Sideshow now interfering with Custom Work on Facebook

[C0L0SSUS]

So I wake up today to see that Sideshow, not being satisfied with banning custom work on their own site, have now gone after the same on Facebook. Check out this post from One-Sixth Society:
STATEMENT: From Day One I Have Made It Very Clear That One Sixth Society Supports, Protects & Celebrates Custom Figures & Artists. Talent In This Hobby Is Like An Endangered Species and We Must Do Everything We Can To Preserve and Protect Custom Artists.

In Regards To Sideshows Recent Announcement About Banning The Discussion & Photos Of Custom Figures in Facebook Groups, Forums etc - I Am Planning a Phone Call With Sideshow To Further Discuss This To Get a Better Understanding Of This New Policy.

You Must Remember That One Sixth Society’s Group is Hosted On Facebooks Platform And We Are Subject To Their Trademark Laws.

Rest Assured I Will Gather As Much Information About This and Keep All Society Members Informed.

To The Customs Artists Reading This “To be an artist is to believe in life.” Thank You For All The Beautiful Life You Give To This Hobby.

I’ll Be In Touch... - Jon

 

[PH@Ben]

One-Sixth Republic posted a similar message

 

[EVILFACE]

I'm not sure how they can have pictures or discussion of something someone created banned or removed from the internet.

Selling it, eh, they might have some say.

 

[RavenEye]

Um... Seems to me like Sideshow is ******** their crappy **** is being oldschooled by Hot Toys and the sculptors who give better representations of the characters. This will never fly, because 1... for the last of I don't know decade? There has been custom interest sections on this board and facebook from well known artists including that of which they have hired ie: Trevor Grove. And 2 because of how "Fair Use" applies, if this is cease and desist then A LOT of people in artist community will stop collecting altogether. GeeWhiz done, Tony Mei Done, Iminime Done, Rahmier Bros Done at least on facebook in communities. Here, well that's up to Dave...

 

[robbiethepainter]

I'm curious what prompted this. Is it the 1:6 community specifically or are statues apart of this? Customs has been around awhile but the influx of China's unlicensed stuff seems to have really amped up in the last few years. I'm not sure this is a battle Sideshow can win. A custom artist making 20-50 figures seems pretty minor compared to a Chinese company making 500-1000.

 

[MPCanes]

Probably because they need to do whatever they can to force people to buy their overpriced, lower quality licensed crap.

 

[TwelveInchFigures]

I wouldn't worry, they're probably more concern with copies of their own stuff and not customizers. Regardless, customizers aren't going anywhere, they'll outlive SS.

 

[arniec]

As owner of Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys I got this e-mail. It went to ALL Affiliates.

Here's the deal, Sideshow cannot stop any site from discussing "custom" figures (and what they're really discussing is bootleg figures and statues). BUT they have 100% discretion as to who is a Sideshow affiliate and gets commission referrals.

Note that quite some time ago they removed all commission from Star Wars 1/6 scale product, and then even more recently cut their commission in half. So while they cut down what they pay, they now are trying to dictate all content.

That said -- I know a lot of sites (including I would guess this one, though I didn't see an official statement) and FB groups will comply. More than commission, having a good relationship with Sideshow is good for our sites so we are included on news, etc.

Now this does NOT refer to individual customization, kit bashing, etc. I did clarify that with Sideshow. We have a "How to customize your figures" segment on our shows and I was not going to get rid of that. But we don't sell any customs, we just give instructional videos on how people can kitbash on their own.

So that's the skinny. Each site needs to determine what's important to them

 

[EVILFACE]

So people are gonna complain, but in the end bend over so they don't miss out those Sideshow Affiliate dollars.

Money rules all.

'Merica!

 

[Snake Plissken]

SSC should mind their own ****ing business. Especially after their Whack Burton.

Close up your sweat shop and just be a distributor.

Here, well that's up to Dave...

MUH PREAMUMUM FWEEZ

 

[RavenEye]

Sideshow cannot stop any site from discussing "custom" figures

If they did the figures the right way ie: Uncharted head, Snake Plissken Paint Job, etc etc we wouldn't result to custom based figures. In the end, it's what we consider accurate and detailed that makes our wallet talk.

 

[RavenEye]

MUH PREAMUMUM FWEEZ

Interesting point... Dave makes us who sell custom work buy Premium for that "Right"... so... isn't that like a custom selling membership?

 

[Lumos]

Huh. So...what's gonna happen to the custom section here?

 

[robbiethepainter]

Well not all customs are of licensed subjects. Suits and accessories aren't the same as making a head of a character.

 

[RIDDICK]

Sideshow cannot stop any site from discussing "custom" figures.

Yet Dave is closing discussion threads.
Maybe Sideshow can't, but license holders can.

So people are gonna complain, but in the end bend over so they don't miss out those Sideshow Affiliate dollars.

Money rules all.

'Merica!

In a nutshell.

 

[acesh007]

I had a feeling this was more so the issue and I would say is reasonable request if you are making money off of commissions. However, seeing some of these guys and their sculpting abilities, I figured Sideshow would want access to these guys and contract them out or even hire them to do work for them.

In any case, not as crazy as it came out at first.

As owner of Star Wars Action News and Marvelicious Toys I got this e-mail. It went to ALL Affiliates.

Here's the deal, Sideshow cannot stop any site from discussing "custom" figures (and what they're really discussing is bootleg figures and statues). BUT they have 100% discretion as to who is a Sideshow affiliate and gets commission referrals.

Note that quite some time ago they removed all commission from Star Wars 1/6 scale product, and then even more recently cut their commission in half. So while they cut down what they pay, they now are trying to dictate all content.

That said -- I know a lot of sites (including I would guess this one, though I didn't see an official statement) and FB groups will comply. More than commission, having a good relationship with Sideshow is good for our sites so we are included on news, etc.

Now this does NOT refer to individual customization, kit bashing, etc. I did clarify that with Sideshow. We have a "How to customize your figures" segment on our shows and I was not going to get rid of that. But we don't sell any customs, we just give instructional videos on how people can kitbash on their own.

So that's the skinny. Each site needs to determine what's important to them

 

[RIDDICK]

Sideshow is the biggest US supplier and production company after all. Why make your agents go case-by-case after every single site and social media group when you can simply make Sideshow threaten all of them with the loss of their support and revenue? Makes sense.

I hate modern Sideshow products as much as the next guy, but don't think they're dumb enough to lose some of their customers over such silly thing. It's most likely was "do it or we pull the plug" thing.

 

[RiggsMcClane]

Not everyone is folding under the pressure. Two very large sites have cut ties with sideshow over this. Some things are more important than money and creativity (however you define that) is one of them.

 

[RIDDICK]

That's actually refreshing to know.

 

[screamingmetal]

I had a feeling this was more so the issue and I would say is reasonable request if you are making money off of commissions. However, seeing some of these guys and their sculpting abilities, I figured Sideshow would want access to these guys and contract them out or even hire them to do work for them.

In any case, not as crazy as it came out at first.

If it's someone selling a hand painted object, regardless of what the canvas might be, it still should be protected as an artist selling their original artwork.