair, face-up, backstory, etc. and theres bound to be some similarities. I'd be flattered if someone copied/got inspiration from my dolls, though I'd be a bit hurt if they themselves turned around and said I was the copier not them.