[FascinatinatedFright]

While it may not be very productive, I have emailed Ms. Cain about the issue so that she knows what has happened. I don't want her to be in the dark about it.

 

[FascinatinatedFright]

Here's her response:

Hello,

Thank you very much for being a fan of my work I appreciate the heads up on the two headed toddler girl... WOW that really pisses me off! Unfortunately they made her with enough differences that she is not a direct copy of my original design therefore not so much protected under the copyright law... unfortunately it just makes them *******s and pretty much all I can do it badmouth them for it... sigh.

Thank you again for letting me know... I really do appreciate your taking the time for that
Jodi

She's currently trying to find the doll to see if they weren't soulless enough to deny her credit.

 

[FascinatinatedFright]

I didn't want to be talking to the walls, but she already found one, and sufficient evidence that it infringes on her designs. She's already taken the first step and sent a cease-and-desist.

 

[FascinatinatedFright]

Looking at the two, I can assert that yours is much better. You can see the malice and creepiness in your doll, but the ripoff twins look slightly confused, like they had a gas attack and don't know who to blame due to their shared body!
I'm glad you were able to defend your work, and I feel glad to have alerted you. Perhaps this story will have a happy ending...

 

[FascinatinatedFright]

Jodi's looks so much better made, but I have to say..there are many two headed dolls out there...

So are you just ignoring the obvious infringement on the visual design? The faces are identical, and the bows and dress are similar. There are differences in the more Raggedy Ann-like hands and feet, and in the hair and clothes, but it clearly borrows too much from Jodi's trademark style.

 

[FascinatinatedFright]

Oh, okay. Morbid refers to Halloween company Morbid Enterprises, who makes props and other decorations for retailers.

 

[FascinatinatedFright]

There's a big difference between inspiration and infringement, though. Why can't the companies take ideas and not complete designs? It wouldn't be too hard for Morbid or whoever made it to produce a scary rag doll or a two-headed doll after seeing Jodi's work, but outright stealing the idea and making minor tweaks to the design seems pointless. Just come up with your own take on the idea, companies! If they're going to use artists' work, they shouldn't infringe, and certainly not make it so blatant.

 

[FascinatinatedFright]

Unfortunately, I had the same suggestion when talking to someone about it. While she shouldn't have been ripped off, her dolls of Lily/Eddie/Herman Munster, Coraline, Raggedy Ann and Andy, and the Addams Family, to name a few, could have a similar issue. While I don't doubt that they're meant to be loving tributes to the characters (and probably the result of custom orders), it could potentially get Jodi herself in hot water if the copyright holders to those characters found out. I. personally, think they're cool, but the companies who created the characters probably wouldn't.