Do we really need to weed out the bad in every Dino toy company?

[Hynerpeton]

 I don't think its right either. Its just the approach some of you have. That is what is sickening.

[Yutyrannus]

My personal choice, I will be boycotting Geoworld.

I'm a total noob to this forum so I'm not sure how you all work, but if the Forum as a whole decides to boycott Geoworld, and the Forum sends an email to Geoworld to say that they are being boycotted - with reasons and examples why this is happening - then I am more than happy to have my name on the letter, along with any other people who feel the same way.

Good idea! Count me in!

[Manatee]

I also agree that criticizing a newcomer such as Rebor in the way that we did were too harsh, and I generally avoid doing so to companies (I generally reserve it for young-earth creationists and people like Feduccia with irritatingly horrible theories). However, Geoworld is doing nothing short of plagiarism, and we certainly have every right to jump on them about it.

[Hynerpeton]

Now tell us "Truthful" would you say this, what you say on the forum to the company directly?

[CityRaptor]

Do they have a forum?

[tyrantqueen]

Now tell us "Truthful" would you say this, what you say on the forum to the company directly?

Yup. No doubt in my mind. If you have their email address I'll do it right now in fact.

What do I have to fear? I'm not the one who has been stealing copyrighted works, they are.

I'm sure many others here would feel the same.

[Yutyrannus]

Now tell us "Truthful" would you say this, what you say on the forum to the company directly?

Yup. No doubt in my mind. If you have their email address I'll do it right now in fact.

What do I have to fear? I'm not the one who has been stealing copyrighted works, they are.

I'm sure many others here would feel the same.

Yes, I would as well. They're thieves, they steal other artists work and pass it off as their own (and that is truly the nicest thing I can say about them at this point).

EDIT: In fact, does anyone have their email?

[brandem]

Hold on, geoworld s.r.l. probably employs a few thousand people, and probably a talented few sculptors and artist as well, to suggest a boycott of the company could hurt everyone involved from top to bottom when the alleged guilty parties that would have been involved in the decision making process are just a handful of people in the middle.  What we have are allegations that have no legal standing at this time. I'd like to see this play out first before we condem a whole company for what could possibly be the fault of one lazy art department.

[Gwangi]

I don't think its right either. Its just the approach some of you have. That is what is sickening.

I don't understand how anything we've done can be seen as "sickening". Geoworld is making money, no doubt a large sum while using OTHER peoples artwork without compensating them or even asking for their permission. That's just wrong, any way you cut it. They have to answer for that.

[SBell]

Hold on, geoworld s.r.l. probably employs a few thousand people, and probably a talented few sculptors and artist as well, to suggest a boycott of the company could hurt everyone involved from top to bottom when the alleged guilty parties that would have been involved in the decision making process are just a handful of people in the middle.  What we have are allegations that have no legal standing at this time. I'd like to see this play out first before we condem a whole company for what could possibly be the fault of one lazy art department.

Agreed. No one knows what happened at the company--did a third party contract out for the art, and then find it? Did Dr. Steve find pictures online that he liked? Did a site gather images and sell them as royalty-free after minor alterations? So much could go wrong--while I'm not impressed with the optics of the situation (hence my ambivalence about carrying the products), we really shouldn't go full-Internet here and start condemning and boycotting until facts are available and assessed. How many other band wagons are jumped on these days, only to prove either fruitless or misguided?

[tyrantqueen]

I know that one of the artists who was ripped off (Vladimir Nikolov) confirmed that his artwork was used without permission. I believe he has tried to email the company but I don't know how much further he got than that. Does anyone know anything else?

[Gwangi]

I can't really boycott the company because I don't buy their products anyway! The only model I have is the Troodon (which I plan on reviewing incidentally) which I got secondhand from Takama. I do agree however that we need more information regarding the particulars before getting too carried away but certainly a few forum members "boycotting" the company won't amount to much. It all depends on how far people are willing to take this. The average person who buys these models is completely clueless or just wouldn't care enough. Look how long it took us to figure this out! So as it stands I'm not worried about people losing their jobs or the company going under or anything that dramatic. It will take legal action and/or a larger boycott than the forum membership here is capable of for that to happen. If some of our members don't want to buy Geoworld based on their personal principles I can't fault them for that.

[amanda]

I don't think its right either. Its just the approach some of you have. That is what is sickening.

But your viewpoint is seemingly colored by the fact that you like these models, and want them, just as you wish to defend the buying of knock-offs. If Geoworld is intentionally doing this, then yes they ought be held accountable. And yes I'd happily tell them so. To their faces, yes. E-mailing seems to have availed the wronged artists little. No vulgarity has been used here. Negative viewpoints surely, but nothing sickening. You have to understand that to most of us, this whole situation is sickening.

Actually, given a chance to speak my mind in person I'd be likely to be a lot more "colorful" in expressing my opinion.

[Pinkamena]

I don't think its right either. Its just the approach some of you have. That is what is sickening.

But your viewpoint is seemingly colored by the fact that you like these models, and want them, just as you wish to defend the buying of knock-offs. If Geoworld is intentionally doing this, then yes they ought be held accountable. And yes I'd happily tell them so. To their faces, yes. E-mailing seems to have availed the wronged artists little. No vulgarity has been used here. Negative viewpoints surely, but nothing sickening. You have to understand that to most of us, this whole situation is sickening.

I don't understand what is 'sickening' either  Geoworld is stealing artists work. If I or anyone else wish to boycott them on principal, then surely we have the right to do that? Yes some of the models are nice, one or two I would like, but I won't be buying them unless Geoworld can show they are not plagiarizing anyone. This could all be a mistake of one lazy person in an art department, or it could be someone told to go online and find some pretty pictures to edit and use. We don't know. But as has been said, a few people boycotting on principal isn't going to amount to much, unless a Geoworld rep pops online and sees the thread and takes it onboard. Which I guess is possible.

[Gwangi]

Keep in mind that it is not just the artwork being ripped off, some of the models themselves are ripped off of other models or artwork (like the Troodon) so just blaming the art department won't work. Someone sculpted some of these models while looking at other sculpts from other companies, or artwork from a particular artist. I find it difficult to believe that the sculptors were using certain material as a reference without knowing if the original artist was consulted at all but who knows.

EDIT: Not trying to open a can of worms here but how do people feel about Papo? Aside from copying JP material they're now using Sideshow as a reference point for their work. The Carnotaurus is like a mini-me clone of the Sideshow model. How do members feel about this?

[Hynerpeton]

How about saying it to them nicely? May get somewhere. Instead of being rude or which ever you call it.

[Yutyrannus]

How about saying it to them nicely? May get somewhere. Instead of being rude or which ever you call it.

You want us to tell them nicely that they're stealing other artists work? I'm just not even going to post in this thread anymore because I feel quite certain that I will eventually say something that will get me banned.

[brandem]

I know that one of the artists who was ripped off (Vladimir Nikolov) confirmed that his artwork was used without permission. I believe he has tried to email the company but I don't know how much further he got than that. Does anyone know anything else?

I've seen the work in question and the scan, while I would be super surprised if it wasn't used as a point of reference I don't see what the artist suggests is evidence of photoshopping, I would want to see and overlay of the trouble areas before I could say for certain myself. He shouldn't be trying to contact them himself though, he should get together with a few other artist that suspect their work has been stolen and have a lawyer draw up a cease and desist letter.

[amanda]

How about saying it to them nicely? May get somewhere. Instead of being rude or which ever you call it.

Apparently some artists tried that approach via e-mail and were never responded to. So, I figure bets are off.

Papo's Carno to me does not look like a full on copy.They certainly use JP as a reference point, but then much paleo art does. I don't see it as blatant as Geo, but it is iffy at times. Of Course, for the JP references may be tacitly approved, we dunno. I think the new Dilophosaurus does not remind me that much of Sideshow. On the fence about them. But Geo is stealing the art and images wholesale. Papo does make some alterations here and there.But, to be fair, Papo has been criticised for this many times on this forum. It is not like we have turned a blind eye, the similarities, "inspirations" whatever you call it have been repeatedly mentioned.

[tyrantqueen]

EDIT: Not trying to open a can of worms here but how do people feel about Papo? Aside from copying JP material they're now using Sideshow as a reference point for their work. The Carnotaurus is like a mini-me clone of the Sideshow model. How do members feel about this?

I don't care for it, and I would frown upon it, but it's not as bad as outright bootlegging. There is still some originality in there, even if it's only a little.

You want us to tell them nicely that they're stealing other artists work? I'm just not even going to post in this thread anymore because I feel quite certain that I will eventually say something that will get me banned.

Indeed, sugar coat it all you want, but at the end of the day it is what it is: theft.

I think we should try and hunt down as many artists as possible who have been ripped off, and notify them all. I might start with emailing Brett Booth.