Leonardo wrote:Take your lips off my pipe!
Patent is expired, yeah. You're partially right about the name and insignia, but these are trademarks and not copyrighted elements. The insignia is also a registered trademark which would have to be defended for Hasbro to keep it.Caelus wrote:Between these two things, I see no reason to think that a company can't reproduce the toy in exact detail by measuring the dimensions or reverse molding the parts. If that were the case, there would need to be a third level of patent, something more specific than the design patent, and that level would need to be protect in perpetuity (or for a very long time). If you know of such a thing, please share.
But as far as I can tell, reproducing the original toy and marketing it as a licensed Hastak Transformer would be quite illegal, but reproducing the original toy or engineering a similar toy (e.g., 3P figures), should be perfectly legal so long as the manufacturer doesn't market it with the copyrighted elements (e.g., the Autobot insignia or the name "Optimus Prime").
Ironhidensh wrote:I don't know if I'd say it's bunk, but I also don't know if it's different plastics. What I do know, is that there is a big difference in quality between Hasbro and Takara figures.
ZeroWolf wrote:Like Mattel with their Shogun Warriors line?
th3BatBott wrote::DIronhidensh wrote:I don't know if I'd say it's bunk, but I also don't know if it's different plastics. What I do know, is that there is a big difference in quality between Hasbro and Takara figures.
That was my point exactly.
Hasbro is an American company. Takara Japanese. America will most likely always take the cheap rout to earn a buck. Japan is all about honor. That being said, Takara cares more about quality than Hasbro ever will.
william-james88 wrote:th3BatBott wrote::DIronhidensh wrote:I don't know if I'd say it's bunk, but I also don't know if it's different plastics. What I do know, is that there is a big difference in quality between Hasbro and Takara figures.
That was my point exactly.
Hasbro is an American company. Takara Japanese. America will most likely always take the cheap rout to earn a buck. Japan is all about honor. That being said, Takara cares more about quality than Hasbro ever will.
If thats true, then they have a very funny way of showing it. Takara's QC has been disastrous as of late. I know people have opinions, but lets just look at the facts.
A toy recall is the epitome of QC failure. Hasbro has not recalled a toy in as long as I can remember. Takara instead has recalled a Transformer toy last year and the Fort Max reissues had to be unsealed to make sure they included the accessories, meaning collectors received opened boxes. And did you see this hilariously sad listing on BBTS? https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/ ... ails/85025
We have never seen anything this bad from Hasbro for as long as I have been collecting.
Takara being better at QC is a myth derived by their more exotic stature among western fans, and the need to support a false superiority narrative. You should go check some reviews on amazon japan from actual japanese people buying Takara products, they whine harder about QC than anyone here.
william-james88 wrote:th3BatBott wrote::DIronhidensh wrote:I don't know if I'd say it's bunk, but I also don't know if it's different plastics. What I do know, is that there is a big difference in quality between Hasbro and Takara figures.
That was my point exactly.
Hasbro is an American company. Takara Japanese. America will most likely always take the cheap rout to earn a buck. Japan is all about honor. That being said, Takara cares more about quality than Hasbro ever will.
If thats true, then they have a very funny way of showing it. Takara's QC has been disastrous as of late. I know people have opinions, but lets just look at the facts.
A toy recall is the epitome of QC failure. Hasbro has not recalled a toy in as long as I can remember. Takara instead has recalled a Transformer toy last year and the Fort Max reissues had to be unsealed to make sure they included the accessories, meaning collectors received opened boxes. And did you see this hilariously sad listing on BBTS? https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/ ... ails/85025
We have never seen anything this bad from Hasbro for as long as I have been collecting.
Takara being better at QC is a myth derived by their more exotic stature among western fans, and the need to support a false superiority narrative. You should go check some reviews on amazon japan from actual japanese people buying Takara products, they whine harder about QC than anyone here.
Leonardo wrote:Take your lips off my pipe!
Ironhidensh wrote:I think a lot of the arguing in this thread is do to the broad meaning that "KO" can have. Some consider anything not made by Hastak to be a KO, some only consider direct copies to be KO (I fall in that later camp). Its something this fandom will never be able to agree on, much to all our surprise.....
Burn wrote:IH even gave the example of Kup and Hot Rod, and I can back him up on Hot Rod. Hasbro's Hot Rod was a flimsy flopsy turd, where as TT's had nice solid tight joints.
william-james88 wrote:I really think its a case by case basis, which isnt enough to establish a rule.
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