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

That's a difficult one...but ultimately the person with the doll in the first place has copied the appearance of someone else's character anyway, and there isn't a limit on who can like which characters or make them into dolls. You'd just have to live with it, because you don't have the copyright on someone else's character If you have copied someone else's character, why can't another person do this?

I've seen a number of Severus Snapes on DoA, and the ones with Alan Rickman heads inevitably look the same, but the only people they are really copying are the make-up artists and wardrobe mistresses on the Harry Potter films, who designed Snape's look and by extension, JK Rowling and Alan Rickman, because JKR came up with the character and Alan Rickman has become Snape's face.

Ara*: It's probably worth bringing it up with your friend. Not in an antagonistic way, but this is a bit different to having someone over the internet see your boy and copy him, this is someone you're going to see often!

 

Perhaps she is wanting for them to be related? My girlfriend's character is the older brother to one of mine. It just sort of happened. I came up with a name, and all of a sudden the history just fell upon me. She loved it. Maybe that's what she was shooting for. <<; Perhaps anyway.

Besides that, I just want to say that red hair and green eyes is very common, because they are opposites on the color wheel (In anime and fictions anyway). Also, green or blue especially in red heads is very, very common (In real life). They are fair skinned and 28% closer to albino than those that are not. And it is not uncommon for them to have one green and one blue eye.

I'm not trying to diss you in anyway, because believe me, I wouldn't know this sort of information if I wasn't head over heels for red-heads. But I'm just pointing out an overlooked bit of info, just to play devil's advocate here and spin the tables a little.

 

Well actually if it is a character from a novel you are just creating a physical version of that character.. the character only lives on the pages, not in a physical form unless you count the likeness of the actor portraying the character.

 

and of course I would never come out and accuse anyone of this, however it does make you question someone who would do something like this.. what is their motive?

 

Ehh, I think all bets are off when it comes to fan-dolls... you didn't think it up in the first place, the original author/artist did. Someone else may also think that that doll sculpt is THE right sculpt for that character, and that faceup artist is THE right look for it too. And you can both argue till End Of Days over who thought of it first. One just can't get too far into the Sacred Snowflake thing with fan-dolls, and expect to be taken seriously. ("OMG, I thought I was the only person who ever thought up making a Kadaj doll out of an El! Will you all quit copying me?!" "OMG, how dare you have SDink paint your Johnny Depp Minimee into Jack Sparrow! I did it first!!" and so on. ^^)

 

I still dont understand why people get so upset by this.

There is a saying "imitation is the highest form of flattery"

They are telling you that they like your creative eye , style choice of colors ,make up for your doll whatever.

You know that you "created" their look first so why give yourself a heartattack about it?

Its sad but stealing on the internet of ideas, pictures and everything else is just something that is so commonplace now people dont even stop to think its wrong.

But ifyou are willing to post pictures of your dolls then know that someone somewhere out there in ABJD land is more the likley going to copy or take or whatever...

I am not saying its right, I think it just kinda sad that people are not creative enough to make their own 'doll look' but nothing to bust a vein over.

 

Yes, but you won't be the only person to want to resinate this character, and you won't be the only person who thinks they see a character in a unique way. Consider this along with the description of the character's appearance and there are only so many hook-nosed, grumpy sculpts out there that would do a Severus Snape doll justice. There will be plenty of overlaps, whether you use an Alan Rickman MNM or not.

If you think Soulkid Linn would make a lovely Tess of the D'Urbervilles, (a character who has been played by many actresses for example), chances are you're not going to be the only one who sees her your way, especially if you pop pictures of your doll online and others begin to identify her face with Tess'.

JennyNemesis is right, when in the realm of fandolls you don't really have a leg to stand on with copying. The most you can claim is that you made the first fandoll, but you can't prevent anyone else from doing it.

 

^___^ Well stated!

 

Well, I don't think so. Our dolls are beside the red hair and eyes thing totally different.
But she's always saying how pretty my boy is, and if her Dolls face-up will get destroyed by something (not necessary what) I should make the new one

I know that I didn't invent the wheel new, but it's strange because it's not the first time she does something like this
First my boy was supposed to be half blind, then her boy too.
Now I decided he has heterochromia with blue/green and now she wants it for her doll too O___o°

Don't worry, I'm not mad at you in any way. It's not that I'm really angry at her either, it's just...strange to see for me. Well, it's just hair and eye color and that's why I don't say a thing to her at the moment...but even other friends have said "Did you see how her doll looks right now?"

 

In the circumstances rolopuppet describes, does it make a difference if the head is actually a Minimee and is being painted/dressed to be the actor who the Minimee head was designed to resemble? and his/her dress is from a movie the actor was in?

Frankly, I think that does make a big difference. Very ironic if a doll is copying an actor and a movie.... it's different from a character/doll that is an original idea.

I think this was kind of answered above -- so I guess this is just my two cents.

Sorry -- I keep editing because I think of more stuff. I also think it makes a huge difference if someone copies your doll in order to sell it. Like when Ashton Drake copied the Narae and the wig/outfit/makeup from Debra American jeZebel's Joey that she sold on Ebay.

 

I agree with your position, but I can also see how it can be frustrating to people whose dolls have been "copied."

A lot of people's dolls are characters they came up with, have had for a while, put much work into (in terms of story, appearance, style, personality, whatever), and have a personal attachment to. I think it's not so much the actual copying that angers people, but the fact that something very personal that they are emotionally invested in was somewhat "tarnished" by the fact that the character is no longer unique and personal.

My DOC Too has a back story that I feel very personal about. If someone went out and bought a DOC Too, got the same exact wig, and same clothes for him, gave him the same name, and story, I would be upset, but not because they copied me. It would be because I feel that person who copied would not understand the character the way I do and possibly change my intent for the character.

Just for example (because i'm not sure if I am making sense here), my boy, Max's story is that his mother died when he was 7 and the family went into alot of debt due to his father's stupid decisions after Max's mom died. they were rather poor and when he was 12, his father commited suicide. Max is supposed to be 15 now. A friend of mine commented that she thought Max would be some emo kid with alot of issues, but that is the opposite of my perception of him. I percieve Max as someone who went through a lot of hardships, but never let them bring him down. He's supposed to be resiliant and strong. Someone might hear Max's story and if they copied him, they would probably think the way my friend did and make him out to be some really sad kid, which is he isn't. If they did that, I would be upset because his character had been misunderstood and portrayed in a way that he is not.

So yeah, for me, it's not the actual act of copying, it's the personal aspect.

 

I could probably look at most peoples dolls and say 'that one reminds me of such and such celebrity...that one reminds me of that character in that book...that one looks like my friend...that one looks like my doll abit etc etc'.
Its not a bad thing, just each individual will see something/someone different. For example, I think my doll looks like someone I quite admire, thats why I got him. Whilst one of my friends told me he looks like Dylan Moran!
Even though I didnt set out to make him into Dylan Moran, maybe someone else might think I did and say if they had a Dylan Moran doll (haha) might think Im copying.
I tend to admire dolls that actually look quite like my own, I dont ever think we are copying each other, we just must have similar ideas of beauty.
Me and my friends blatantly tell each other we are copying each other all the time Whether artistically or in clothing, it is always interesting to see how the other one has 'seen' the original idea and interepreted it into their vision, as a good interpretation is not something crudely obvious.
However, if someone wanted to completely rip off the idea of my doll, I would know deep down it isnt the same as my imagining. A character that a person has been the creator of for years will have a deeper relationship with that creation than a person who is taking the raw basics of a character or design and trying to make it their own.
Phew, hope Ive made sense!

 

The personal aspect for the one being copied is really the gray area of this issue. I know that a lot of people just think of their bjd's as "just objects/dolls" (and that is quite well and fine^^), so it becomes rather difficult to discern what is personal, and what is up for grabs when it comes to the fashioning of a doll's personality. The urge to copy what we see and like is quite natural, and is even to be expected with regards to basic esthetic choices.

However, whenever there is even a hint of public character usurpation, I think it is only natural for the originator of the idea or doll character to feel a little upset. For those who use dolls to embody their characters, the characters can often be the true "babies", and the dolls the mere vehicles for them.

In another, perhaps less moralistic light (or perhaps defeatist view), I have to say that I think that copying for private use doesn't seem to do much harm. If someone is going to copy without asking the original artist or creator of a well-known ooak or a character (or they just know that these originators would be displeased with the re-creation and they still cannot quell the urge), then they ought to have the consideration and good sense to keep it to themselves. Though, this does not go to say that all copying is bad (as there are quite a few beautiful and well-loved dolls and works of art out there that were created in the likeness of a muse or source of inspiration), but I really do think that the way that it is gone about makes a big difference to everyone concerned.

 

I agree for the most part.

There is also the issue of full-out copying one doll or taking aspects from several dolls. I know that back when I had my DOT T.Lahoo hybrid and I was doing his faceup, i made a chart of several owner's dolls from this forum who had a look i was trying to achieve. I marked several different dolls for eye makeup, several for lips, etc. I didn't try to recreate one doll, but rather incorporate elements that I liked. If you want to get a specific look without "copying", I suggest this. Having lots of different references prevent you from "cloning" another doll but keep you on track for what you are trying to achieve.

 

Yes, but not everyone subscribes to that saying.

I personally think that imitation is the highest form of laziness and lack of creativity. If someone is inspired by another's creation, that's another thing and I'm wholly for it. But if a person is just going to outright copy an entire character from their physical attributes to their personality or a storyline and then use the line 'imitation is the highest form of flattery', I would find that an extremely bad reason to go for it.

If anyone wants to flatter someone else, message them or leave them a comment somewhere. Tell them how much you (general you) like their work. Taking their work is not the way to go about it.

 

What i'm about to say is only my opinion, so i'm just stating that upfront, before everyone gets all mad at me for saying it. Personally, i think the whole "you copied my doll's look" accusation is ridiculous. It's happened to me, and i got over it. Mykal is my own doll, i made him the way i made him because he's unique. His uniqueness doesn't just lie in his make-up and aesthetic. It's in the persona that he projects, which is not just physical. It's an air about him. Part of his story, and the overall things that you can't see. I think the whole "you copied" my doll thing is a bit silly, and i wouldn't care in the least if someone tried to copy my doll. Yeah, i try to make mine unique, but in a world of dolls where uber goth, lolita, and boys dressed like girls run rampant, things are going to get repeated, try as you might to be original. I say have fun with your dolls, do what you are going to do, and leave the drama at the door. I don't know about any of you, but i'm strictly in this hobby to have fun. And when I meet people who accuse people of stealing their doll's look, or idea, it just becomes that much less fun. There will never be another Aquido, or Mykal, try as hard as someone might to copy them. Mine are original all the way, and the first. So no matter what someone else decides to do, that cannot be taken away from me, unless i LET someone do it.

Besides, i've had two dolls painted exactly alike myself, and they each gave off their own persona. I've even seen this with dolls having 'default' company face-ups.

 

The only time I think its "allright" to make an accusation is when you have sufficient proof to back-up your argument. at the same time you need to be clear as to WHY you are making the accusation; ie do you want the dolls pictures removed, was the original idea intended to be sold for a profit etc... there is really no point IMO in getting up in arms because you have a (just a random example) Unoa Lusis, with a face-up by say illness illusion, a wig from Monique Gold and a LE outfit from Mio and someone else LOVES the style and does their best to emmulate it.

I worked in the fashion industry for several years and we LIVED by this saying:

"Those who believe they're original have no memory" - Coco Channel

If I got upset everytime I saw another designers clothing item that closely resembled one of my "original" designs I'd be a nut-case by now!!

 

I agree with comicbookartistboi honestly, like he said, in a world where most dolls tend to be lolita or goth, or whatever, it's hard not to copy! Espically f you purchase your doll with a default faceup *nod* I thnk it all depends on the dolls personalit and everything

Now if you do something like...order a MNF Shiwoo, and your best friend did too, and they both have factory faceups, and you get the same clothes as your friend does but in a different shade or something and you make your dolls personality similar to your friends and make a slight difference in name spelling witout your friend knowing this, then that's another story

 

I suppose it is not a matter of originality in the most basic sense of primal "origination" of concepts or techniques in themselves, but, rather (for me, anyways), it lies in the presentation. As a classical musician, I used to compete at competitions where other musicians had to prepare the exact same piece, then perform it one after another. In some respects, we were just slamming our heads against a wall and repeating the same old (or new) pieces by Mozart, Nielsen, and Liebermann. "Copying" (in that case) was never an emotional issue, as we were each learning the "standard" way to perform any specific piece, as well as creating our own unique performances with our interpretations and renderings.

With regards to imitating previous faceups and aesthetics so as to learn, I agree that it would be silly to claim that no one should ever dare to be inspired by someone else's work. We learn and improvise based on basics that we take in. My very first faceup attempts were all based off of some beautiful photos that I had saved over time on my hard drive. How else would someone teach themselves, without examples to look at and to learn from? Back in music school, we had to learn to flawlessly perfect the "classic" pieces before we could put some of ourselves into those pieces, or (better yet), get to create our own compositions and improvisations. And so imitation is a classic method of learning that is utilized in many of the arts.

 

She would be the one to say something so brilliant and true! XD