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INTEREST: Man Arrested for Selling Modified Nude Madoka Magica Figures

Besides the fact that it's obviously piracy or something like that (if I'm correct), why the fudge would he even do that? Gross, and I highly doubt that "paying for living costs" is legitimate.

Besides the fact that it's obviously piracy or something like that (if I'm correct), why the fudge would he even do that? Gross, and I highly doubt that "paying for living costs" is legitimate.

Besides the fact that it's obviously piracy or something like that (if I'm correct), why the fudge would he even do that? Gross, and I highly doubt that "paying for living costs" is legitimate.

I mean, the custom figure market is pretty common in Japan. I've bought a few myself over the years. They are a way for customs and sculpters to make money.

Besides the fact that it's obviously piracy or something like that (if I'm correct), why the fudge would he even do that? Gross, and I highly doubt that "paying for living costs" is legitimate.

The only reason he likely got in trouble with the law is that he was too successful for his own good.

Besides the fact that it's obviously piracy or something like that (if I'm correct), why the fudge would he even do that? Gross, and I highly doubt that "paying for living costs" is legitimate.

The only reason he likely got in trouble with the law is that he was too successful for his own good.

I think the problem is not that he was selling customized figures, as that is the fruit of his own labor, but that he was selling nude figures of underage girls, which has become extremely forbidden in Japan. The girls are all under the age of 20. Even though, in Japan the age of consent for sexual activity is 13, perhaps Ibaraki is an exception and they arrested him on that excuse. If would be interesting if someone with direct knowledge would provide information on if Shaft studio has some kind of overpowering copyright on its work that prevents anyone else from even breathing on it. Or if that is generally how it is in Japan, and, if so, how do all those customizers get away with it and this one did not? Exceptions always seem to indicate that something is rotten,

I think the problem is not that he was selling customized figures, as that is the fruit of his own labor, but that he was selling nude figures of underage girls

Regardless of what was being sold, I'm also curious as to what laws were broken in this case?
If you re-paint a figure (say change an outfit from blue to black) and then resell it, would that also be considered an unauthorized modification and violate the same law?

The problem is not the product itself, but how it is advertised. If you buy a car from Nissan and modify it, you still own a Nissan car and can sell it as such. If you take the engine out of your Nissan and install it in your homemade chassis, now you own a homemade car that you can still sell, but not advertise as a Nissan.

The problem is advertising the figure under the name of the character (i.e. trademark violation). Had he sold it with no reference to the series or character, it would’ve been OK. Trademark law is so screwed up that companies can sue even if the product is 100% comprised of original parts. Say, you buy a bunch of original Nissan parts and assemble them together into something indistinguishable from a Nissan car… you can sell it as a brandless self-made car with Nissan parts, but not as a Nissan car.