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Is Sony ripping off costume entries for LittleBigPlanet?

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Sony is facing some angry criticism for allegedly copying Sackboy costume entries and selling them on as DLC. The costumes Sony offers are believed by some to have been designed by non-winning entries to a costume contest, being sold without due credit given.

Official PlayStation forum posters have pointed out the similarities between Sony's DLC and fan-designed costumes, which include the Shark suit Destructoid talked about a while ago. You can check out the similarities here, and they think you will agree that they're incredibly similar, to the point where it could almost be considered blatant.
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Published: 410 days 14 hours ago | Article | PlayStation 3
 
 

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Silogon - 410 days 15 hours ago
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1 -
The guy who posted this news is ripping of others who've already posted this nonsense a milion times before!!! Get the chains, whips and nipple clamps!
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jakinov - 410 days 14 hours ago
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1.1 - I don't see the similarities other then the fact that they are both fishes
I don't see the similarities other then the fact that they are both fishes

the Fan made one has a fish EATING THE SACK BOY HEAD, while the other one HAS A SHARK HAS A MASK. I really don't see how this is ripping...
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LoVeRSaMa - 410 days 14 hours ago
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1.2 -
"Is Sony ripping off costume entries for LittleBigPlanet?"

Sony are the Publishers, not the developers for a Start.

Second, the Picture is of a shark biting the head of a hawian girl, the other is of sack boy with a sharks head, like how they have a zebra head, and heads of many other Animals.

No the answer to this "News Artical" is No, "Sony" or even Media Molecule are not ripping anything off.
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Conan997 - 410 days 13 hours ago
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1.3 - I am pretty sure that
I am pretty sure that MM thought of a shark head on a sack boy then the contest entry. They even had an animal pack. lame article.
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GVON - 410 days 13 hours ago
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1.4 - jakinov is right,
I was trying to tell him for hours that it's not the same

http://community.eu.playsta...
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ultimolu - 410 days 13 hours ago
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1.5 -
Lol, anything to bash Sony.
I don't see the similarities either, to be honest.
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mikeslemonade - 410 days 12 hours ago
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1.6 -
You can rip off anything you want that is not patented. So Media Molecule can rip off all they want to make the game better.
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Cenobia - 410 days 10 hours ago
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1.7 - Sony can take it if they want to
I'm sure the contest rules state that anything submitted in the contest automatically belongs to Sony. You often sign ownership rights away for things like this.

Either way, it isn't really the same. They may have been inspired by it (although I doubt it), but they are different enough to not be infringing copyright (which the author probably doesn't own anyway). The DLC costumes were probably made ahead of time anyway.
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Strelnikov - 410 days 7 hours ago
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1.8 - @1.6
These sackboy designs don't fall under the category of patentable, as they are original works, rather than inventions or processes. They are, instead, subject to copyright law. A copyright requires no special process or application to acquire, it is simply in effect as soon as a work is created. Now, I'm not sure whether these people explicitly stated that their designs were copyrighted, or what the terms of the contest were. If in participating in the contest, they ceded their rights to the designs, then it's their own damn fault.
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superaktieboy - 409 days 23 hours ago
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1.9 - lol.. if that's the only picture, then i dont see how they are ripping off..
but i gotta say, the fan made one is much cooler, anyone agree? like half sackboy and half shark!! and the MM one is just a mask lol..
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2 CloudsEnd | 410 days 15 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show
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Fobuo - 410 days 15 hours ago
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3 -
This is why you should always read the fineprint in competitions
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Silogon - 410 days 15 hours ago
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4 -
The thing I don't get is this... They have created tools for you to make entire levels and physics and objects and other devices. & people want to complain about a few costumes that looked like cat spit before MM got ahold of them anyways? Then they run a contest saying they want you all to create costumes and in the disclaimer it says all content is subject to Sony world wide and MM's patent office. This right here basically says "If you submit an entry it's not your anymore... it's theirs!!!!!!!!!"

Get this thru your heads. You're not being ripped off. You're not being short changed.

Well, unless they make you pay for the costume you think you created. hahahaha, that'd just be funny and ironic, though.
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ElementX - 410 days 15 hours ago
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5 -
But I thought Sony was the holiest of companies who never did anything wrong or never stole ideas?
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Fobuo - 410 days 15 hours ago
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6 - "But I thought Sony was the holiest of companies who never did anything wrong or never stole ideas? "
"On submission, entries and all materials created, developed or produced by the Entrant in connection with their entry shall become the property of the Promoter. The Entrant hereby assigns to the Promoter all intellectual property rights (including future rights) in their entry and otherwise arising in connection with their Entry. The Entrant also waives all moral rights in relation to their entry to which the Entrant may now or at any future time be entitled under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as amended form time to time and under all similar legislation from time to time in force anywhere in the world. Entrants agree to take all such action and sign all such documentation as may be necessary to give effect to this clause."

Yeah,you just made yourself look like a fool.
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ElementX - 410 days 14 hours ago
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6.1 -
No, I know how contests work, but I can still disagree with the small print. People think Sony is so high and mighty but they still act in their own best interests, just like MS. Corporate America can suck a fat one.

Furthermore, small print just gives permission to companies to do whatever they want, but at the bottom level, they're still using someone else's ideas.
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harv052 - 410 days 14 hours ago
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6.2 -
Principle of the food chain....
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Robondacob - 408 days 4 hours ago
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6.3 -
If they didn't make that small print, Sony and every company associated with LBP would be sued. But I'm sure they're sorry that you feel it is wrong.
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sinncross - 410 days 14 hours ago
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7 -
who the hell thinks that?

besides even if they were, regulations are regulations.
It's not Sony's fault that some ppl didn't fully understand the rules that Sony gave them when they designed the costumes.

Yes it sucks but thats unfortunate.

Though I do think Sony should lower the price of the DLC a little.
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Gaara_724 - 410 days 14 hours ago
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8 - um
if its true i think they should give who ever made the original credit or like 10% of the price there charging for the suit
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Deviant - 410 days 14 hours ago
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9 -
u approve this sh!t again ...-.-

its the third time
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Fobuo - 410 days 14 hours ago
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10 - "No, I know how contests work, but I can still disagree with the small print."
Wait a minute:Did you just read what you wrote?If you disagree with the small print,then you DON'T participate in the competition.You can't disagree with the small print AFTER you've participated in the competition,that's why the Terms&Conditions are presented to you BEFORE you participate in the competition.

And furthermore,this isn't stealing nor is it plagiarism in any whatsoever way;You agreed to their Terms,and in their Terms it states that whatever you submit is theirs to use.And on top of that,they have no legal obligation whatsoever to acknowledge the creator of the content while distributing the said content,so if the creator's complaint is "Why isn't my name on the content pack?" then he's just throwing rocks into a river.
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ElementX - 410 days 13 hours ago
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10.1 -
When you're responding to someone's post, hit the "reply" button underneath their post. There's no need to start a new comment so people have to scroll back up to see what you're talking about.

The only reason companies hold "contests" is so they can use other people's work without paying them, then they can turn around and make a profit. Quit sticking up for corporations, because they don't deserve sympathy. Legal technicalities are only there to allow corporations to do as they please and the government supports them because they pay so much in taxes. Fine print isn't there to help the consumer.
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Fobuo - 410 days 14 hours ago
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11 - "regulations are regulations. It's not Sony's fault that some ppl didn't fully understand the rules that Sony gave them when they designed the costumes. "
Exactly.The main issue here is the creator of the costume just hit the "I Agree" box and didn't bother reading the Terms&Conditions,so now he's complaining because of his own ignorance!

This would be like me complaining to the owner of a hotdog stand that the hotdog he sold me had mustard on it,while right there written on the hotdog stand is "Hotdog with Mustard,Ketchup,and Onions-$1.29".

Whose fault is it;The hotdog vendor for assuming I can read,or me,for not reading what was written on the hotdog stand?
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Captain Tuttle - 410 days 14 hours ago
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12 - SDF....
Activate!!
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ArmrdChaos - 410 days 13 hours ago
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12.1 - Agreed...
Hardly anyone reads fine print on these things and corporations count on that. Sony could have gone a lot further to either make it apparently clear OR provided some kind of reward mechanism for those they drew inspiration from...give a special trophy or make sure they receive the very first "improved" costume with some kind of creator marking on it. There are plenty of ways Sony could have went the right way on this and they chose not to. FACT...had MS pulled this crap in the exact same manner the Sony worshippers would all be on here lambasting the hell out of them.
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Evocation - 410 days 14 hours ago
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13 -
but it's not exactly too original, One of my LBP Levels was done almost exactly the same, without seeing each others... we both just came up with the same idea.
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MvmntInGrn - 410 days 14 hours ago
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14 -
lol cause a shark hat is REALLY unique, not in a hundred years would I have seen that happen.

Seriously? This is silly.

EDIT: Destructoid, never mind situation explained *sarcasm* Might as well merge with Kotaku.
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drdre74 - 410 days 13 hours ago
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15 -
anytime you send in artwork you stand a chance of someone ripping it off. Get use to it or dont send anything in. Its just that simple. So if sony put in a shakeboy body outfit would that be ripping off also? just because its a shark doesnt mean they ripped it off.
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NMC2007 - 410 days 13 hours ago
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16 - I think...
Sony could rip most of you off and you would beg for seconds. *sigh*
PS3 fans dedication to a company is sickening, I bet if they started charging for PSN and HOME related stuff there will be defenders of their decision even though ALL PS3 fans pissed on Xbox Live for charging.

You guys and gals are the most pathetic fans of the bunch, it's clearly a damn rip off but you think Sony is going to make it exact? Don't be stupid, they took the idea and changed it, we never seen a Shark Sackboy until this contest entry, now all of a sudden, Sony has a Shark Sackboy, nah, they didn't rip that off, they had it in the pipeline this whole time.

GTFOH.
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PirateThom - 410 days 13 hours ago
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16.1 -
Even if they did "rip it off"...

On submission, entries and all materials created, developed or produced by the Entrant in connection with their entry shall become the property of the Promoter. The Entrant hereby assigns to the Promoter all intellectual property rights (including future rights) in their entry and otherwise arising in connection with their Entry. The Entrant also waives all moral rights in relation to their entry to which the Entrant may now or at any future time be entitled under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as amended form time to time and under all similar legislation from time to time in force anywhere in the world. Entrants agree to take all such action and sign all such documentation as may be necessary to give effect to this clause.

End of story. Not to mention, these ideas were shown in trailers LONG before the competition and long before the game came out.
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LoVeRSaMa - 410 days 13 hours ago
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16.2 -
NMC2007 Sony are the Publishers not the Developers, if you wasnt such an Ignorant loser you would know this =]

Also, most of Sonys services are free, I dont feel like ive been Ripped off by Sony once, which is more then I can say for the "Competitors".
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cosmos - 410 days 13 hours ago
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17 - There was a disclaimer...
that was issued a while ago, during the Beta I believe stating that the right has been reserved to use costume designs and level designs without our permission. If you make it they can take it. Besides, do we really think we were going to get paid or get credit for these things? We are millions who are playing certainly can't pay us all. besides this is supposed to be fun and it is.
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mrdxpr2 - 410 days 13 hours ago
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18 -
sony can do whatever they want people should be happy that the idea they had is in the game so stop crying what do they want to have there names in it shoot deal with it thats life
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caladbolg777 - 410 days 13 hours ago
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19 - @Disclaimer, ToS, and all that jazz...
Plus, it's D-toid and specifically it's Jim Sterling. Don't click!
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Brixxer600 - 410 days 13 hours ago
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20 -
It's not a rip off, it's some people that are peeved because they didn't win the competition.

The terms and conditions also state that either the developers or Sony (Can't remember which) retain the rights to all content produced for use in LBP.
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RustedMan - 410 days 13 hours ago
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21 -
hmm.
maybe my vision sucks, but I don't really see how they could be considered related.
like the teeth of the shark are different in both shape and size in one and eh..
Let's just say that their not ripping off costume entries. Plain and simple.
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Figboy - 410 days 13 hours ago
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22 - yes, because a Shark costume
has never before been thought of in the history of costumes...

http://www.barkingshark.com...

anyway, i don't think anyone is ripping anyone off.

it's obvious that Media Molecule is doing themes with their paid costumes.

the first theme was animals. so we got a penguin, chameleon, ape, shark, etc.

if it's a costume CONTEST, and the best they could come up with was a SHARK COSTUME, well, i think that's a personal issue.

"Official PlayStation forum posters have pointed out the similarities between Sony's DLC and fan-designed costumes, which include the Shark suit we talked about a while ago. You can check out the similarities here, and I think you will agree that they're incredibly similar, to the point where it could almost be considered blatant."

wow. IT'S A FRICKING SHARK, ON SACKBOY'S HEAD.

there are only so many ways you can interpret a costume in LBP.

they are broken up into Head, Torso, Leg, Hands, and then any extra accessories you have.

it's kind of a no brainer that the Shark HEAD would be on the HEAD part of Sackboy's costume. WHERE ELSE would you put it? on his ASS?

are people really that quick to point out villainy in big corporations that they completely lose the ability to think logically?

say the costume i chose for Sackboy was an Astronaut. not too many ways to depict an Astronaut Costume on LBP is there. chances are, that costume would turn out like this:

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3...

does that mean Sony has stolen my idea?

a Shark isn't the most imaginative costume idea. and LBP is quite limited in the way ANY costume can be portrayed. the shark's head was going to end up SOMEWHERE on the costume, so it makes logical sense that it would be on Sackboy's head.

also, the contest entry had a hula dancer outfit on. i don't see a hula dancer outfit in the costume released by Sony. in fact, all i see is the shark's head, which doesn't exactly resemble the contest design, other than it being a shark.

you're REALLY reaching to find some sinister goings on with this one. Sony does a lot of evil things, but this is a bit too ridiculous. yes, because Media Molecule is SO strapped for costume ideas for LBP, they have to pillage contest entries. and not very good ones either (the hula shark dancer costume is cute, but it's not really anything so special it warrants stealing). Penguin and Biker costumes also aren't very original.

now, if you want some original designs, look at the Folklore "Design a Folk Soul" creature contest winner:

http://gaygamer.net/images/...

as well as the submitted entries:

http://community.eu.playsta...

a lot of them are amazingly good (and others amazingly bad).

with this whole Sackboy thing, people are just like, "hey, i'll put Sackboy in Army suit, complete with helmet and rifle! it's so CUUUUTE!"

complaining that someone "stole" your already unoriginal idea is pretty silly in my book.
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GarandShooter - 410 days 11 hours ago
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22.1 -
Exactly, and common sense tells you that developers come up with a lot of things in the course of making a game that don't wind up in the release version, so any number of these ideas may have been on the table for quite some time. Truly, there is no evidence, one way or the other, that MM stole, as you correctly put it, someone else's unoriginal idea.
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40cal - 410 days 12 hours ago
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23 - It clearly states in the user agreement/contest rules
That they reserve the right to use/sell anything you submit without your consent and without any form of compensation. If Sony and Mm do use your ideas you should feel good about it.
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anubis12 - 410 days 12 hours ago
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24 -
another lame article
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M3 Superhero - 410 days 11 hours ago
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this is one lame ass article - word.
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cherrypie - 410 days 10 hours ago
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26 -
Funny, the people on this forum who are defending Sony - yet again.

"this story shouldnt be approved".

At least its on Destructoid, and not blogspot, kombo or blorge.
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ar - 410 days 10 hours ago
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27 -
Did anyone read the rules for the contest? Normally these kind of contest have rules making you hand over all the copyright of your creation to the contest holder.
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28 Agent VX | 410 days 10 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show
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darkdoom3000 - 410 days 9 hours ago
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29 -
LBP has a whole range of animal clothes, the zebra, lion, treefrog, and some other ones. why not have a shark?
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cliffbo - 409 days 12 hours ago
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yeah right... so MM has to come up with completely different designs from now on. might as well pack it in now MM, there's bound to be thousands of designs out there and i'm sure one or tow of them will resemble your offerings. people are really taking the pizz on the net now
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