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Copyright issues!!

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Copyright issues!!

is it ok to lets say "borrow" a style of a character e,g shape of head, clothes and another features but not steal its origin and story from what the character came from.
i want to pick out an alien feature in this character ( Aikka below)in oban star-racers and create an entire race of them using his ears.

i will post my designs using his ears later on.

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I think you asked the same question about the same charcaters some weeks ago. My answer is still the same, don't copy copyrighted material. You can give your own characters all the pointy ears you want to, of course.

Gray zone. Is it dark enough for someone to come after you? Depends on how much and what you steal. If you completely rip off a character, that is clearly not OK (even if you remain under the radar). If you palette shift a character and add a few extra features you are probably OK. Maybe?

If you really feel like walking in the gray zone, you'll to have your own sense of where the line is. You won't know where the really is unless you cross it, and then it's too late.

-Brendan

You'll definitely want to go further afield than Warner Brothers did in the 30's...

I'd recommend drawing up what you have in mind and then posting them side by side so we can see just how close they are. I bet as you draw it, you'll end up with your own treatment that might make it different enough.

I think if you have to ask "is this too close to such and such style/character?" the answer is prolly yes.

You'll definitely want to go further afield than Warner Brothers did in the 30's...

For those of us interested in animation history....

*double take*

Could you please explain?

If you're just using the style of ears, I'd say you're totally safe.

For those of us interested in animation history....

*double take*

Could you please explain?

Haredevil can probably give you the most detail on the subject, but here's the reader's digest version:

Mickey was hugely popular in the late 20's/early 30's, and other studios were anxious to get in on the action. Warner's entry was Foxy, a Mickey clone with pointy rounded ears, a bushy tail, and spats. While they knocked off the look, the cartoons didn't catch on and only three were released. The first, "Lady Play Your Mandolin" is actually a lot of fun, and the second "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile" contributes it's title tune five decades later to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." "Smile" also manages to borrow heavily from both Disney's "Trolley Troubles" and the Toonerville Trolley cartoons. Significantly redesigned versions of Foxy and Roxy (the Minnie clone) appeared in an episode of Tiny Toons in the 80's, along with a new version of my favorite little known Warner's character, Goopy Gear.

Here's a Toonzone entry and a Wikipedia entry on Foxy - an interesting footnote in animation history.

thank u all 4 ure comments, i will upload my designs very soon 2 hear ure verdict on them:)

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Thanks DSB!

Interesting that they say the revised designs were a step to Animaniacs and Rob Paulsen was one of the voices. I guess they liked the fit =)

Anyone else think the Bosko/Honey episode of Tiny Toons was one of the coolest? That's right up there with Luck of the Fryrish on Futurama for me ;)

Alien character

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IMO, you're good to go. The color palette, line weight, shadowing (or lack of), and amount of detail are all very different. I'd say the eyes and ears give a nod to the other style, but are still different enough.

If you were looking to make them different, then I think you've succeeded.

Other opinions?

I'd say if you have to ask the question, you know where your inspiration came from. You may not have a problem with this character but try that with Mickey, and you may find yourself in court. It's best to go totally new.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

so you stole the ears... so what? i don't think it's abig deal. artists borrow stuff from each other all the time. you can probably find more examples of ears like that if you look hard enough. it's just ears. no big deal