History Main / SerialNumbersFiledOff

->''"I was not worried by my lack of local legal money, my lack of tangible assets of any sort. A beautiful summer day in Iowa leaves no room for worry. I could work and would-spreading manure if that was the sort of work available. And I would soon spread manure of another sort, moonlighting nights and Sundays. In 2177 Evelyn Fingerhut had not yet retired, so pick some new pen names and sell him the same old tripe. The same stories-just file off the serial numbers.''

->''File off the serial numbers, change the body lines a bit. give it a new paint job, switch it over the state line, and it's yours!- that's the secret of literary success. Editors always claim to be looking for new stories but they don't buy them; they buy "mixture as before." Because the cash customers want to be entertained, not amazed, not instructed, not frightened."''

->''[The little boy] walks away, and is immediately pursued by a creature that's so obviously a [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] rip-off that I won't hear arguments to the contrary, should they even exist.''

-->--'''Couch Baron''' in TelevisionWithoutPity's recap of the ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Killed by Death"

->''[The little boy] walks away, and is immediately pursued by a creature that's so obviously a [[NightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] rip-off that I won't hear arguments to the contrary, should they even exist.''

[[caption-width-right:350:What? Chick'N Bash is an ''AngryBirds'' ripoff? No, see, there's a chicken and the pigs are pink instead of green. It's ''completely'' different.]]

->    I was not worried by my lack of local legal money, my lack of tangible assets of any sort. A beautiful summer day in Iowa leaves no room for worry. I could work and would-spreading manure if that was the sort of work available. And I would soon spread manure of another sort, moonlighting nights and Sundays. In 2177 Evelyn Fingerhut had not yet retired, so pick some new pen names and sell him the same old tripe. The same stories-just file off the serial numbers.
->    File off the serial numbers, change the body lines a bit. give it a new paint job, switch it over the state line, and it's yours!- that's the secret of literary success. Editors always claim to be looking for new stories but they don't buy them; they buy "mixture as before." Because the cash customers want to be entertained, not amazed, not instructed, not frightened.''
->- Richard Campbell in Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/TheCatWhoWalksThroughWalls''

%% Image source: the web game "Chick'N Bash"
[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/ChickNBash http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chicknbash_4767.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:What? ''AngryBirds'' ripoff? No, see, there's a chicken and the pigs are pink instead of green. It's ''completely'' different.]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chicknbash_4767.jpg]]

%%Source: the web game "Chick'N Bash"

->- Richard Campbell in RobertAHeinlein's ''TheCatWhoWalksThroughWalls''

->- Richard Campbell in Robert A. Heinlein's ''The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

[[caption-width-right:350:I'M NOT [[AngryBirds ANGRY BIRDS]]! I'M MY OWN ORIGINAL GAME, BLANGRY BLIRDS!]]

->    File off the serial numbers, change the body lines a bit. give it a new paint job, switch it over the state line, and it's yours!- that's the secret of literary success. Editors always claim to be looking for new stories but they don't buy them; they buy "mixture as before." Because the cash customers want to be entertained, not amazed, not instructed, not frightened.
->- Richard Campbell in Robert A. Heinlein's ''The Cat Who Walks Through Walls''

%%No examples please. This only defines a fandom term.

[[caption-width-right:350:I'M NOT {{ANGRY BIRDS}}! I'M MY OWN ORIGINAL GAME, BLANGRY BLIRDS!]]
->    I was not worried by my lack of local legal money, my lack of tangible assets of any sort. A beautiful summer day in Iowa leaves no room for worry. I could work and would-spreading manure if that was the sort of work available. And I would soon spread manure of another sort, moonlighting nights and Sundays. In 2177 Evelyn Fingerhut had not yet retired, so pick some new pen names and sell him the same old tripe. The same stories-just file off the serial numbers.
->    File off the serial numbers, change the body lines a bit. give it a new paint job, switch it over the state line, and it's yours!- that's the secret of literary success. Editors always claim to be looking for new stories but they don't buy them; they buy "mixture as before." Because the cash customers want to be entertained, not amazed, not instructed, not frightened.

Fanfic writers will sometimes convert their fanfics into original properties as an AscendedFanfic. In the event that the original fanfic is available, you can actually directly see which character was filed off into which character.

No examples please. This only defines a fandom term.

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[[caption-width-right:350:I'M NOT ANGRY BIRDS! I'M MY OWN ORIGINAL GAME, BLANGRY BLIRDS!]]

Compare MissionPackSequel (when a follow-up is almost just like the first game), BetterByADifferentName, SpiritualSuccessor, TheyCopiedItSoItSucks, RecycledScript, DivorcedInstallment.

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%% Just defines the use of a phrase in fandom. No examples needed.
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->''"{{Bioshock}} isn't'' like ''SystemShock 2. It'' is ''System Shock 2."''
-->--''ZeroPunctuation''

->"{{Bioshock}} isn't ''like'' SystemShock 2. It ''is'' System Shock 2."

When a FollowTheLeader seems to be almost exactly like the leader, just with "the SerialNumbersFiledOff". The blatant copying of characters and plot is on a level that would make even makers of TheMockbuster blush.

->''{{Bioshock}} isn't "like" SystemShock 2. It ''is'' System Shock 2.''

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-->{{Bioshock}}'' isn't "like" ''SystemShock 2''. It '''IS''' ''System Shock 2''.''\\
--ZeroPunctuation

Contrast DolledUpInstallment, InNameOnly (both are when a work seems to have the serial numbers of another work scribbled on), PopStation (a ripoff that seeks to look like a work, but is a very poor copy).

Compare MissionPackSequel (when a follow-up is almost just like the first game), BetterByADifferentName, SpiritualSuccessor, TheyCopiedItSoItSucks, RecycledScript.