Unlicensed items

[Darklord Dave]

Some threads have disappeared - they were for items directly in conflict with Sideshow/Hot Toys licenses. Sorry.

 

[ricardobsn]

???????
Custom work related to ht figures is forbidden?

 

[Darklord Dave]

A mass produced figure of a character that is licensed by Hot Toys or Sideshow isn't allowed to be solicited here.

 

[ricardobsn]

Ok, but for example one custom cape for upgrade the stock Superman one, is it fine?

 

[RavenEye]

Huh? More explanation to your title please.

 

[SwedishHeat]

I think a more straightforward explanation of the rules here may be in order.

Currently, it seems like a it's a "look the other way" policy until Sideshow/HT emails and says "Take it down". Wouldn't it be more beneficial to just lock/delete threads before they get started??

And I don't really understand the "pick and choose" of what can and can't be sold. Why can we not sell Han Solo heads, but we can sell Joker and Leia heads??

 

[Punishment1218]

I see the noose getting tighter and tighter on some of this stuff being sold.

 

[mosaicsquare]

Just an educated guess but I'm sure he means something along the lines of a Heath Ledger Joker 1/6 sculpt is in direct conflict with Hot Toys 1/6 TDK license. So yeaaahh. Does that mean people will have to offer stuff under different pretenses such as stupid nicknames like "Brokeback Clown" to avoid getting their topics deleted?

 

[ricardobsn]

Ss freaks is becomimg worse and worse... Unfortunently

 

[jra81984]

This is going to drastically affect artists, and the people who purchase from them. Such a shame that it is coming to this!

 

[Godfather1408]

This is going to drastically affect artists, and the people who purchase from them. Such a shame that it is coming to this!

Agreed maybe we should have a separate fourm for this as much as I love it here I don't wanna see people's work come to a hault.

Besides these people do what hot toys don't seem to do and that's deliver on a decent time scale....... Here's back to the future LOL joke maybe in 4 years.

Such a shame because I love seeing work on the fourm!

 

[ShapeShifter]

Just an educated guess but I'm sure he means something along the lines of a Heath Ledger Joker 1/6 sculpt is in direct conflict with Hot Toys 1/6 TDK license. So yeaaahh. Does that mean people will have to offer stuff under different pretenses such as stupid nicknames like "Brokeback Clown" to avoid getting their topics deleted?

Hahahahahahhahahahaha broke back clown!! I almost died when I read that! Thanks for the laugh I needed that!! Ah!

 

[karamazov80]

I don't know all the details here, but I know it can be a delicate line that has to be walked. Dave seems to want the forum to be pretty open to artistic expression, and to allow hobbyists to collect things they enjoy that official companies may not be able or willing to produce. But on the other hand, there are those that the board has relationships with that we don't want to offend. As I have learned, sometimes the hard way here, few of these issues can be assigned hard and fast rules that can be uniformly and predictably followed and enforced. It's a fluid process. I'm sure some folks will not like this, and I'm sure it can be frustrating for artists and small businesses, but that's the way it is.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Ok, but for example one custom cape for upgrade the stock Superman one, is it fine?

If something is an accessory to an existing product - that's fine.

I think a more straightforward explanation of the rules here may be in order.

Currently, it seems like a it's a "look the other way" policy until Sideshow/HT emails and says "Take it down". Wouldn't it be more beneficial to just lock/delete threads before they get started??

And I don't really understand the "pick and choose" of what can and can't be sold. Why can we not sell Han Solo heads, but we can sell Joker and Leia heads??

We'll get to them.

Agreed maybe we should have a separate fourm for this as much as I love it here I don't wanna see people's work come to a hault.

Besides these people do what hot toys don't seem to do and that's deliver on a decent time scale....... Here's back to the future LOL joke maybe in 4 years.

Such a shame because I love seeing work on the fourm!

They are scrutinizing ALL online presences for bootleg material - so all other forums or websites will be subject to the same Cease & Desist orders. And it shouldn't prevent artists from showing their work here. They just can't solicit a mass run of figures.

I don't know all the details here, but I know it can be a delicate line that has to be walked. Dave seems to want the forum to be pretty open to artistic expression, and to allow hobbyists to collect things they enjoy that official companies may not be able or willing to produce. But on the other hand, there are those that the board has relationships with that we don't want to offend. As I have learned, sometimes the hard way here, few of these issues can be assigned hard and fast rules that can be uniformly and predictably followed and enforced. It's a fluid process. I'm sure some folks will not like this, and I'm sure it can be frustrating for artists and small businesses, but that's the way it is.

Yep, it's fluid - I really don't think you want hard and fast rules.

 

[krec9]

I agree with Dave on this. Would be different if a artist was just showing his work .

 

[nexus]

Don't blame the messenger. This is the way things are. Sideshow, Hot Toys, etc. pay for a license and they want to sell as many pieces as they can. While it might seem petty going around and stepping on the little guy making 25-50 unlicensed pieces, to them it adds up to thousands or tens of thousands of lost dollars. And the bootlegging extends to factories running gray market "third shifts", recasting, etc. So I get their point.
On the other hand, when these companies ignore, delay or cancel characters, produce pieces with poor likenesses and/or poor QC, and have a "take what we give you and shut up" attitude it ticks off collectors. Not to mention when a few talented, innovative and passionate artists can produce pieces that look 5X better than the stuff they sometimes try to dish up, it's an embarrassment. So that's the conundrum.
Realistically SS, HT and others might try to step on the air hose, and they have every right to do so, but there will always be a way around. Just don't blatantly do it in their faces.

 

[TheFiend]

What has disappeared?

Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk

 

[Deadp00l]

And this one is okay?! 1:6 Heath Ledger as The Joker Painted Headsculpt (Final Sculpt Pics on 1st Post) ( https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/...ed-Headsculpt-(Final-Sculpt-Pics-on-1st-Post) )There aren't rules for everyone?

 

[SwedishHeat]

And this one is okay?! 1:6 Heath Ledger as The Joker Painted Headsculpt (Final Sculpt Pics on 1st Post) ( https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/...ed-Headsculpt-(Final-Sculpt-Pics-on-1st-Post) )There aren't rules for everyone?

The rule is, "We remove things when we're asked to."

I have to assume it's Sideshow directly asking for these things to be removed and not Hot Toys, as Hot Toys seems to not give a ______ about unlicensed and knock-off stuff, as evidenced by the accusations that all these "custom made" Hot Toys sculpts are in fact, second runs direct from Hot Toys' factory, and not recasts. My thought is that Sideshow is asking for threads to be removed when it can impact their ability to sell Hot Toys stuff. The Ledger sculpt thread remains because Joker 2.0 is sold out, so that's done, no impact to them. The iminime Han thread will likely have an impact on the DX Han Solo, so it's removed.

Personally, if only for the First World Anarchist side of me, I would like to see the Customs community move to OSW, which doesn't rely on Sideshow affiliate sales, to see if the admins there would respond to takedown requests. I'd imagine they would, but. . . it would be fun to see.

 

[MisterToyNYC]

Ss freaks is becomimg worse and worse... Unfortunently

Unfortunately, I have to agree.