These are clearly imitations - knockoffs, if you will. I'm thinking they were made utterly without permission, but since they're somewhat modified, it would be hard to win a case of copyright infringement in court - harder still when you factor in that they were printed by a Chinese company, making it pretty much impossible that the printers would ever see the inside of an American courtroom, aside from movies and television. I'm told that Chinese law makes it nearly impossible for foreigners overseas to sue Chinese nationals while they're residing on Chinese soil. Theoretically, the Chinese government outlaws copyright and trademark violations, but their efforts in that respect are about on par with a few wine corks and some spackling compound plugging the San Andreas Fault to stop earthquakes.
All I can say is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so T11 should be flattered. I can practically guarantee you that they weren't made with the permission of anyone involved with the creation of the Artisan design, right down to the janitor who sweeps the floor in the stock room.
(Read 764 times)
