Hello readers,
Below is some personal in-depth reflexions I need to write about replicas for my future work. All below is from my own personal opinion.
The concept of penmods replicas can be considered as an inherent part of the pen spinning world since the beggining of its history. I would say that penspinners make replicas for two reasons :
- Making an already-known penmod with subtitute parts from the original tutorial (e.g. making Buster CYL but replaced Airfit tips to Dr.Grip tips) because you can’t find the correct parts ;
- Making an already-known penmod which its tutorial is not released yet.
Both reasons are essentially quite similar because the action is about using substitute parts (second bullet point : in the case you are not able to recognize parts from a picture). Only the purpose changes.
What I am going to talk about is the second reason. It is mainly that way we hear people saying “hey look at my replica” nowadays. As said, they make replicas because the tutorial of the original version is not released yet. What could be the reasons of the not releasing ? Speaking from my perspective :
- The creators didn’t post the original tutorial for trivial reasons (laziness, didn’t get the time, didn’t think to, forgot how to make it) even if they would loved to ;
- The creators want to keep the exclusivity either for themselves or/and for people who paid for it. You can subscribe a Youtube premium such the one from Menowa* in order to have access to some unreleased tutorials, or could have paid me the high price to get an original MenoTex (what is using Menowa* in this CV >here<)
In my opinion, since 99% (1% left is for industrial penmods) of the existed penmods are invented by the individual and since all the existed penmods are just a version of something else, paying for a patent may not be the correct way to do. Wait, paying a patent for what already… ?
- How to protect an original tutorial coming from a subscription from being publicly released ?
- How to avoid a tutorial of an aesthetically identical replica from being publicly released (while the original tutorial won’t be post in public in a indetermined time) ?
(we all agree that a patent can’t do that though)
Let’s use an actual example. in 2023, guy no.1 made recently an aesthetically identical replica of the MenoTex. They got the tutorial from guy no.2 who bought from guy no.3 who made in 2020, as the first, a replica of the mod. Below is the original.
In the article above, I introduced the MenoTex. I was very clear by saying I will not revealing the tutorial of the original from an indefinite period because people paid high price for exclusivity (100€ for one). But the tutorial of an aesthetically identical replica is passing off secretly (I am ok stating that in public btw) while I asked the leaker to not doing that. From that, where is the line ? If the tutorial of the replica is officialy released, do people who paid still get the excusivity ? Considering people mostly make replica because they want the same aesthetically mod than someone else, get the same weight distribution is actually an asset but not the main purpose, the exclusivity is dead.
Below is the original MenoTex.
That happened have let me think about something that people never stated clearly in pen spinning. To be sure about what I am going to say, I had a small talk with Menowa* to see what he would think about me posting tutorial of replicas of his personal mods.
Something interesting emerged from his statement. (his answer is in italic text)
I will write it with my words but a replica is actually an intepretation (= you guess an explanation of how to make it) of a representation (= a penmod on a picture). By trying making a replica, the structures of both replica and original are naturally very similar, even almost identical.
The balance is hard to define, because the creator have no right to limit the activities of the replicator, but posting it also break the exclusivity, in the case that you paid for it. If you post an aesthetically identical replica of a non released penmod, this will also break the exclusivity.
Where is the limit about releasing a tutorial of a replica of a penmod of which the official tutorial is not released yet (complicated question with a poor english)? What about releasing a tutorial of a replica of a penmod which only appeared in a subscription ? Why did not the spinner post the tutorial yet (see the bullet points above) ?
Example : Why is there not a public tutorial of a replica of the Akiza G3 V2 ? (see below) Do people are afraid to write one ? Let’s say Akiza didn’t release it publicly because of the exclusivity. If someone own an original Akiza G3 V2 but wants to write a tutorial of a replica, is using the same structure as the original but with different parts keep the exclusivity ? There are a ton of questions ensuing which can not being answering because of the circumstances.
People who create replicas have their own freedom about creativities, making and posting. They basically all the right they need to leak anything but it is not very ethical : a leaker which post or share without authorization (or even without telling it!) breaks the wish and the trust of the creator.
I think the best way to know what to do is contacting the creator of the original mod and see what agreeing. It seems for me the best way to keep healthy rules in our small world which is pen spinning.
From now, I will start making tutorial of replicas of penmods of which the original tutorial is not released yet. Each of these tutorials replicas, the creator was reached out, so they can know my intention, and accepted that I will post the tutorial. The creator will know in premiere which structure and parts are used too so they can confirm 100% what I am going to release.
Also, each time I will post a picture of a replica from unreleased media (creators will be informed upfront and accepted that I post it) and in order to keep the exclusivity, I won’t tell which parts are the same as original and which parts are substitute. I will sub in purpose a few details to leave a status quo.
About my personal penmods, If you want to share or post tutorial replicas, let’s discuss together to find a common ground. BUT If you want to know about MenoTex and Neptunius (Menowa* and Vain mods of X Incipiens Stabilus), I would let the exclusivity for those paid for it for an indetermined time. Don’t leak anything please.
Thank you for reading~