Licensors now going after Custom statues companies

[extracomputer.1]

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

Nintendo has always been obsessed with 'control'. From their policy limiting publishers to a certain amount of games released per year, to sticking with cartridges to control manufacturing, to cease-and-desists at the drop of a hat.

Some companies are just more litigious than others. Nintendo is also a leader in their industry. If they don't try to curb illegal activity, that could almost be seen as condoning it.

Interesting?I haven?t thought of Nintendo as being a leader in decades. .

[qz33]

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

Nintendo has always been obsessed with 'control'. From their policy limiting publishers to a certain amount of games released per year, to sticking with cartridges to control manufacturing, to cease-and-desists at the drop of a hat.

Some companies are just more litigious than others. Nintendo is also a leader in their industry. If they don't try to curb illegal activity, that could almost be seen as condoning it.

Originally Posted by extracomputer.1

Interesting?I haven?t thought of Nintendo as being a leader in decades. .

What other game developer releases its own hardware? Even if you prefer MS that makes Nintendo #3 easily by default so yeah they're definitely a leader even if you aren't noticing.

I was wondering how long until Nintendo was mentioned. There's been a lot of discussion about Nintendo tactics online concerning their anti-piracy efforts. There's a great youtube video that illustrates precisely what Zen is referring. Copyright is what everyone concentrates on but it is trademarks that is the gray area. Copyright is very very specific. Trademarks are what companies use to defend themselves in industry. Trademarks are what legally protect Jubilee as Jubilee instead of a girl with a yellow rain coat named Celebration. If trademarks are not defended then they can be lost or at least diluted.

So no none of these licensors care financially about unlicensed recasts or customs. Nor does law enforcement. But their licensees sure do. It's also important to note this is in the aggregate here. No even other statue companies don't care about a custom Hulk statues with a 50 ES. But they sure do care about the unlevel playing field created by all the customs of all the characters as a whole as well as the factory time and resources taken up.

"Here I'd like to get a quote on getting my new piece produced. Oh what's that you're booked up? Hey what's all these you guys are working on now? Oh making unlicensed stuff? Oh I'll need to pay extra to get my piece within a year instead of 2?..."
"Hey I need a good sculptor, can you... Oh you're booked up? I asked my buddy at Sideshow and they said you weren't doing anything for them... Oh busy with independent work? How much to get this sculpted in 2 months?? That's 10K more than industry averages... "

If the licensees complain enough and the licensors don't take ANY kind of action it can put their trademarks in jeopardy. Licensees could produce statues while letting their licenses expire and argue "hey you are not taking any legal action there so you have no rights to take any here" And the risk is far greater than just these silly statues. If a business is not defending its trademarks in one particular industry their use across all industries is in jeopardy.


https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/0...ght-trademark/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i13h...8gY29weXJpZ2h0


Trust me none of these companies care about statue nerds desperate for statues they prefer or favorite characters.

[extracomputer.1]

Originally Posted by qz33

What other game developer releases its own hardware? Even if you prefer MS that makes Nintendo #3 easily by default so yeah they're definitely a leader even if you aren't noticing.

I was wondering how long until Nintendo was mentioned. There's been a lot of discussion about Nintendo tactics online concerning their anti-piracy efforts. There's a great youtube video that illustrates precisely what Zen is referring. Copyright is what everyone concentrates on but it is trademarks that is the gray area. Copyright is very very specific. Trademarks are what companies use to defend themselves in industry. Trademarks are what legally protect Jubilee as Jubilee instead of a girl with a yellow rain coat named Celebration. If trademarks are not defended then they can be lost or at least diluted.

So no none of these licensors care financially about unlicensed recasts or customs. Nor does law enforcement. But their licensees sure do. It's also important to note this is in the aggregate here. No even other statue companies don't care about a custom Hulk statues with a 50 ES. But they sure do care about the unlevel playing field created by all the customs of all the characters as a whole as well as the factory time and resources taken up.

"Here I'd like to get a quote on getting my new piece produced. Oh what's that you're booked up? Hey what's all these you guys are working on now? Oh making unlicensed stuff? Oh I'll need to pay extra to get my piece within a year instead of 2?..."
"Hey I need a good sculptor, can you... Oh you're booked up? I asked my buddy at Sideshow and they said you weren't doing anything for them... Oh busy with independent work? How much to get this sculpted in 2 months?? That's 10K more than industry averages... "

If the licensees complain enough and the licensors don't take ANY kind of action it can put their trademarks in jeopardy. Licensees could produce statues while letting their licenses expire and argue "hey you are not taking any legal action there so you have no rights to take any here" And the risk is far greater than just these silly statues. If a business is not defending its trademarks in one particular industry their use across all industries is in jeopardy.


https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/0...ght-trademark/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i13h...8gY29weXJpZ2h0


Trust me none of these companies care about statue nerds desperate for statues they prefer or favorite characters.

it is not that i prefer anyone....I just don't see them as a leader. The last console I had was a sega saturn , but everyone that i know who does have a console has an xbox or playstation and said the games on nintendo were just cheesy cartoon graphics. Honestly I don't keep up on most of that stuff though so maybe that has changed.

[Gyro Zeppeli]

Originally Posted by nbr3bagshotrow

If licensors were consistent, they would be going after all the custom artwork and prints sold at conventions or online. Recasts are more of a problem than customs.

I'll never understand why this always gets a free pass. You have people making thousands of dollars a month on Patreon and such because they just draw off-model fanart of characters they don't have the rights to and lock it behind being paid subscribers to them. Is it really that different?

[qz33]

Originally Posted by extracomputer.1

it is not that i prefer anyone....I just don't see them as a leader. The last console I had was a sega saturn , but everyone that i know who does have a console has an xbox or playstation and said the games on nintendo were just cheesy cartoon graphics. Honestly I don't keep up on most of that stuff though so maybe that has changed.

I didn't say you prefer, I said if you don't notice.

Nintendo makes primarily kiddy games for sure. But guess what the kiddy market is nothing to sneeze at even compared to adult market games. Plenty of old school hardcore gamers still adore Nintendo's stuff right alongside their mature games.

Even when MS and Sony try to tap the younger market, they can't touch Nintendo's numbers. There is no game developer that does not, including even MS and Sony themselves, envy Nintendo's success.

[qz33]

Originally Posted by Gyro Zeppeli

I'll never understand why this always gets a free pass. You have people making thousands of dollars a month on Patreon and such because they just draw off-model fanart of characters they don't have the rights to and lock it behind being paid subscribers to them. Is it really that different?

It is because exactly what I mentioned above. There no competitors that see most 2D fanart as a threat. Most legitimate professional artists are not merely licensed but are paid directly by the licensors themselves.
And most fanart, though obvious, is intentionally vague enough to dodge direct imitations.
Now if the fanart was getting say national television exposure you can bet the artists would be hearing from licensors.
Some fan artists even do. Sometimes we hear about it other times not.

[extracomputer.1]

Originally Posted by qz33

I didn't say you prefer, I said if you don't notice.

Nintendo makes primarily kiddy games for sure. But guess what the kiddy market is nothing to sneeze at even compared to adult market games. Plenty of old school hardcore gamers still adore Nintendo's stuff right alongside their mature games.

Even when MS and Sony try to tap the younger market, they can't touch Nintendo's numbers. There is no game developer that does not, including even MS and Sony themselves, envy Nintendo's success.

I can see that. They are definitely part of the big 3 so they are making good money. When it comes to the kiddy market I am sure they probably are leading as they are also cheaper which helps there. Who wants to buy their 7 year old kid a $600 toy and then have to spend another 80 for each game. The peeps who own it aren't hurting for cash anymore than Mr Bezo's is. Think its just how we were looking at the word "leader" differently. General Motors is certainly no leader....but not hurting for money either.

[Brandon]

Originally Posted by qz33

So no none of these licensors care financially about unlicensed recasts or customs. Nor does law enforcement. But their licensees sure do. It's also important to note this is in the aggregate here. No even other statue companies don't care about a custom Hulk statues with a 50 ES. But they sure do care about the unlevel playing field created by all the customs of all the characters as a whole as well as the factory time and resources taken up.

"Here I'd like to get a quote on getting my new piece produced. Oh what's that you're booked up? Hey what's all these you guys are working on now? Oh making unlicensed stuff? Oh I'll need to pay extra to get my piece within a year instead of 2?..."
"Hey I need a good sculptor, can you... Oh you're booked up? I asked my buddy at Sideshow and they said you weren't doing anything for them... Oh busy with independent work? How much to get this sculpted in 2 months?? That's 10K more than industry averages... "

If the licensees complain enough and the licensors don't take ANY kind of action it can put their trademarks in jeopardy. Licensees could produce statues while letting their licenses expire and argue "hey you are not taking any legal action there so you have no rights to take any here" And the risk is far greater than just these silly statues. If a business is not defending its trademarks in one particular industry their use across all industries is in jeopardy.

I can't imagine factories turning away major licensed companies in favor of small customs with low ES runs. If anything, it's probably the other way around.

I think the licensees still have the advantage, by a good margin too. I'd wager that the majority of collectors don't even partake in buying customs. There's just too many risks. Poor customer service, scammers who'll run off with deposits, bad quality, etc. I don't think customs present a threat to licensed companies, they simply fill in the gaps, IMO.

[qz33]

Originally Posted by Brandon

I can't imagine factories turning away major licensed companies in favor of small customs with low ES runs. If anything, it's probably the other way around.

I think the licensees still have the advantage, by a good margin too. I'd wager that the majority of collectors don't even partake in buying customs. There's just too many risks. Poor customer service, scammers who'll run off with deposits, bad quality, etc. I don't think customs present a threat to licensed companies, they simply fill in the gaps, IMO.

No they aren't turning licensees like Sideshow away. No matter what advantage licensed companies have they do not want unlicensed competition.

[extracomputer.1]

Originally Posted by Brandon

I can't imagine factories turning away major licensed companies in favor of small customs with low ES runs. If anything, it's probably the other way around.

I think the licensees still have the advantage, by a good margin too. I'd wager that the majority of collectors don't even partake in buying customs. There's just too many risks. Poor customer service, scammers who'll run off with deposits, bad quality, etc. I don't think customs present a threat to licensed companies, they simply fill in the gaps, IMO.

My thoughts exactly. For instance Hot Toys started out as illegitimate, they obviously have found if you are good at it then being licensed is much more lucrative. On the other hand if you don?t want to expand to that size then I can see doing customs but if your going that route do something different. Ie something no licensed one would do or maybe be allowed to do.