--- In SkunkworksAMA_at_y..., "Martin Gerlach" <martin_at_g...> wrote:
> >
> > At 06:53 PM 9/2/2002 +0000, mjriv1 wrote:
> > >I just found a fair number of pics on VCL of this character named
> Jade.
> >
> >http://vcl.ctrl-c.liu.se/vcl/Artists/Martin-Gerlach/Jade%20-%20Colour%2
> 0drawings/Jade_-
> > _My_First.gif
> > >Is it just me or does it look an awful lot like someone else we know
> here?
> >
> > .....
> > Sooooooo.... let's go off on a bandwagon and rip a furry artist a new
> > hole, huh? There are a couple of things to consider here before you
> jump
> > in with the lynch mob.
> >
> > 1: See:
> >
> http://vcl.ctrl-c.liu.se/vcl/Artists/Martin-Gerlach/Notes%20from%20the%
> > 20Artist/J._M._Hardiman_problems.txt
> >
> > You're not the first to notice the similarities.
> >
> > Even see:
> >
> http://vcl.ctrl-c.liu.se/vcl/Artists/Martin-Gerlach/Notes%20from%20the%2
> 0Artist/Bio_-
> > _Jade_Lee_Green.txt
> >
> > Where he admits plainly that he used ideas from Jim's pages for the
> > creation of that document.
> >
> > 2: Characters cannot, and never have been able to be copyrighted. You
> > cannot say "So and So is copyright to me." You can only say "This
> PICTURE
> > I created of So and So is copyright to me." The only thing that can be
> > done to a character itself is be trademarked. So, unless our lovely
> > lizardess by Jim is trademarked, there is no legal foul.
> >
> > 3: Okay, now that we have decided that most likely (Unless Jim has a
> > trademark), there is nothing illegal going on here, it's a simple
> matter of
> > the fact that this is, technically, a different character. I hate to
> say
> > it, but no matter how popular, or how unpopular an artist or idea is,
> no
> > matter how original something seems, somebody else has probably done
> it
> > before, or will do it in the future without ever having seen any other
> > copies of such a thing.
> >
> > If somebody can show me that Jim is hurt in some way by these
> pictures,
> > then by all means, ask the person nicely to stop. But for gods sake,
> > people, don't form a lynch mob without reason! Parallel ideas happen.
> I
> > have a character who is a winged mostly-fox. Does that mean I should
> go
> > out and scream at everybody else who draws anything even remotely
> similar
> > to that, under different names, and accuse them of copying me? Um,
> > No. Doug Winger draws busty vixens. Should we scream at everybody who
> > draws a busty vixen and accuse them of copying Doug Winger?
> >
> > What I see at this point is an artist who put a lot of effort into
> drawing
> > pictures, was very pleased with them, and then discovered "Ah, gee,
> some
> > other artist has a named character who resembles mine." When you can
> find
> > BETTER evidence of copying than "His Lizard kinda looks like it could
> look
> > like this other lizard."... And I mean: "He traced." or "He
> plagiarized.",
> > not "His character looks like this other one."... When you can present
> > that, I am all for smacking the person with a clue by four.
> >
> > Until then, there is no legal ground for being upset at him (Unless,
> again,
> > Jim has a trademark), and DEFINITELY no moral ground for chasing a
> furry
> > artist out of the fandom.
> >
> > We have lost enough artists due to stupid crap, we have a lot of
> excellent
> > artists who will never draw a furry thing again, and a lot of
> disheartened
> > artists. And do you know why? It's because some fans do extremely
> stupid
> > things. The fans themselves are smart, but they end up doing something
> not
> > too brilliant, and chasing away another part of what creates this
> > fandom. And when you've chased all the artists away, whatchya gonna
> do?
> >
> > So lay off. Get better evidence. Show me that Jim has a trademark.
> Show
> > me that this guy physically copied. Otherwise, chill.
> >
> > *Drags his soap box away grumbling... Geeze, this group seriously
> loves
> > lynch mobs. Think we could take joy in doing something OTHER than
> ripping
> > entrails from people in the misguided name of justice?*
> >
> > Signing under his REAL name, because he considers this serious,
> >
> > David Parenteau
> >
> >
> As I have been saying all the time... I created Jade even before I new
> anything about J.M. Hardiman or Des... I think thay are great artists
> and that is why I joined their groups...
> but I still created Jade before I ever saw a Anthropomorphic Lizard
> (well. I saw one that Max BR had made some time back: Lizard-Beth - But
> tats all).
>
> Red the documents before you start judgeing people...
>
> Martin Gerlach (And thanks to David Parenteau for you help in this the
> second round of: Kick out another furry-artist)...
>
> _______________________________________________________________
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> <http://www.NamePlanet.com>
Read the post again CAREFULLY!!!!
It does NOT accuse anyone of art theft. I simply observed that it
reminded me of a character on these pages.
But it seems that everyone else here is ready to point fingers MY way
and claim things I did not say. So much for objectivety and rational
discussion. It seems the lynch mob has already been formed and they
have renedred a verdict against me where I was unaware there was even
a trial.
I thank you all for your clear understanding and shall not trouble
this forum with posts in the future. I will speak to JH via email
where I can be assuerd of a civilized answer or comment.
Yes the case is closed for I will not remain to further respond to
false accusations and slander by those who do not first make sure of
their facts.
Mike
Received on Mon Sep 02 2002 - 13:30:04 CDT