Hot Toys Issues Infringement Notice

Collector Freaks Forum

Help Support Collector Freaks Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

guy66657

Super Freak
Joined
Mar 14, 2012
Messages
5,791
Reaction score
83
Location
Palos Verdes, California
16836297_10154246805382344_4400007205725260084_o.jpg






The post title and the image they posted says it all. I wonder if this means they're gonna start cracking down on all the bootleg figures from One Sixth Kit and other stores like the New Avengers Scarlet Witch, Civil War Bucky, and especially that new Punisher we've seen.
 
The way I see it is if they don't like others making these items, then thry should shut up and make them better themselves. Punisher is the prime example here but a civvie Bucky from HT would sell like gangbusters.
 
It's not that simple. These other companies don't have to to pay for licenses nor do they have to have approvals or go through the approval process. And it wouldn't matter if hot toys did makeover of them, if the others where cheaper people would still buy them.

The xmen figures are perfect examples of how it's not simple. Hot toys can't legally make most of them due to actor likeness rights for many main characters yet they are being made.

There's also straight knockoffs or recasts, like the stark heads or groot or iron man or hulk. And people buy these and some even contact hot toys customer service to complain about the quality.
 
I do hope if they start cracking down on figures it will be ones that they have, or will, produce - like Punisher, New Avengers SW, etc - and not figures like AC Play's CW civvies Avengers, and others that Hot Toys won't ever produce. I understand the reasoning and they're totally justified if they crack down on them, but it would admittedly suck to lose a range of must have/wanted figures that Hot Toys would never dream of producing. Like Johnny Utah said - civvies Bucky would sell if Hot Toys just made him themselves.
 
I ordered the AC Play civvies Bucky out of desperation. If Hot Toys doesn't want knock-offs, they should make 'em themselves :dunno
I'd have killed for a civvie CW Hot Toys Bucky, but they'd rather do more Iron Men :lol
 
I think they only have standing to make a claim on properties for which they hold the licence. So then that goes to the extent of the licensing agreement. Are they licensed to make ANY Bucky? Or just combat Bucky?

And i didnt see it, but what are they going to do about it? It's not like these retailers are hiding. Theyre out there in plain site.
 
Bureaucratic garbage.
As a collector I only care about the freedom of choice.
If I can buy "recast" of a HT figure with Star Ace quality but for $70 less then I'll do just that.

And i didnt see it, but what are they going to do about it?
Nothing. It's just BS for clueless geeks.
 
What abou things beyond figures? The kryptonite spear? The deadpool robe? Do they hold a license for things like that? What about characters or things not even in the movie- like Dogpool, or lady deadpool?

And isnt this like a bit like asking the addict to report the dealer? This is crap we all want. Or at least want the option to buy. It's stuff HT will never make.

I do get their point on counterfeit stuff- knock offs. The rest of it is a massive legal grey zone.
 
It's not that simple. These other companies don't have to to pay for licenses nor do they have to have approvals or go through the approval process. And it wouldn't matter if hot toys did makeover of them, if the others where cheaper people would still buy them.

The xmen figures are perfect examples of how it's not simple. Hot toys can't legally make most of them due to actor likeness rights for many main characters yet they are being made.

There's also straight knockoffs or recasts, like the stark heads or groot or iron man or hulk. And people buy these and some even contact hot toys customer service to complain about the quality.

So why don't HT make McKellen's Magneto or James Marsden's Cyclops? They have both approved official figures numerous times before. We know Fassbender and Lawrence are pricks for merchandise of their characters. There's been figures of Katniss Everdeen but not Mystique because she doesn't want to see little girls with naked blue dollies going around. We have figures of David from Prometheus and Aguilar from Assassin's Creed but no Magneto from 3 films because likeness rights were part of his contract for the first two films I mentioned. I stand by my statement. HT announced they are making figures from the X-Men trilogy back in 2009. But that was before the MCU really took off. Back then it was only Iron Man 1. They could and and probably still can make figures of certain characters from those films but choose instead to do what we're all currently frustrated with. I'm not overly bothered because I like Marvel and DC as much as the next man but the original X-Men films are a license to print money. It's just a shame bootleggers are the only ones that see that. I have no sympathy for a huge company crying over people capitalising on an opportunity in the marketplace.
 
As far as I'm concerned, HT can shove their infringement notice where it's dark and hot.

If they had reasonable prices, people wouldn't have to buy KO items and would gladly buy originals. So they made their own mess, let them drown in it!
 
So why don't HT make McKellen's Magneto or James Marsden's Cyclops? They have both approved official figures numerous times before. We know Fassbender and Lawrence are pricks for merchandise of their characters. There's been figures of Katniss Everdeen but not Mystique because she doesn't want to see little girls with naked blue dollies going around. We have figures of David from Prometheus and Aguilar from Assassin's Creed but no Magneto from 3 films because likeness rights were part of his contract for the first two films I mentioned. I stand by my statement. HT announced they are making figures from the X-Men trilogy back in 2009. But that was before the MCU really took off. Back then it was only Iron Man 1. They could and and probably still can make figures of certain characters from those films but choose instead to do what we're all currently frustrated with. I'm not overly bothered because I like Marvel and DC as much as the next man but the original X-Men films are a license to print money. It's just a shame bootleggers are the only ones that see that. I have no sympathy for a huge company crying over people capitalising on an opportunity in the marketplace.

and just to add to this. I don't understand how someone can argue/defend issues for a company that they have nothing to do with on any level whatsoever.
 
Last edited:
Dear Hot Toys,

As a responsible consumer, I would be delighted and obliged to provide information pertaining to possible infringement of Hot Toys products. This, is after all, for the benefit of the consumers and to ensure we get the highest quality products and the widest of selections.

I would also like to use the opportunity to thank Hot Toys for the myriad of of licenses, and to have always release products in such a timely manner that I never felt like I'm waiting for my next Hot Toys. I also express my gratitude towards Hot Toys your excellent action towards customer feedback- it seems that every major complaint about a figure was addressed in the next release.

I do feel like I'm living in an alternate dimension, but hey- I made you read this.

Sincerely,

Rook.
 
Looking from a different perspective im sure there are ppl who bought what they thought was a legit HT item only to open the box and find something inferior. For those ppl this might seem attractive as an avenue of recourse.
 
Bureaucratic garbage.
As a collector I only care about the freedom of choice.
If I can buy "recast" of a HT figure with Star Ace quality but for $70 less then I'll do just that.


Nothing. It's just BS for clueless geeks.

And as a business they care about protecting the things they make.

If people are casting their sculpts (have no idea why you're using speech marks around it), then they're infringing on so many things, least of all just flat out copying another artists work whom is employed by Hot Toys.

Of course as a collector you only care about how cheap it is, and if so buy something that isn't a recast that reflects the cheaper quality. Casting and rescultping certain parts or not and then just doing a new paint app doesn't make it their sculpt.

In the end it just makes you clueless to how it's stealing other artist's works, and blinding you from that just because it's cheaper and you feel entitled to have Hot Toy's quality by having their work stolen and sold to you at a cheaper price.
 
As far as I'm concerned, HT can shove their infringement notice where it's dark and hot.

If they had reasonable prices, people wouldn't have to buy KO items and would gladly buy originals. So they made their own mess, let them drown in it!

Their products are mass produced art works, I'm pretty sure they can price it however they want - you don't need these, you just want them. If you can't afford them don't get them, bloody hell people in this hobby are so entitled.
 
Looking from a different perspective im sure there are ppl who bought what they thought was a legit HT item only to open the box and find something inferior. For those ppl this might seem attractive as an avenue of recourse.
Yeah, protecting consumers from knockoffs is always good, but in the past-unlicensed Naked Snake figure being one example-Hot Toys didn't have the wherewithal to enforce unlicensed competition to licensed product. And in Asia, intellectual property laws aren't Enforced very strongly. So, probably not going to amount to much.

If this does go beyond knockoffs and recasting, there is also a lot of hypocrisy, of course. That's how HT got off the ground!
 
I love the comments on that post. It's mostly people firing back at them on quality control and prices.

I'm not surprised though, they did get too greedy. Back in 2011 I paid $199.99 for a HT Iron Man and now days, it cost $359.99 for one... a hike that is hardly justifiable.
 
Back
Top