Knowing that your cosplay is being shown at conventions and used as an example of good work seems to be the most rewarding part of that art form. What happens though when somebody takes a contract you signed for photos from a year ago and turns that into a business selling you as a pillow? Marie Grey found this exact scenario happening to her over the past week and spoke up on her blog about the situation. Imagesolutions who was selling the pillows at AnimeNext was given rights by the convention to do so because of a release signed 1 year ago. Ms. Grey describes the event on her blog:
On Saturday evening, I received a tweet from my friend Carrie with a photo of me in my Dark Phoenix cosplay emblazoned on a pillow. She asked me if I was okay with it. Obviously…I was not. Upon getting my response, she spoke with the vendor (Eric of Imagesolutions), who claimed I had signed an agreement stating he could sell my image whichever way he pleased without asking. Once she got the head of the dealer’s room involved, it was a different story. Within an hour, I was informed that the vendor was ejected from the convention and would not be allowed back into the dealer’s room the following day.
Fast-forward to the following morning. I received a phone call from the head of the dealer’s room, informing me that the pillows were within the vendor’s right to sell because they were being marketed as promotional material for his services, something that was in fact allowed according to the agreement I signed in February 2012. He was allowed back into the convention center and continued to sell the pillows.
And this is where the problems lie. The services being promoted are moving digital images (literally, a cosplayer spinning around in a circle). Using a stationary photo on a pillow to market a moving image does not promote his services. His services listed on his website do not include pillow mass production, and is therefore out of the scope of his business. So how would this be allowed?
I hope this is something that can be fixed quickly. Thank god for Mr. Pearce who didn’t check her I.D. that she is over 18. The shit storm related to an underage woman would demolish him, but I’m hoping the shit storm related to selling women and men on pillows with their consent does it anyway. There’s no need to sexualize people especially cosplayers any further than our culture already does. Pillows don’t have to be strictly sexual but I can’t think of any reason to have a person on one, god knows my wife wouldn’t be cool with it. Let’s do the right thing internet and Mr. Pearce and pull this shit off the market please.