1. It has come to the attention of forum staff that Dollshe Craft has ceased communications with dealers and customers, has failed to provide promised refunds for the excessive waits, and now has wait times surpassing 5 years in some cases. Forum staff are also concerned as there are claims being put forth that Dollshe plans to close down their doll making company. Due to the instability of the company, the lack of communication, the lack of promised refunds, and the wait times now surpassing 5 years, we strongly urge members to research the current state of this company very carefully and thoroughly before deciding to place an order. For more information please see the Dollshe waiting room. Do not assume this cannot happen to you or that your order will be different.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Dollshe Craft and all dolls created by Dollshe, including any dolls created under his new or future companies, including Club Coco BJD are now banned from Den of Angels. Dollshe and the sculptor may not advertise his products on this forum. Sales may not be discussed, no news threads may be posted regarding new releases. This ban does not impact any dolls by Dollshe ordered by November 8, 2023. Any dolls ordered after November 8, 2023, regardless of the date the sculpt was released, are banned from this forum as are any dolls released under his new or future companies including but not limited to Club Coco BJD. This ban does not apply to other company dolls cast by Dollshe as part of a casting agreement between him and the actual sculpt or company and those dolls may still be discussed on the forum. Please come to Ask the Moderators if you have any questions.
    Dismiss Notice

Recasts: DoA's Rules and Statements from BJD Artisans

Mar 3, 2012

    1. DoA's rules state that bootleg dolls and recasts are forbidden on-site, but we feel the need to restate and explain why it is forum policy and what it means to you.

      We are not in a position to ban members for simply owning recast dolls; it is too difficult to identify a recast in a photo, and we don't have the time or interest to stalk members off-site to see if they're acquiring dolls illegally. Similarly, we do not want to promote a community of members who stalk one another. However, we do not condone recasting and will not tolerate having recast dolls promoted or pictured on-site.

      In particular, we have zero tolerance for bootlegs in the Marketplaces; if we find out that you are are buying, selling, or trading these dolls in our Marketplaces, you will lose access to the Marketplaces and possibly the forum as a whole.

      You may wonder why DoA does not condone bootlegging. Here are several of our major reasons:

      1. First and foremost, bootlegging and recasting is illegal. In certain countries there are steep legal and financial penalties for buying or selling counterfeit goods.

      2. Bootlegging hurts legitimate companies and deprives the original artists of their livelihoods. Many people who support recasting base their justifications on Volks' sales statistics, but it is important to keep in mind that Volks is not solely a BJD maker and much of their revenue is generated from other areas (and due to having many physical stores in the 6th most expensive country in the world, Volks' overhead is rather high). Should producing Super Dollfie cease to be profitable, Volks could easily terminate that line to focus entirely on other products. Volks is also extremely unique in the BJD world in terms of its business structure; aside from Volks, there are no "big companies." The largest companies have barely 100 employees, and quite a few are made up of fewer than 10 people. Most of these companies are extremely niche and have a limited line of products; if they are unable to sell to their target audience, they have no other products to fall back upon to remain open and keep their employees paid! If companies go out of business, then we all miss the opportunity to see what new sculpts they might have produced in the future.

      3. The presence and acceptance of bootlegs creates stagnation and mistrust in the second-hand market. Shopping is a fun, exciting part of the BJD hobby. The introduction of bootlegs into the second-hand market makes hobbyists fear purchasing a fake doll, which makes sales in the second-hand market extremely slow. As most people try to keep their doll spending circular, if they can't sell their unwanted dolls, they can't buy new ones. It creates a slowdown in both the first and second-hand markets, and that is bad for our hobby.

      4. Quality control is hit-or-miss. Some bootlegs are made with inferior materials which can pose a health hazard to their owners... or to customizers who may handle the doll during commissioned work. Many customizers refuse to work on recasts for both ethical and health reasons. If customizers become worried that potential commissions may be undisclosed bootlegs (which may carry additional risks or quality control frustrations that would complicate their work), they may stop taking commissions entirely. This leads to fewer talented artists available to the community.​


      The bootlegging issue is not new, nor is the group of supporters large. However, recent activity on other sites has made it seems as though recasting is becoming more accepted by the BJD community. This is not the case and the outrage against bootlegging is stronger than ever.

      With regard to DoA, we are first and foremost a community of people who love dolls. This love of dolls should translate to respecting their creators by not supporting or promoting the theft of their work. It is worth mentioning as well that without the advertising support of dollmakers, DoA would not be able to pay its five-figure yearly hosting costs while remaining free for all members. We don't ask a lot of our members, but we do ask that you respect and abide by our rules by not promoting bootlegs or "sneaking" them into our galleries or discussion threads. This is a simple request and we have every expectation that our members have the integrity to honor it.

      Recasting is unethical, illegal, and hurts both our hobby and our community. DoA will never support or promote bootlegs.


      (Note: We normally ask that other forums and communities refrain from "borrowing" from our rules and announcements; however, in this instance we invite any community to reuse or rehash this announcement if they share our views on recasting and art theft.)
       
      • x 61
    2. We have already explained why DoA neither supports or allows recast dolls and/or bootlegging those dolls on this board. We find the need for a second such announcement a sad, demoralising commentary on the current ethics and willingness of some individuals to engage in these illegal activities.

      In addition to being illegal, recasting and bootlegging devalue the nature of our hobby, undermine the work of artists without whom this hobby would not exist and create attitudes of mistrust that affect all of us.

      In case you're not sure what recasts are and what bootlegging means:
      Recast: to form, fashion, or arrange again. It can also refer to the product of recasting. Recast dolls are made using moulds taken from existing dolls. Individuals or companies who recast dolls do so without permission from the artists and sell the dolls for a fraction of the original's cost. The original artist is never paid for his or her work.

      Bootleg: to make, transport, or sell something illegally. Bootlegging can be synonymous with recasting; it also refers to the trafficking of recast items​

      DoA has a zero-tolerance policy if we discover you are engaged in these activities on DoA. What do we mean by "zero-tolerance"? We mean that as soon as we have evidence confirming your illegal activity, we will permanently ban you from DoA. You will never be given an opportunity to reinstate your DoA membership at any future date.

      We would like to remind everyone of the recasting/bootlegging activities that can get you permanently banned:
      • posting images of your illegal doll on DoA
      • listing your illegal doll or dolls in your DoA profile or signature
      • attempting to buy, sell or trade your illegal doll in the Marketplace
      • attempting to solicit sales of your illegal doll on DoA
      • acting as a sales representative on DoA for a business selling illegal dolls
      • sending unsolicited communications (spam) to one or more members through DoA's private messaging (PM) system
      DoA will never take this matter lightly. Recasts and bootlegs are illegal. Recasting and bootlegging are illegal. If we find you have engaged in any of the actions listed above, you will receive a permanent, full-forum ban.

      View company statements (starting on post #3)
       
      #2 DoA Mod Squad, Jul 8, 2012
      Last edited by a moderator: Oct 15, 2015
      • x 21
    3. Link to statement

      Dear Customers,

      We regret having to notify our customers with grim news.

      Recently, we have been informed by number of our customers about possible sales of illegally recasted FairyLand dolls on some dubious websites. We now confirm that this is indeed true and further to this, our shopping mall photographs and brand name have been used for promotion of these dolls without our consent.

      We believe that "FairyLand dolls" sold on this particular website were indeed illegal recast dolls. Further, a particular website has automatically blocked all accesses being made from Korean IP which delayed our acknowledgement of the issue but we were able to get around it thanks to friendly help of those who have reported the case to us. There are now several of these websites that are selling unauthorised and illegal recast of FairyLand dolls. We won't be disclosing website addresses of these shopping malls in question not to encourage their promotion. However, we would like to take this opportunity to well inform and warn our customers regarding the issue.

      Whilst we will be trying our best to prevent sales of illegally recasted dolls, we ask potential customers, seeking to buy FairyLand dolls to be extra cautious as these website will be selling not only recasted dolls but also be using our name and photographs. Our shopping mall photographs are exclusive copyright properties of FairyLand which cannot be reproduced or published for financial gain other than those authorised by FairyLand which includes our authorised FairyLand dealers and few other exceptional cases mostly for non-profit charity causes.

      Use of our official photographs to gain profits, especially to sell illegal recasted dolls may cause misunderstanding and we believe the particular act should be heavily criticised for deliberately misleading customers and we will do all in our power to put an end to this.

      Please note that other than our shopping mall website and list of our authorised dealers listed at our website, we do not provide any FairyLand products including dolls and services for re-sale. Further, we do not offer product under a category of 'Second graded/quality dolls' for sale behind the curtain or administer them for companies believed to be selling illegal recasted dolls. All products including returned and cancelled orders that does not meet the quality check are simply discarded. Most importantly, FairyLand cannot be held responsible for any financial loss or trouble from customers purchasing illegally recasted dolls and kindly ask our customers to be extra cautious. The most effective method is to be on guard at all times and we urge you again to be cautious. List of our authorised dealers can be always found at our shopping mall website (http://dollfairyland.com/infodesk/banner.php?number=53).

      If you have any questions regarding the issue, please do not hesitate to contact us via c/s board. Thank you.


      Regards,

      FairyLand
       
      • x 12
    4. Link to statement


      Hi, this is Iplehouse.

      Today we want to ask you a favor.
      Recently we received information from some of our clients that fake Iplehouse doll is being distributed in the market. Real Iplehouse dolls are only sold on Iplehouse site. So please be aware of this and do not buy Iplehouse dolls from other sites.

      Especially please don’t buy recast dolls. If you find some sites which sells our dolls cheaper than our site, you can assume that it is a fake.

      If you continue to buy these bootleg dolls, it will affect our creativity and eventually it will affect our company fundamentally.

      A lot of doll manufacturing companies are facing hard time because of these illegal products. And Iplehouse is not an exception.

      Iplehouse is organized by few artistes. Most of our staffs engage in creative work and we appreciate our clients love for our dolls. We give careful attention to our client’s need. Also from the planning stage to the end we try our best to make an adorable doll which will be loved by our customers. All of our dolls are made of our effort, toil and passion. Please don’t fill criminal’s pocket with money by buying fake products.

      We need your support and help to keep on developing new dolls. Developing a new doll consumes a lot of time and money. Please understand this and once again we sincerely ask you not to purchase those illegal products.

      And please prevent other friends around from purchasing bootleg items. We are planning to conduct a campaign against illegal items. Please join us with this campaign.

      We need your love and support. Please give us strength.

      Thank you for your time and support.

      We will do our utmost to develop new products and design to give satisfaction and joy to our clients.

      Iplehouse will make your dreams come true.
       
      • x 12
    5. Link to statement

      Dear Dollmore customers and guests~

      WWW.DOLLMORE.NET is an official Dollmore website in English

      for Dollmore brand ball jointed dolls and related accessories.

      It has been brought to our attention that there are recasts

      or imitations of the Dollmore brand already on the market or currently in the works.

      Please note that as an Official seller,

      We are selling based on Dollmore's integrity and patent, supporting the preservation of Dollmore product.

      If you purchase your Dollmore BJDs directly from Dollmore site or Ebay(ID: lemonday) or Fabric Friends & Dolls,

      we wholly guarantee the authenticity of the product(s) you will be receiving.

      There is a facebook page, BJD Community and Artists agaist recast.

      Here is the link : https://www.facebook.com/pages/BJD-Community-and-Artists-Against-Recasts/564656416885344?fref=ts

      Thank you for your cooperation.

      Dollmore
       
      • x 9
    6. Link to statement

      "Dear all,

      We would like to inform you about the recently found pirate version of limited Dark in the second-hand market. Please be very careful when you buying Dark in the second-hand market. Please be aware that the limited Dark from our company will have the official carriage bag, birth certificate and most important, the head plate at the back of the doll's head cap. Please also keep in mind that we have never released any other skin color of Dark other than grey skin.

      Thank you very much for your support.

      Spiritdoll"

      Please be mindful when shopping.
       
      • x 5
    7. Link to statement

      We have heard that there is a site selling dolls of K-doll.

      the dolls of K-doll are sold officially in k-doll.com only.

      (the heads up to 2009 were completely discontinued saling.)

      Please be careful If you choose any other site to buy, you could get pirated doll or can’t get anything because it would be a phishing site.

      I would appreciate if you contact [email protected] when you discover a suspicious site.



      Thank you.
       
      • x 7
    8. To our dearest customers,

      Thank you for your devotion and support to VOLKS and our Super Dollfie.

      A suspect, who sold illegal copy models of "Super Dollfie Nono Sweet Dream", has been sent the papers pertaining to a case to the Public Prosecutor's Office by Kyoto Horikawa Police Department on February 13.

      This can never be acceptable illegal act and we are unable to repress our indignation.

      This case has been proved by the various sources of information from many SD fans.

      We would like to express our thanks to those who have made an enormous devotion to solve this case and those who love our SD and have provided information on this matter.

      We regret to mention that we have had information on the similar cases from overseas as well as from Japan.

      The cases has been under investigation with the guidance of the authorities for the solution to these cases.

      We have heard that the trouble has been increasing by the heartless internet resellers.

      We hope you to be careful with those irresponsible acts.

      We make an endeavor to preserve the content and pleasant hobby world with our hobby doll, SD and promise to present the comfortable time with SD for all the fans in the world.

      We wish your kind understanding and support as always.

      Thank you so much.

      Hideyuki Shigeta
      President of VOLKS INC.
       
      • x 7
    9. Warning on Soom BJD Reproductions/Recasts



      Hello SOOM lovers, we always thank you very much for your interest in and loving our BJDs.


      There are tons of SOOM BJD reproductions / recasts manufactured and distributed by illegal market channels and recently, a number of these illegal activities are getting higher than ever. This is indeed black marketing that jeopardizes the whole BJD industry including SOOM.


      - Please do not use online stores selling the illegal reproductions / recasts

      - The illegal online stores close their sites once you make payments or deliver dolls other than what you expect, not original SOOM BJD(s)

      - Please cancel your order(s) / request refund immediately once you have ordered

      - Please check our regular prices. If prices are much cheaper than our regular ones, it is suspicious and can be fraud

      - Original SOOM BJDs are available only at our online store www.dollsoom.com and Vodaless Japan

      - We do not guarantee the warranty and do not provide customer care service for SOOM BJD(s) from other online stores


      How to authorize your SOOM BJD

      1. Go to our web site and click on

      2. Your BJD will be authorized if all the information is correspondent with Purchaser, Date of Purchase, and your BJD

      3. Must check the serial number and warranty first when you purchase used SOOM BJD

      Please refer to the 'Notice'

      Thank you!
       
      • x 8