Dark Toys 1/6 Rick Deckard

[Indiana Fett]

Were Buffy and Iris’ products officially licensed or were the likeness and designs unofficially reproduced as well?

Definitely unofficially produced.

 

[TonTon]

I don't think any licensed Blade Runner exists in 1/6 scale, right?

 

[blazio]

So in the end the artists put sweat and hard work for months / years and when it's done someone Copy exactly the same and put on the market on a cheap way. How u call that? Why this cheap chinese Company don't put Money and effort to create something that doesnt exist? We don't have a tons of characters that would be nice to see... Always to do a Copy of someone else work Is not so exiting

 

[Cocoboloboy]

Definitely unofficially produced.

I don't think any licensed Blade Runner exists in 1/6 scale, right?

I didn’t think so but I wasn’t sure.

So in the end the artists put sweat and hard work for months / years and when it's done someone Copy exactly the same and put on the market on a cheap way. How u call that? Why this cheap chinese Company don't put Money and effort to create something that doesnt exist? We don't have a tons of characters that would be nice to see... Always to do a Copy of someone else work Is not so exiting

I’m glad this is getting made. Full custom figures can run into the thousands and there’s no way I could afford that. If there is a person or company out there that is offering an officially licensed Deckard that this third party company is taking money away from then please point me in that direction because I’ve been wanting one for years.

 

[potato]

So in the end the artists put sweat and hard work for months / years and when it's done someone Copy exactly the same and put on the market on a cheap way. How u call that? Why this cheap chinese Company don't put Money and effort to create something that doesnt exist? We don't have a tons of characters that would be nice to see... Always to do a Copy of someone else work Is not so exiting

this is why they charge hefty amount for their customs. they know the risks of someone copying, this doesn't apply just to arts but businesses too.

also this is how developing nations started, Japan used to copy or even steal western techs, so did South Korea, then China, although China has been doing it for like decades, they do both Copy & at the same time invent, this way they get to advance at faster rate compared to solely relying on themselves, or paying others to do it.

you might not be aware of 3rd party scenes, but there are Chinese companies that create their own 1/6 figures, those that can't (usually the factories), would opt to copy as they have to keep the factory running to fully utilize their assets instead of just relying on contracts. For cartoon statues, lots of them are created in China, and i have yet heard bootlegs of those statues which is funny consider it's easier to recast a statue than a figure.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Were Buffy and Iris? products officially licensed or were the likeness and designs unofficially reproduced as well?

That's not the point. The fact that Dark Toys has stolen/recast Buffy's head is the issue.

If you and I both made original custom Deckards, no issue, but if I stole your head I bet you'd have a problem with me.... especially if my figure looked better then yours.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

That's not the point. The fact that Dark Toys has stolen/recast Buffy's head is the issue.

If you and I both made original custom Deckards, no issue, but if I stole your head I bet you'd have a problem with me.... especially if my figure looked better then yours.

But ONLY if your figure looked better than mine.

But yes, I completely understand why some people are upset. I guess my point is that some could look at a custom artist’s work using a likeness that is owned by another company as stealing from them. Specifically if they’re producing it for sale without obtaining the right or paying for the right to do so. I’m not saying either is right or either is wrong but I’m just saying it can be looked at differently from different points of view...or so I’ve been told by Obi-Wan.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I'm far from an angel myself... but stealing from a thief is still illegal.

I think if an artist makes a sculpt and sells it, its like art. It is his interpretation of the subject. If that piece is then used for a company to make mass-produced factory pieces from a copy of the artist's work, that seems wrong to me. I would feel less sensitive to the artist if he sold 3,000-5,000 pieces of his work. Usually an artist piece is 20-30, on rare occasion 100 or so.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

Obi-Wan would agree with you...From a certain point of view.

 

[potato]

So should we petition to ban all contents related to theft? Should we verify with Dark Toys or the custom artists that they did not collaborate with each other for a mass produced run? Of course, which sane artist would admit it?

 

[Wor-Gar]

Should we verify with Dark Toys or the custom artists that they did not collaborate with each other for a mass produced run?

Yes...

 

[lieutenant dan]

I'm far from an angel myself... but stealing from a thief is still illegal.

I think if an artist makes a sculpt and sells it, its like art. It is his interpretation of the subject. If that piece is then used for a company to make mass-produced factory pieces from a copy of the artist's work, that seems wrong to me. I would feel less sensitive to the artist if he sold 3,000-5,000 pieces of his work. Usually an artist piece is 20-30, on rare occasion 100 or so.

 

[SwedishHeat]

I'm typically of the 'recast=bad' mindset, but I'm starting to have less and less patience for the sculpts that are only available to a select few.

It was one thing when you could sign up for a list and get a sculpt but now it seems to be moving towards a more 'exclusive' model which I'm not a fan of.

As much as I want to support the work, if I don't have an opportunity to support said work, it's not going to prevent me from buying something I like.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

But ONLY if your figure looked better than mine.

But yes, I completely understand why some people are upset. I guess my point is that some could look at a custom artist?s work using a likeness that is owned by another company as stealing from them. Specifically if they?re producing it for sale without obtaining the right or paying for the right to do so. I?m not saying either is right or either is wrong but I?m just saying it can be looked at differently from different points of view...or so I?ve been told by Obi-Wan.

I'm far from an angel myself... but stealing from a thief is still illegal.

I think if an artist makes a sculpt and sells it, its like art. It is his interpretation of the subject. If that piece is then used for a company to make mass-produced factory pieces from a copy of the artist's work, that seems wrong to me. I would feel less sensitive to the artist if he sold 3,000-5,000 pieces of his work. Usually an artist piece is 20-30, on rare occasion 100 or so.

I kinda have to go with Coco on this. The way I see it, the original Buffy(?) sculpt and figure were already illegal ventures. I understand the "artist" angle, but I don't see it as true art. It was a product that was produced in multiples in order to sell and make a profit. Most art is unique and one of a kind. I also don't think calling a head sculpt a product and not a piece of art diminishes the talent, skill and time it takes to create it.

Wor-Gar, I'm not sure I would say stealing from a thief is illegal. I don't know if it's even immoral or even unethical at that point. Maybe "looked down on"? Or "more of a guideline than a rule"? It's one thing if the thief was unaware that the object was stolen. It's quite another if the thief stole the very object that was stolen from him.

But ok, let's say Buffy looked at what he did as his art, and every one of his 20-30 Deckards received the same careful attention and focus, and perhaps each one is slightly unique because of how the paint was applied, etc. He still took someone's intellectual property and made money from it, even if it only barely covered his own costs. Personally, I'm completely 100% fine with this. The little bit of money he made wouldn't even be pocket change to the people who hold the license. I say go for it. However, I think that having someone else come along and steal his work for their own profit is also fair game. Buffy chose the life of "crime". He shouldn't call foul when someone else comes along and makes money on something he made. Buffy made money on something someone else created. And it's not really our place to judge either--even though that's exactly what I'm doing!

 

[Wor-Gar]

I would love to come over to your house and steal all your unlicensed figures knowing you'd be fine with that and press no charges, we could even have a beer together.

Wor-Gar, I'm not sure I would say stealing from a thief is illegal. I don't know if it's even immoral or even unethical at that point.

Just to clarify, it is indeed illegal. Stealing is stealing in the eyes of the law. No doubt you've heard 'possession is 9/10s of the law'.

 

[TonTon]

I kinda have to go with Coco on this. The way I see it, the original Buffy(?) sculpt and figure were already illegal ventures. I understand the "artist" angle, but I don't see it as true art. It was a product that was produced in multiples in order to sell and make a profit. Most art is unique and one of a kind. I also don't think calling a head sculpt a product and not a piece of art diminishes the talent, skill and time it takes to create it.

Wor-Gar, I'm not sure I would say stealing from a thief is illegal. I don't know if it's even immoral or even unethical at that point. Maybe "looked down on"? Or "more of a guideline than a rule"? It's one thing if the thief was unaware that the object was stolen. It's quite another if the thief stole the very object that was stolen from him.

But ok, let's say Buffy looked at what he did as his art, and every one of his 20-30 Deckards received the same careful attention and focus, and perhaps each one is slightly unique because of how the paint was applied, etc. He still took someone's intellectual property and made money from it, even if it only barely covered his own costs. Personally, I'm completely 100% fine with this. The little bit of money he made wouldn't even be pocket change to the people who hold the license. I say go for it. However, I think that having someone else come along and steal his work for their own profit is also fair game. Buffy chose the life of "crime". He shouldn't call foul when someone else comes along and makes money on something he made. Buffy made money on something someone else created. And it's not really our place to judge either--even though that's exactly what I'm doing!

We're drawing some fine lines on what is theft versus not theft. Again, Dark Toys could have made their own figure with a new sculpt and nobody would be saying anything other than judging the figure on its merits, but instead they stole the work that went into making the sculpt and are misrepresenting the clothing by showing another tailor's work.

So we'd be okay with supporting someone buying up all of Coco's stands (sorry to single you out, but there are few other custom artists here), which are marketed as being for various movies, and recasting every single model he's put out and selling them here as well? I'm guessing a few people would be upset about that, other than just Coco.

 

[PlatypusRhyme]

The person with the most right to be peeved is Ford, since it's his unlicensed likeness that other people are profiting from.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I would love to come over to your house and steal all your unlicensed figures knowing you'd be fine with that and press no charges, we could even have a beer together.



Just to clarify, it is indeed illegal. Stealing is stealing in the eyes of the law. No doubt you've heard 'possession is 9/10s of the law'.

If I had stolen those unlicensed figures, then yes, by all means, have at them!

As for your other point, who do you go to to report the theft? Will you really go to the authorities and report that the statue I stole was stolen from me?

"Yes, officer, someone stole the Mona Lisa from my house. How did I get the Mona Lisa? Um, uh, that's not the point! Someone stole it from me!"

It's like those news stories you used to read about that a guy goes to the cops because someone stole his weed (not really relevant anymore since weed is becoming legal everywhere!).

 

[TonTon]

It's also worth noting that Present Toys (edit) has also taken the work of Jnix's Officer K sculpt. He has made multiple runs of this sculpt available over the years to collectors.

 

[Wor-Gar]

As for your other point, who do you go to to report the theft? Will you really go to the authorities and report that the statue I stole was stolen from me?

Wasn't OJ doing time for that very thing in Vegas?

I don't know, I'm not a lawyer, and you can argue just about anything as Trump has proven, but here's what google says when asked: is stealing from a thief illegal?:

Yes it is stealing. If he/she has an item in his possession and you steal it and he faces no criminal charges pending for this item, he could call the police and rwport it as a crime. Second, if the item is a stolen item, you can be charged with receiving and concealing stolen property.