Merlin football stickers didn't get duped. So why should Labubus?

𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗱. 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗯𝘂𝘀?

I jokingly asked my friend's kids if he'd bought them a Labubu.

𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲.

He hadn't. Said he 'refused to queue'.
But it's okay. They had 𝘥𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘴.

What started as a joke turned into a parenting debate about fakes.

In the 90's we didn't 𝘥𝘰 dupes.
We had:
• Merlin football stickers
• Pogs
• Yoyos
• Gogos

Back then, fakes were shameful. You'd get rinsed at school.

But today, virality accelerates crazes.
And with it? A flood of hooky look-a-likes.

Here's how to protect creators against the dupe deluge:

𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. Protects shape + configuration. Cheap and powerful.
𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀. Go beyond the name. Register logos. Even the face.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Fonts. Typefaces. The look-and-feel matters.
𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. Keep receipts of every sketch, drawing, photo.
𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵. Target take-downs. Don't whack every mole.
𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘀. Think 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘹. Community isn't a threat, it's fuel. Prepare brand guidelines.

Bottom line is...
You can't stop culture from remixing.
But you 𝘤𝘢𝘯 protect what makes you original.