Full-body costume puppets

[Puppetplanet]

MAN! I need an attorney just to talk on MC! ****..... just kidding guys!

 

[Blink]

You mentioned my Bear Town thing and the main "bad guy" character is a white polar bear named Big Bear which I've had in place (and in use) for many years. Awhile back, Steve Axtell's company started selling a white polar bear puppet named, yup, Big Bear. Now technically I could have a made a huge issue out of this - a case could probably be made that there could be confusion in the puppet market - but that would be silly. The name "Big Bear" is sort of generic and a white polar character is not exactly original (Steve btw is a very good guy and I'm sure was totally unaware of my Big Bear when that product came out).

Just a question. How could there be "confusion in the puppet market" if your character was from "a crude version of Bear Town" that you had done back in your student film days? Doesn't your character have to be recognizable? If your puppet character hasn't had any (or much) exposure (especially in the puppet martket) how could there be confusion?

I was just thinking, if Steve Axtell's bear becomes recognizable as "Big Bear", then if you put out Bear-Town, could he say that you are the one causing confusion in the puppet market?

I think it is a good point. Those two alien puppets you had me make for you three years ago (that you never paid me for or paid back material you "borrowed"), those character designs I ran across a year later. Your designs were clearly taken from a "how to draw cartoons" book. The design was exactly the same (except for the lack of ears). Now that company could have argued copyright violations, becasue the book was published, but if I were to do a small student film that few people have seen, what legal actions would I really have. No one would be confused about my character, because it has not been exposed enough.

I don not know as much about copyright laws as you appear to, so these points are open ideas.

- Blink

 

[Beebers]

Stop attacking Buck. Anyone who's doing it. *steps in, lands big fat right hook, returns to sandbox*. Really. I mean it. Buck's integrity brings considerable value to this forum. Agree to disagree, without attacking.

 

[Blink]

Stop attacking Buck. *steps in, lands big fat right hook, returns to sandbox*. Really. I mean it. Buck's integrity brings considerable value to this forum. Agree to disagree, without attacking.

I would like to make it clear that my points are not an attack. My points are all valid and my questions deserve a response. Please Beebers, with all due respect, I am guessing that I know Buck much better than you do (unless you are a friend of his living in the GTA). I have worked with him professionally (puppeteering), I have been hired to build for him and I have even been to his house. I am not going to talk about Buck's integrity (because this is not what this is all about).

I agree that Buck does offer lots of information to this forum. I am not agreeing or disagreeing, I am making points and asking questions. Which is what this forum is about.

So Beebers, "punches" are a little much.

- Blink

 

[Beebers]

Eeeet was zee euphemism, lol.

 

[Puppetplanet]

I totally agree with Beepers...... you could have brought up an example or stated your question without making a pathetic attempt at trying to attack Bucks ethics and personal relationship with you.... regardless of how many times you've seen his house, built with him, or how long you've known him.

 

[Beebers]

Ditto to zee ditto lol. Rubber chicken, anyone?

 

[Blink]

I totally agree with Beepers...... you could have brought up an example or stated your question without making a pathetic attempt at trying to attack Bucks ethics and personal relationship with you.... regardless of how many times you've seen his house, built with him, or how long you've known him.

It is all relevent (to who was saying it). Why not make my point with my own personal perspective/experiences? If Buck is going to talk about copyrights, why not have him relate it to his experiences? What would be pathetic, would be for me to be indirect and say "A friend of a friend of mine copied a character..blah..blah..blah". Like I said it is relevent to who was saying it.

The point about Buck not paying me was relevent to the context of the alien puppets (for me), it is the truth and is something that he himself has acknowledged (indirectly). This is not directly about Buck's ethics...and on this issue you have very little of the background (or at least there is more than you probably realize).

But back to the point...if someone does not have a character that is recognizable, then do they have much of a leg to stand on?

*pathetically attempts to bow to pressure*

If "a friend of a friend of mine" created a character and then I found out that a book company had printed this same character before this person had designed it, then how would that legally change the positions of this person from if the book had come out after he had designed the character?

Does he (or anyone for that matter) have a strong legal position to sue if that character is not recognizable?


- Blink

 

[Puppetplanet]

The fact that you even mention Buck having not paid you for work, or for materials that you quoted as being "borrowed" has nothing to do with the subject.

It would appear, from an outside perspective, that you saw this thread as a good opportunity for you to try and broadcast your frustration with some personal business between you and buck..... It doesn't require much "background" on the subject matter to see that. I do believe that is why Beepers and Myself feel that you were attacking someone that we both respect.

Your opinion on the matter would not have sacrificed strength or value had you left the personal "dig" about Buck out of it. I think your smart enough to know that, but maybe you just wanted to TRY and manipulate us into thinking that the comments and naming names were required in order to make us understand your point??? RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

 

[Blink]

The fact that you even mention Buck having not paid you for work, or for materials that you quoted as being "borrowed" has nothing to do with the subject.

It would appear, from an outside perspective, that you saw this thread as a good opportunity for you to try and broadcast your frustration with some personal business between you and buck..... It doesn't require much "background" on the subject matter to see that. I do believe that is why Beepers and Myself feel that you were attacking someone that we both respect.

Your opinion on the matter would not have sacrificed strength or value had you left the personal "dig" about Buck out of it. I think your smart enough to know that, but maybe you just wanted to TRY and manipulate us into thinking that the comments and naming names were required in order to make us understand your point??? RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

As I stated earlier it was relevant to the alien puppets as they related to myself and Buck. If you look closely at the post I was directly speaking to Buck. The fact that I have been on this board for years and I have never said anything about Buck is proof that if I had wanted this to be about Buck, I could have done it many times and long ago.

I had thoughts that I felt compelled to raise with Buck regarding the topic that I had been reading about, and I did. It is great that Buck has people who respect him so much. That aside, my points were valid in the context that they were directed to Buck. I was NOT trying to manipulate you or Beepers, especially since my points were not about how you did or did not take them, I was clarifying. My original point was made to Buck, it was valid and truthful. If you don't like it when people raise truthful and relvant points about people you respect (if they are not glowing praises) then you are setting yourself up to be disappointed.

I have explained this point way too much and we are now way off topic. I think I made my point in the last post without offending. So can we get back on topic?

- Blink