I'm really curious on how other people think about this. Sorry if general isn't the place to put this!
So basically, if you roleplay a lot, you're bound to see people with random anime characters or celebrities being used as their "OC." Now okay, the celebrity thing doesn't bother me too much, whatever. But when it's a fictional character from a show, or comic, or whatever, that's when it pisses me off. It's literally stealing someone's character.
Now, okay, surely the creators of the franchise don't care that much, but it's also just lazy. Are you really so lazy that you can't create your own character, so you have to use a pre-existing character you found on Google? "But I can't draw!" There are plenty of generators out there. Doll Divine has tons, DeviantArt has tons, and there's also DreamSelfy.
I'm tired of seeing faceclaims everywhere I go, because it's uncreative and plain lazy. Fine, if you're a kid that's like 10 or very possibly younger, whatever. You're still young and probably saw this wolf OC online, going "Ooh, I want that to be my OC!" And used it. But... shouldn't they grow out of it eventually?
I don't know if the issue warranted this long of a rant, but it's something that's just always irked me. A lot of it includes art theft, too. I'm a curator on Amino, and every single day I have to tell multiple people to at least credit the artist they got the picture from. I usually end up having to find the artist myself through reverse-image search.
Anyways, yeah. There's my rant. I hope this is in the right subforum.
Whoever sees this, let me know how you feel. Is it a problem, or am I just overly sensitive?
EDIT: this might've been better to post in Character Discussion oops I'm sorry
EDIT 2: I should've mentioned adoptables. It's different because you're purchasing the rights to using and owning that character, while faceclaims just blatantly steal.
That's a thread? Mind sending me a link? I'm interested.
And true, they're not hurting anyone serioisly, but I just wish people had their own ideas instead of stealing the ideas of others.
And of course I'd rather them be ripping off anime than my own characters, or people on DA. Still though, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I suppose I shouldn't be getting so worked up, but I feel like people should at least have the decency to use a generator, or something.
jollyjackdaw
Being built on the core of something doesn't excuse that most of the time, these media as visual references characters tend to be stolen from others.
I've seen many people on here, and offsite, state that their OCs are constantly used by people on RP forums.
I believe this is the issue the OP is talking about. However, I could be wrong.
Personally, I'm of the opinion that using fictional characters designs as your own is as bad as using someones personal designs as your own for the sole reason of it being a huge hindrance of creativity on the roleplayers part. But that's just my two cents.
Using a celeb/internet star/etc as your characters reference image is disturbing to me.
I frequent this role-playing website called Aniroleplay, and I see face claims everywhere, sadly. Especially when they have the gall to EDIT over someone's original character. I once had that happen to my most favorite character, and ugh... It was the most horrible feeling in the world.
Using real people or not, aren't all commercially driven characters the original creator's OCs? I mean if I faceclaimed someone like Clark Kent, and used the comics and and an actor and his face in the movies, but said the guy was Jim Frederickson, wouldn't I be half-stealing Superman?
I'm completely against faceclaims that aren't generator based, with the intent of the generator to represent an OC or design. (Gaia is an obvious "don't use it," the TOS specifically states so.)
Actors are "faceclaims" for a living.
No! Actors are paid people, with the agreement of both the actor and the director(s) and creator(s) to represent a specific character (you can say that's the original writers Original Character (OC!!!!)). There is permission on every front for that person to be that character. It's not a faceclaim, it's an agreed representation, not only face, but body, voice, and mannerisms.
Grabbing an image off google images (which is not a free-for-all) is breaking permission from: the actor being used, the people who type-cast them, the people in charge of framing/lighting/etc, and whatever company holds copyright. It is absolutely infringement, just as much as stealing someone's art off of deviantart, or reposting some pixiv artists' art, or anyone behind that anime/visualnovel that was so unlovingly ripped from.
Faceclaims are not okay at all, honestly.
Ugh I've even seen people using other people, that aren't celebs, I've seen people have to ask people to stop using them for their characters. It's disturbing.