I would like to resolve this using existing articles before resorting to making a new one because a lot of people feel that there are already too many articles in the UCM already. So let's see if this can be sorted using the existing rules, if we can't come to a resolution then I'll open it for voting.

I believe that kitbashes and custom-character repaints do not count under Article01 because you are essentially re-making a toy into a "new" toy. For example, if you were to modify a Universe Sideswipe into Universe Red Alert, that Universe Red Alert was not made under licence from HasTak. Therefore it does not count. The base toy Sideswipe was manufactured under licence, sure, but once it's modified into a "new" character like Red Alert, then you have re-made it into essentially a new toy-character which wasn't done under licence or with permission from HasTak.

If you repainted a toy to improve on it or touch it up, but still basically kept it as the same character, then that still counts because your modification isn't intended to deviate it away from its original character-intent. For example, when loophole repainted Universe Sunstreaker, it's still Universe Sunstreaker - just with a nicer paint job.

It all boils down to intent. If you modify a toy with the intention that it won't be the same character afterwards, then it is no longer that same toy-character.

That's how I see it anyway... again, if you think that's too ambiguous and would rather see this issue put the poll then I'll go ahead and do it.