So your argument is that it should be legal because it only looks like something else, or because it has impressive engineering behind it? Or are you arguing that the term "knock off" shouldn't be used and that we should refer to it as a "lookalike" instead?

'Cause I gotta tell you... those are terrible arguments, and the latter is hugely pedantic.

Azalea et'al won't help your cause. Everyone* - even the people who design and/or manufacture them - knows those designs aren't legal anywhere that IP can be enforced. Impressive, sure, but not legal.

*Not actually everyone. There will be those who genuinely don't know, and those who try to justify it to themselves (and others) for inexplicable reasons.

 

No, the moral of the story is that Flames Toys invested money in acquiring the Transformers license and developing an original design for their figure and they have every right to stop people who are trying too copy that design (and the fact that this figure seemingly transforms doesn't change anything).

 

Depends upon where you are. They're legal to produce and purchase in China, where IP protections don't really exist. But you're likely in the US, where both the production and sale (I'm unsure about purchase) is flat out illegal. That nothing has been done about your domestic retailers yet likely has more to do with where the money is leading your authorities.

And it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have a collection of lookalikes, knock-offs (aka Replicas), and counterfeits, in and among my genuine HasTak figures. It also doesn't bother me if you want to argue semantics between a lookalike and a knock-off, but it certainly seems to bother you that other people don't appreciate the difference, yet somehow you're allowed to not understand the reality.

PS A knock-off, legally, doesn't have to be an exact copy. That's a counterfeit. A knock-off just has to be made in the image of an existing product in order to play off its popularity, while typically omitting branding.

 

They all look like they belong in the Bumblebee Movie universe next to TW Freedom Leader

 

What’s the latest updates on this exciting release?

 

Mate you missed the C&D letter sent out by FlameToys to these guys?

Unless they get creative and sell it in 2 parts or lay low and release it after a good while, it doesn't look promising.

 

Based on how they murdered the Tarn KO and their recent statement on this figure, I think Flame Toys killed it.

 

Darn it.  welp, time to boycott Flame Toys then.

 

Say, what's your home addy? Oh, and don't bother locking your doors, since you obviously don't give a shit if your stuff gets stolen.

 

It’s too bad they didn’t have a little more imagination and after everse engineering resculpt it to an original design. Looking at the alt-mode, the designer should be talented enough!

 

Exactly for me a valid reason. But to each their own.

 

Yes. Such a wasted opportunity. I'd be hoping for this release to be redesigned and tweaked so that it could circumvent any legal loopholes brought about by Flame Toys..

 

The guy never owns a single Flame Toys figure. He's been "boycotting" Flame Toys since the beginning  

 

Most likely laying low for now. That and focusing on getting their BB Starscream figure out first, probably.

 

sure as hell hope this thing is gonna show up at some point, tired of flame toys' overpriced bullshit
pre orders on show z store are still open so guess it could still happen

 

Did this turn into Wonderful-Trans WT02 Sky Atlas. They Look identical.

 

Yes.