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back to article Defendant presents Playmobil rendering of court in court

A Maltese woman accused of fraud and breach of copyright for flogging Playmobil dioramas on eBay earned herself a few pints on the El Reg Bootnotes department yesterday by turning up in court with a miniature rendering of her own trial. Vicky Vassallo was dragged before the beak for selling "sets of Playmobil figures built …

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  1. MattW

    Don't do it!

    "Yeah, we know: Playmobil, or it didn't happen. A Playmobil representation of a woman in court presenting a Playmobil representation of the same scene? Hmmm..."

    An infinite Playmobil recursion could open a rift in the space time continuum.

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    1. Steve Gill
      Reply Icon

      but you could always use LEGO for the miniature model

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    2. David Grierson
      Reply Icon
      Angel

      Playmobception?

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    3. IsJustabloke
      Reply Icon
      Trollface

      Surely you mean...

      "An infinite Playmobil recursion could open a rift in the spacey wacey, timey whymey continuum." ?

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      1. Tharrick
        Reply Icon

        You forgot wibbley-wobbley?

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    4. minky
      Reply Icon
      Mushroom

      Imagine coupling that to a Google StreetView surveillance feedback loop and we could all get sucked into a space-time Mobius strip...

      Aiieeeeeeeeee

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  2. Studley

    No nesting!

    http://xkcd.com/878/

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  3. Kevin Johnston

    Recursive modelling

    OK, yes I am a sad git but....

    While growing up on the Isle of Wight we used to get taken to the model village in Godshill which includes a model of the model village which includes....only three iterations I think but a jolly good effort all the same.

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  4. Graham Marsden
    Happy

    "as long as people avoided...

    "...unwholesome scenes of violence and the like."

    Erm, I can think of a few Playmobil reconstructions by El Reg which might fall foul of this!!

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  5. Jim jimminy jim jim jim jim
    Coat

    "The Vassallo trial comes a couple of years after two Maltesers were accused of selling stolen Playmobil figures, some of them modified to show "knights holding decapitated bleeding heads and arrows lodged in the heads"."

    I can't wait to see the playmobil representation of a couple of chocolate confections trying to sell playmobil....

    3 1
    1. Dan 10
      Reply Icon

      You'll need to find new ways to be naughty...

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  6. stupormundi

    more recursion

    A Playmobil representation of The Register playmobile builders in court, presenting a Playmobil representation of themselves creating a Playmobil representation of a woman in court presenting ...

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  7. James Micallef Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Good on Ms Vassallo

    The court cases brought in my native country frequently make me cringe, it's good to see the inept members of our police force get a dose of reality:

    "The Superintendent said he did not have authorisation, but no official complaint was filed against him." What, he expected Skoda to file an official complaint for selling on his car or changing its tyres? IQ of a goldfish!

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  8. deshepherd

    @Recursive modelling

    Same at Bourton-on-the-water. There's a model of the the village, and in that there's a model of the model village which in turn contains a model of the modle of the model village ... again they give up after 3 levels of recursion(plus last one isn't particularily accurate!)

    Though, of more interest to my then 4-ish year-old son when we went there was the motor museum around the corner which is the home of "Brum"

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  9. DrXym

    I don't get the nature of the complaint

    The woman appears to be creating art from her own property. As long as she isn't palming off her creations as original Playmobil boxed sets, how can the manufacturer possibly have a case against her? I don't even see how the nature of the dioramas could give them cause for complaint even if they happened to be obscene which appears not to be the case either. It's her property, it's not licenced, it's hers.

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    1. Uncle Siggy
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      Trollface

      Dilutes the brand?

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      1. BristolBachelor Gold badge
        Reply Icon
        WTF?

        @uncle Siggy

        "Dilutes the brand"

        What? Her actions showing that you can use their product to compose all sorts of situations? Surely that is an advert; no?

        Hold on; it's late; I've been in a design review ALL day; is the troll icon an indicator of sarcasm?

        ¡Camarero, más sangria por favor!

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    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Stop

      Interestingly, Playmobil don't seem to be claiming that the items are counterfeit, which I would have thought would be a trademark violation anyway if she were using the "Playmobil" brand.

      I wonder how the term "copyright" is defined in Maltese law. Evidently very differently from the UK.

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  10. Thorsten

    Here's an article containing pictures of the set:

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110914/local/Fantasy-meets-reality-in-court-of-law.384614

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  11. diver_dave

    Enjoy

    @ MattW

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110914/local/Fantasy-meets-reality-in-court-of-law.384614

    Enjoy

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  12. Syraris
    Go

    Pictures of model of Court representation by Ms Vassallo Here

    Anyone intrested in seeing the model she showed the court, follow the link below.

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110914/local/Fantasy-meets-reality-in-court-of-law.384614

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  13. Naughtyhorse

    I think we should be told

    Just exactly when did them at 1 infinite loop acquire playmobile?

    and more to the point how on earth did the reg miss it.

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