Because it's not nice? People do get attached to their dogs, especially a custom dog. And then they find out someone copied it? Thats not the nicest feeling =/<br /> <br /> I don't think people should get in trouble for coping a dog, but i do think that it should be shunned. Because stealing just isn't nice.

My moral point of view on it is due to the legality. I very frequently disagree with a lot of laws, but as far as art and design goes, these days, it matched up pretty well with my own views.<br /> <br /> Simply, Robyn owns Alacrity's art, so there's no quibbling over that. And as far as an "original design"? There's really no such thing because every component of the design is fully open to be used by someone else. It takes no genuine imagination. It's just these markings, open to every player on the site, stacked in certain ways and set to certain opacities. To try and lay claim on that strikes me as bizarre. <br /> <br /> That's why I never participate in these "pay me to design a custom" threads. And if you were to ask me to, you'd better bet I might use that design later if I want to. Just because I throw some markings everyone can use down on a template, absolutely does not mean I'm saying "I totally won't use this later because this is absolutely original © you."<br /> <br /> Also, Nals: You can't copywrite Ala designs. You can't copywrite any character design, ever. You trademark them, and that costs a lot of money. That isn't the point I'm trying to make in this message, either, before someone focuses on it.

You designed a dog, then sell the pattern. Someone buys it. The design is theirs and no one will ever have to take it away from them again, unless that someone sells it again, which the copyright can be passed down, because alongside the ownership of the design is the copyright that the design is theirs. :3 There may be the problem of the art being owned by ADprogramming, LLC, but the <i>design itself</i> is what I want to make a point on. Not the art(the drawing itself). But I think this art should stay here on Ala, although there may be 'reneditions' of the design, such as drawings and other art on other sites, but the design stays with the owner unless sold all over again. :3

I feel it is more of a respect thing than anything that is covered in a rule/law/copyright/whatever. If i created a custom dog, then sold the dog. The design in theirs. Just like an uncreated design. You don't see these design shops selling the design then turning around and creating it them selves do you? Thats basically what a custom dog is, but it's tangible.<br /> You buy a custom dog for the looks, not the linage, or tp. If i bought a custom dog i'd expect it to be unique and the old owner to respect that. If there were 5 of the exact same customs for sale, i wouldn't buy one, that defeats the point of a 'custom' dog. If it isn't special i don't want to spend 15 dollars on it, plain and simple.<br /> <br /> Bred dogs and pup predicts i would say are free for anyone to recreate as a customs.<br />

Well, now that we addressed the legal standing of the situation, let's move onto ethical considerations. <br /> <br /> While we all now understand that Robyn owns these dogs and their designs (by proxy, as owner of adprogramming, LLC.), is it "right" or ethical for a player to sell a dog or a design and then recreate that dog/design without it being expressed at the time of sale that this would not, or may not, be a unique copy?<br /> <br /> I feel like I already weighed in on this question, but I wanted to direct the conversation out of the dead end it seems to be heading xD

I agree with Nyctra, noone owns the design of a dog, the art is owned by ADprogramming,LLC <br /> <br /> If someone loved my Customs so much they wanted to spend bones to make one then so be it. More money spent on Ala!

I agree that all dogs on this site belong to ADprogramming, llc.<br /> <br /> Including all dogs made with all the preset markings that the site offers to be used.<br /> <br /> So basically, no. You do not "own" the right to the dog's design, no more than anyone "owns" their profile or "owns" their items. Yes, you can be in possession of them, but let me quote the TOS:<br /> <br /> "<i>All content, graphics, and coding are property of Alacrity.</i>"<br /> <br /> Meaning that dogs, accounts, items, etc all belong to Alacrity. Whether you like it or not.

Important line I included in my post.<br /> "And I imagine, even by people making customs!"<br /> <br /> And I wouldn't care. Because of the <i>main</i> message of my post. All dogs have limited markings in limited colors and the dogs are property of ADprogramming LLC, not a single user.<br /> <br /> However, if I made a CA that I was selling on site for real money, and someone used the art I'd drawn for it to make an identical CA?<br /> <br /> Heck yeah I'd be angry and I'd do something about it. But that's because the art of the CA would be my intellectual property, I would be making real profit from it, and I would actually be able to hit them with a DCMA Cease and Desist letter. This is.. not even the same.

The problem with that example, Geist, is that those dogs were bred or created without <i>knowing</i> the first one existed. When you knowingly take something and copy it <b>exactly</b>, then that's where it's wrong imo. Now yeah, it'd be hard for mods to moderate that, and in Ala's case I'd say it comes down to a matter of conscious.

I really have to agree with Kael, Carni, and Nyctra.<br /> <br /> I've been working in art for a long time. Professional artists redistribute their art quite a lot. A number of them put a clause in their commission contracts stating that they have the right to sell prints of their commission art, even if it involves your characters. If you commission a generic piece without a distinct character, there's a good chance it'll wind up as a print. If you commission tattoo flash, there's a pretty decent chance it'll wind up as flash for someone else. Heck, post a picture of your tattoo online? It'll probably wind up copied on someone else, and you can't do a thing about it.<br /> <br /> It's because you can't copyright these things. You. Cannot. When it comes to a character, you have to trademark it, which costs a lot of money, and that character had better be pretty danged distinct. Mickey Mouse is a trademarked character. And you know what? If you make the same basic design and change a few little things, you can get away with 'copying' because you aren't violating the trademark. These are <a href="http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs8/i/2005/339/b/9/Bootleg_Mickey_Mouse_by_HeLGeN_X.jpg">bootlegs.</a><br /> <br /> Things get really funny when it's applied to Alacrity. Every dog on this site is property of ADprogramming LLC. Everything every artist is commissioned to draw for this site, Carni and myself included, belongs to ADprogramming LLC. I can't just decide to leave and storm up to Robyn and say "I WANT MY OWLS BACK." I can't go into a rage and tell her to stop it if she decides to have someone alter those owls, or make another color variant.<br /> <br /> Then you take into consideration that all these dogs have a set number of specific markings that come in specific colors. You can make all sorts of lovely variations, but sooner or later, someone is probably going to come along with identical dogs.<br /> <br /> Most of my customs have 'clones' out there - a lot of them from my own breeding, and a lot of them simply by chance through other people breeding.. And I imagine, even by people making customs!<br /> <br /> So for one user to come along, <i>claim that a design is theirs</i>, then get angry when someone else has a near identical dog? And the dog itself intellectually belongs to neither of them?<br /> <br /> It doesn't work like that.