Copie of CAI`s work

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Ristridin
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Copie of CAI`s work

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ottoatm
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Post by ottoatm »

Although it is surely a direct copy, I think it's pretty cool to see it applied to a Scorpian theme... and the builder did a good job replacing the "bright and cheery" castle elements with "rough and gloomy" scorpian elements.

That aside, I'm pretty sure you're pointing this out because whoever built the scorpian gate didn't give credit to the first builder, which is right of you to do... hard to be sure why credit wasn't given, but that's definately not a good thing. :?
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Sir Brithead
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Post by Sir Brithead »

This post got me thinking. I looked up copyright in Wikipedia and reflected on what I think I learned in some Art classes but have some questions.

In Art classes we talked about taking a piece of art, like the Mona Lisa and I can change or add 14 things, maybe a moustache and new trees etc. and make it a "new" item and sell it as my own. If less than 13 it is still "the Orignal" and I can not.

Since this guy just changed the color scheme and built an almost replica all he has to do is say it is so and so's original idea and he is obsolved of any wrong doing? If he had changed a few more things would it be an issue?

What about the idea that everything gets input from other stuff we see, so I build a castle and get a Barbican Idea from here and a window and wall form there, do I need to site all the influences for stuff even though it looks nothing like any individual piece in the end?

Also, are all the shields and Torso in the how-to section in public domain? so anyone can use them and it is no biggie? Do i need to site where Demon Maw shields I use can from.

I am new to Posting Pix and Ideas online so how do you guys feel about this and what are the Laws? These two are different sometimes.
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Post by Dunechaser »

We recently had a lengthy discussion in the Administrative forum about issues of plagiarism, copyright, and usage licenses:

viewtopic.php?t=8815

My interpretation of this issue is that if one person copies a LEGO creation (not the picture, the creation itself) without attribution, it's certainly rude and constitutes a form of plagiarism, but it's not copyright infringement. Yeah, it's annoying, but it's not illegal and I've learned to take it as a sort of compliment. Copying my pictures, however, violates copyright law and is in fact illegal.
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Post by kelderic »

I agree that he should have given credit, but I also agree that it is interesting to see the design made with scorpian styles.

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Post by Jacob C. »

I have to admit, thats a very good copy!
The scorpion theme looks great with this.
Out of courtesy, the builder should have noted that this work was inspired by another builder's work.
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E of Alshire
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Post by E of Alshire »

I'm also thinking of the 14 points. While this is not particularly sportsmanly(LEGOmanly? Minifigurely?) of the builder, I can't fault him for this 'alternate rendition'. Also, I've noticed it takes quite a bit of work to copy something so accurately; almost as much work (to me, at least) as an original creation.

Just my two pence.
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CAI
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Post by CAI »

:shock: Wow, that's pretty good. Although...not as good as the original, in my opinion. :lol:

EDIT: Plus..I don't see Tom Bombadil there. Tom Bombadil made the moc. :D

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Spongey
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Post by Spongey »

Both the original and the copy are very well constructed. I think that it would be so much easier for him to just say "interpretation of CAI's work."
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Prince Imdol
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Post by Prince Imdol »

I would say since he built it with his own hands and did the work, AND added to it, we should not be complaining.
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Post by The Blue Knight »

This is an interesting topic that I must have missed. I love your original CAI (which I also missed apparently), and I agree that Bombadil makes the MOC. Was the original a scene from the books? I don't recognize it, but I haven't read the Adventures of Tom Bombadil either.

I think the "copy", although close, is different enough to escape direct plagarism. I think a "shout out" (using my kids' lingo) to CAI was called for, and shame upon the builder for not doing so.

Then again, there is another way to see this. It is the twin theories of concurrent design/concurrent evolution. I am building an Orthanc MOC for BrickFest. In the end I will have an enormous black tower. It will look similar to other Orthancs, but--yeah of course it will. Don't all the Helm's Deeps out there look similar, well, of course. The same might be said of conventional castle elements. Just how different will gatehouses always be? Yes they can be built very differently, but they can look very close, yet not be "copies." Have you ever built something, only to see an innovation on someone else's MOC that you thought was yours.

Thousands of AFOLs working on the same things will produce concurrent designs. If I make an Orthanc with a new twist, some German AFOL might be working on the same twist. Separate, yet concurrent. Remember how "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon", two comet/meteor-on-collision-course-with-earth movies came out within months of each other? Concurrent evolution works the same. Did you know that there are 39 different ways in which eyes were arrived at by natural selection? And yet they all work the same, and are not copies.

OK, having said all that, don't think I am defending this builder if he/she indeed copied CAI's MOC and didn't give proper credit. There is however the fractional chance that they were made concurrently. The thurst of my point is that this will come up again as two or more AFOLs produce MOCs of similar design and within a short period of each other, and each jockeys to have been the first and therefore get credit for whatever the new thingie is. It'll happen again. Pride is too much a part of humanity. I have trust in this community to be equitable when a real row sets in.
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engineerio
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Post by engineerio »

In my own opinion it would have been very polite to mention the inspirational piece. However, I would not want to discourage folks from getting ideas from someone else and putting their own twist to it. Thats Lego, Thats inspiration, and thats part of the fun of creating and learning! Its actually quite a compliment to see someone using another inspirational piece as a base for something else.

On another note, I do some graphic work and have read and article that said to avoid plagarism there must be a 10% difference from the original. This is quite subjective obviously, but just thought I'd throw it in...

Btw, both creations look great!

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CAI
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Post by CAI »

The Bombadil reference was a joke, like the cheery on top kinda thing. Oh well, I don't care if i'm credited or not. It's clearly and nearly a duplicate. I like the duplicate, the color choice is pretty good for an evil side.

Cheers.
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