History Main / TheyCopiedItSoItSucks

* ''Film/TheIsland'' is frequently accused of ripping-off the extremely obscure TV movie ''Film/{{Clonus}}'', mostly known for being featured on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. After [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]] fans compiled a list of a hundred similarities between the movie, ''Clonus'' producer Robert S. Fiveson would sue Dreamworks and a court would rule that he had a prima facie case of infringement. Before the case went to trial, Dreamworks would settle privately out of court.

Compare OlderThanTheyThink. Compare and sometimes contrast with SeinfeldIsUnfunny when the original suffers due to the amount (and sometimes the quality) of similar works released later. Contrast NotSoCheapImitation, when the "copying" work ends up being regarded as on par with or even superior to its inspiration. Not to be confused with TheyChangedItNowItSucks, where a sequel or an official adaptation changes an aspect of an original work for better or worse. Also not to be confused with ItsTheSameNowItSucks, the polar opposite.

Compare OlderThanTheyThink. Compare and sometimes contrast with SeinfeldIsUnfunny when the original suffers due to the amount (and sometimes the quality) of similar works released later. Not to be confused with TheyChangedItNowItSucks, where a sequel or an official adaptation changes an aspect of an original work for better or worse. Also not to be confused with ItsTheSameNowItSucks, the polar opposite.

See also ItsBeenDone and BetterByADifferentName. Related to UsefulNotes/{{Plagiarism}}, which takes this trope to its logical extreme by directly ripping off entire unchanged portions of another work. [[AndThatsTerrible And that's a sucky thing to do]]. Not to be confused with ShoddyKnockoffProduct and TheMockbuster, which is for works which ''do'' copy other works and ''do'' suck.

* ''VideoGame/WorldDaiStarYumeNoStellarium'' got this right out of the date from ''VideoGame/ProjectSekai'' players due to its gameplay being quite similar to that of the latter, right down to the variable-width notes and 12-lane hallway-perspective gameplay. It does have some notable differences such as hold notes with flick notes within them, the release of hold notes not being timed, accuracy scoring being the main scoring system outside of Audition mode (which is very unusual for {{gacha|Games}} idol {{rhythm game}}s, as many of them solely use scoring systems based both on player performance ''and'' card parameters, resulting in a BribingYourWayToVictory situation), and a dedicated difficulty for multi-finger charts, but it hasn't stopped many ''Project Sekai'' players from protesting the game as a "''[=ProSeka=]'' ripoff", resulting in a FandomRivalry between the two games' player bases.

* ''VideoGame/WorldDaiStarYumeNoStellarium'' got this right out of the date from ''VideoGame/ProjectSekai'' players due to its gameplay being quite similar to that of the latter, right down to the variable-width notes and 12-lane hallway-perspective gameplay. It does have some notable differences such as hold notes with flick notes within them, the release of hold notes not being timed, accuracy scoring being the main scoring system outside of Audition mode (which is very unusual for {{gacha|Game}} idol {{rhythm game}}s, as many of them solely use scoring systems based both on player performance ''and'' card parameters, resulting in a BribingYourWayToVictory situation), and a dedicated difficulty for multi-finger charts, but it hasn't stopped many ''Project Sekai'' players from protesting the game as a "''[=ProSeka=]'' ripoff", resulting in a FandomRivalry between the two games' player bases.

* ''VideoGame/WorldDaiStarYumeNoStellarium'' got this right out of the date from ''VideoGame/ProjectSekai'' players due to its gameplay being quite similar to that of the latter, right down to the variable-width notes and 12-lane hallway-perspective gameplay.

* The most common criticism leveled against ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' is that it is a ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]'' clone, though both were created for Nintendo.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' gets a lot of hate for copying mechanics from its competitors. ''VideoGame/PlayerunknownsBattlegrounds'' fans ''and'' the developers accused the game of being a rip-off since it too is a 100 player battle royale game and Epic Games admitted that the mode was inspired by that game. Likewise, ''Apex Legends'' fans weren't too pleased when the game added a ping system and teammate respawn mechanic just a month after the release of their game.
** Likewise, it occasionally has the issue of being compared to ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', due to both being free-to-play multiplayer shooters with goofy humor and more colorful graphics.

-->-- '''Otto''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "Monty Can't Buy Me Love"

* ''Anime/PokemonRangerAndTheTempleOfTheSea'' is probably more well known nowadays as rehash of the Misty and Togepi arc from the original ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime, with Manaphy regarding May as its mother throughout the movie.

* ''WesternAnimation/CoconutFredsFruitSaladIsland'' was hated by many for being a ripoff of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. It doesn't help that [[Creator/RobPaulsen the main character's voice actor]] [[OldShame felt this way as well.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'' gets a lot of flak by some who feel that it's nothing more than a cheap ripoff of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' due to similarities between the main characters (a WideEyedIdealist and [[ThePollyanna Pollyanna]] with a FatIdiot [[FatBestFriend Best Friend]] and genius female friend while annoying a {{Jerkass}} who hates him).

* ''WesternAnimation/ScaredySquirrel'' has a number of haters who accuse it of copying ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. The reality is that the show is based on a [[Literature/ScaredySquirrel book series of the same name]] (albeit InNameOnly), and the two shows don't really have much in common anyway aside from the characters having vaguely similar personalities.

* In their memoirs, SilentFilms actresses Creator/LillianGish and Miriam Cooper both mentioned their distaste for Carol Dempster, who became D.W. Griffith's leading lady in the 1920s after Gish and Cooper had moved on. They both claimed that Dempster was not a true actress because—according to them—she imitated their acting styles and the acting styles of other actresses, including Gish's sister Dorothy. (They did not consider this to be the SincerestFormOfFlattery.) While Dempster was no shining light of the silent screen—partly because Griffith's creativity seemed to run out of steam after his A-list stars left him—her films were somewhat popular at the time. This also shows a rather different attitude to acting to today's—seeing as now, being able to mimic and change one's acting style radically would usually be considered artistically superior to having an 'acting style' that someone ''could'' replicate obviously enough to be recognised!

** Also, shows like ''WesternAnimation/LittlestPetShop2012'' which look like either they were purpose-made to copy the success of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' including the massive PeripheryDemographic by copying as much as possible from ''[=MLP:FiM=]'' without looking too much like a rip-off, or they would actually succeed in luring people away from the ponies in masses by doing that.

** This is the general reaction of people who know the series for ''WesternAnimation/FillyFuntasia''. German bronies are fully aware that Filly was introduced (2009) before ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' premiered in North America (2010) or even in Germany (2011), and that it is a rip-off of already ugly ''Franchise/MyLittlePony G3.5''. However, Simba who had acquired the ''Filly'' license for Germany had pretty much flooded all kinds of stores with ''Filly'', and since ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' sales were dwindling to next to no advertisement at all, they ruled supreme over the "colorful little equines" market.\\
The result was that ''Filly'' became a favorite of little girls who didn't even know that ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' existed. Thus, ''Filly'' could be found everywhere from supermarkets to gas stations to drugstores whereas ''MLP'' — even after the release of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the fourth generation'' when there was already a growing number of bronies in Germany — was absent from the "pink shelves" at the majority of toy stores because the retailers believed that nobody would buy ''MLP'' since everyone wanted ''Filly''. Some shop clerks had gotten so used to ''Filly'''s near-monopoly that they believed that ''Filly'' and ''MLP'' were all the same. This was what actually enraged German bronies about ''Filly'': It left no space for ''[=MLP:FiM=]''.\\
Nowadays, ''MLP'' is much more common, but not because the retailers took into consideration that ''Filly'' toys had actually been discovered to be potential health hazards, nor because they understood that ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' is superior to anything colorful-horse-related that came before it, nor because they discovered how they could draw lots of money out of bronies' pockets, but because Simba lost their ''Filly'' license, so German retailers couldn't stock up on ''Filly'' anymore, and also because ''MLP'' was licensed to companies who were already present in German stores like Nici, Ty or Build-a-Bear.

-->-- '''Otto''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''

* Creator/DreamWorksAnimation was commonly seen this way early on in its history; the worst offenders were ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale'', respectively seen as copies of Disney/Pixar's ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' and ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' (it didn't help that [[DuelingWorks the former examples came out in the same year]]). Comparisons between ''WesternAnimation/BeeMovie'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'', ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' and ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' (or ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc''), ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' (the latter is a Warner Bros. film, of course), and even ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' and ''Franchise/TheIncredibles'' are also common. This eventually faded, however, as [=DreamWorks=] [[GrowingTheBeard developed its own identity]] and shook off its reputation of being a maker of Disney and other animation studios rip-offs, with ''WesternAnimation/{{How to Train Your Dragon|2010}}'' being a SpiritualSuccessor to ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'' (right down to [[Creator/ChrisSanders sharing]] [[Creator/DeanDeblois directors]]).

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008 Hulk Smash]], [[Film/TheAmazingBulk Bulk Trash!]]]]

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%% Please see thread to discuss a replacement.

Of course, many times creators do [[OlderThanTheyThink borrow ideas from another work]] as inspiration to create new stories and concepts. Considering that just about everything has been done, it's difficult to properly think of something new and fresh. This is not always the case, however, as sometimes creators [[FollowTheLeader deliberately try to copy]] a [[CashCowFranchise particular franchise]] as soon as its success becomes evident. They will immediately try to make something to compete—and most of the time it will fail miserably because it was rushed or just implemented poorly. Other times it might come up with a really cool and ingenious new spin on the idea, and still never reach the same kind of popularity as its competition because somehow being too much like the original is deplorable.

-->--'''Otto''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''

->''"If you are yourself then people will pay attention. If you are nothing but a fucking bitch living in somebody else's shadow then you are going to be recognized as such. As a bitch in their shadow."''
-->-- '''WebVideo/AlphaOmegaSin''', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR5y8ATKAZQ 10 Things I hate about gaming (SMS Video Response)]]"

* ''Anime/PokemonRangerAndTheTempleOfTheSea'' is probably more well known nowadays as rehash of the Misty and Togepi arc from the original ''Pokemon'' anime, with Manaphy regarding May as its mother throughout the movie.

[[quoteright:300:[[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2023_06_21_at_64949_pm.png]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:300:Well, that went DownTheDrain.]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:Well, that went DownTheDrain.]].]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:Well, that went [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DownTheDrain|down the drain.]].]]-]

* ''WesternAnimation/AngelsFriends'' was accused of being a rip-off of ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'', which was accused of being a rip-off of WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}, which was accused of being a rip-off of ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', which was accused of being a rip-off of ''ComicBook/WonderWoman''.

[-[[caption-width-right:300:Well, that went [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DownTheDrain]].]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:Well, that went down the drain.]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:I wonder if they figured out that they copied a masterpiece...]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:300:I wonder if they figured out that they copied a masterpiece...]]-]