Kermit Replica

[Gerbert]

Yeah i know this is a stupid question and its illegal but can anyone make me a kermit replica. I know this is a big fat NO! and i know the best way is having a friend puppet builder give you one for free. but. heh.

 

[Gerbert]

Here is a pic what made me ask this dumb question. http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1304/4219056/17828636/278641876.jpg

 

[charlie bird]

Hallow,I'd just like to say if it is sold on ebay it is not against the law,they make puppet replicas all the time.So check on thier some time

 

[Super Scooter]

It doesn't mean that it's not against the law just because it's sold on ebay. It just means they haven't been caught yet.

 

[practicecactus]

It's not illegal to make your own, or have one given to you for free.

Also, IN B4 drama.

 

[dmoss]

I just want to say that the Kermit in the picture is very good-looking.

 

[Luke]

It is very illegal to sell a "Muppet" on ebay, but also i'd say the Kermit in the photo looks good, probably made by a very experienced person costing serious money. Not everyone trying to sell illegal "Muppets" are gonna be as good and you may end up with an ugly frog!

 

[Super Scooter]

I agree with Luke, that is a very attractive replica you showed us.

And, whether or not you're willing to buy one of these replicas isn't as much of an issue as that most anyone willing to sell you one is most likely looking to rip you off. It's true that puppets (particularly replicas) are very expensive to make, but they're nowhere near worth the price most replica-makers are charging.

Having said that, you could probably make your own excellent Kermit puppet for a lot, lot less. The people on these boards would be happy to share with you the techniques required to do so, I'm sure, though an actual pattern would probably be out of the question.

 

[charlie bird]

Sorry,I just guesed that because I've seen alot of them on ebay.

 

[spcglider]

That is a very professionally rendered Kermit. Nice work on that all around.

According to American law, it is illegal to replicate (for sale or not) someone else's intellectual property without permission. In this case, Kermit the Frog is a property that is owned by The Walt Disney Company.

An example of someone who has licensed the character to sell copies is Master Replicas. They paid a bunch of cash for those rights and also provide a cut of every sale to The Walt Disney Company. That's just how it works.

That having been said, the Walt Disney Company isn't going to pay a lawyer to track you down and slap you with a lawsuit for making a replica of Kermit for yourself. Legally, they could... but it would be a waste of money for them to do it. And they don't have "Disney Cops" planting secret cameras in cities across the nation to catch hobbyists making replica Kermits for themselves. Disney, contrary to popular belief, does not have "Thought Police" on staff.

In the case of some recent folks who really were making money on replicating and selling Disney owned Muppet characters, I'm sure that after a certain amount of money was made by the perp, it warranted a "Cease and Desist" letter from Disney. That's usually the first thing they do. If you don't heed the warning, THEN they send real lawyers after you.

Long and short: Nobody's going to stop you from making your own Kermit. Just don't be stupid and try to make 200 of them and sell them on eBay or make really nasty videos with him and post them to YouTube. Be a hobbyist and you'll be fine.

And as far as getting someone to make you one? Even if you can, you'll be better off doing it yourself. You'll learn stuff. You'll develop skills. You'll have (gasp!) FUN!

That's what I suggest.

-Gordon