It's a bit easier to understand when you try thinking about it without the strawman arguments.
I imagine I'd probably have a bit more consideration for Hasbro's copyright if 1: they hadn't started the franchise by buying up a bunch of Japanese toys and reselling them under a different label, 2: they actually catered to the high-end fan market themselves (seriously, the market's there and they're largely choosing to ignore it - you can call it entitlement if you want, personally I see it more as consumers voting with their wallets), and 3: if they didn't happily skirt copyright themselves via the same 'similar but legally distinct' tricks for their own products when it's convenient for them, such as the alt-modes for Classicsverse Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. If HTT is down with doing it for their own products, I hardly think it's reasonable to condemn 3PP companies and/or fans for doing it to them. Legally most well-regarded 3PP companies manage to skate the thin line between 'resembles' and 'infringes on copyright', while "morally" (if you're into that sort of thing) they're just as guilty of said offense as 3PPs are. Knock-offs, those are kind of a different story IMO, but we don't seem to be talking about them here.
Add to all that the fact that - for my part at least - it's not costing HTT sales, inasmuch as I'll still happily buy official TFs that tickle my fancy just as I'll happily buy unofficial non-TFs that get my interest, and somehow I just can't quite find the energy for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth I'm apparently supposed to be doing on behalf of poor, violated HasTakTom.
Originally Posted by Ode to a Grasshopper
It's a bit easier to understand when you try thinking about it without the strawman arguments.
Reply With Quote