Bootleg vs fantasy pins

[BeautyLLM]

What is the difference between bootleg pins and fantasy pins? There seems to be a grey area as to which is which. Can someone give examples of each?

Are counterfeit pins pins in a different catagory as well? Can someone give examples of these also?

Thank you

 

[NHMickey]

It is a true gray area to most collectors. In my opinion and this is just my opinion. if it has a character or any part of a character on it... in it... or implys one it is a BOOTLEG. Now not all are bad. I have a problem with the ones that are made and SOLD or Traded as if they are true Disney pins. There are even a few pin companys who make these for the sole purpose of trading them to get real Disney pins. If you look at thier sites you will see thay will trade pins that they made for LE DISNEY PINS... Now that is just wrong.

But I have also seen some real nice Bootleg pins that are made and GIVEN out. NOTHING is asked for in return. and most are made by people who only made one pin and just wanted to share it.

The trouble is those that keep making them for the sole purpose to get DISNEY pins or to make a quick buck or two.

Boy does this subject get me going....

 

[BeautyLLM]

I imagine I am opening up a can of worms here, but given the new trading rules on pinpics, I think this is a valid discussion to have here on our boards.

This is clearly a bootleg pin:

It was being traded at the recent cruise event and the trader was looking for low LE Disney pins for it. Why isn't the pin manufacturer held responsible for copyright infringement?

This is clearly a bootleg pin as well:

There is disagreement in the comments on this pin as to whether it it bootleg or fantasy, but anyone can see who the character is...

I actually own a bootleg pin:

it was given to me as a gift and makes a nice conversation piece in my Beauty and the Beast collection.

But what about the Boa Brigade pin:

Would this be considered to be bootleg because it has a hand on it that looks an awful lot like Mickey's?

Or what about the Fall Foliage event pin?

This pin has a hidden Mickey on it. The Mickey head is a symbol of the Disney Company...

Do you see what I am getting at here? I think most people would consider my last two examples to be fantasy pins, but I casually showed that they could be considered bootleg as well. For the purposes of listing and trading on pinpics, how will people know? I for one don't trade for fantasy pins unless they commemorate a function or event, and when I do, I don't mind trading a Disney rack pin to cover the cost of making the pin.

And don't even get me going on the trashy pins that people have been making...why would a true Disney fan make a pin featuring Tinkerbell spralled across a motorcycle in fishnet stockings? Geez!!!

 

[NHMickey]

Having or making them is not always the problem. I own a few that I would consider bootleg. I was given them from websirtes and for events. I was not asked to trade for them and to be honest I would not have traded for them. The trouble is those that are made and passed off as real. Leslie you have showed a few good examples. We as a group need to make suere that those trading for them understand they are not real pins. If they choose to trade for them with that info that is their right. But you would be amazed at the amount of people who do not know the difference between a Fantasy Pin and a Real Disney Pin....

 

[Figgy]

ok here we go.

PinPics definition of Bootleg pins are those that cross the line into copyright infringement. the first pin that Leslie shows is definitely bootleg while the second because it is a silhoutte stays under the Disney radar. While I think it is too much Disney says technically that it isn't. So it gets to stay in the Fantasy Cat. Pins that hint at a Disney character do not technically fall under the Bootleg Cat. nor do pins that have a hidden mickey on them as long as the mickey head is not all connecting... meaning one continous line. Since it is three circles put together it doesn't classify as a mickey and therefore doesn't fall into Bootleg. Boa Brigade is definitely not a bootleg pin because that could be anyone's white glove...

I know these are technicalities but that is the difference between breaking the law and not breaking the law. Bootleg pins are those pins that actually put the face of a character on a pin. Just the back of a disney character would not be enough to classify it as a bootleg because it could be anyone.

Counterfeit pins on the other hand are very clear cut. They are a copy of a real disney pin. This is a counterfeit pin.

Someone took a legit Disney pin and made fakes of it.

These are the rules by which pinpics determines whether a pin is a bootleg or a fantasy pin. I hope this helps. I am sure there are those that disagree but it was after talking to many disney officials as well as lawyers and such that we came up with these guidelines. If anything about what I said is unclear let me know and I will be happy to further go into it.

figgy

 

[BeautyLLM]

Figgy,

Thank you for clarifying that for us. I think it would be beneficial if you posted these guidelines on pinpics so that they are clear to everyone.

I agree with Nat regarding trading the bootleg pins. I am a fairly seasoned trader, and I never would have guessed that that Maleficent pin was not a real Disney pin. I don't have a problem with people trading for them either, as long as they recognize that the pins are not real Disney pins. And geez...out right copying of Disney pins ??? Doesn't anyone have any integrity anymore? Go get some inspiration at Journey into Imagination (or whatever it is called these days) and design your own pin!