[[SonicTheHedgehog http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-Sonicdrift2.png]]
[[caption-width:200:They so totally ripped off PolePosition]]


->''"That old Koopa may have thought he was super. But when you're talking ''SuperMarioBros'', there's just no substitute for the real thing!"''
-->--'''Toad''', ''TheSuperMarioBrothersSuperShow'', "Super Koopa"

->''It's a [[WritingAroundTrademarks Fargate]]! Not a {{Stargate}}! We'll put it in a wheelchair and give it a mohawk if we have to!"''
-->---'''Oglethorpe''', ''AquaTeenHungerForce'', "Universal Remonster"

So you're [[ReviewsAreTheGospel reading a review of the latest game to come down the pike]], and you find a line that [[SeenItAMillionTimes states said game is just like another title]]. And it is. Sorta. It may have been "[[FollowTheLeader inspired]]" by a more successful franchise, or it may be that the more successful franchise so changed the face of its medium that all future works in that medium demand a response.

One thing's for sure, though: The reviewer will act as though the similarity is all you need to know. It was BetterByADifferentName.

There's a high demand for innovation and new ideas, so if a new work has similarities to an older or more popular one, expect those similarities to be the dominant subject in discussion about the work, even if they're entirely superficial. Some people go on to say "if you can't come up with an original idea, don't even bother trying to make the game." Despite the fact that most original works get ignored because of lack of advertising or that it's just not a name brand that you'd be crazy not to try and pry ideas from another source.

Of course, many times creators do [[OlderThanYouThink 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]] off 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.

The error here is the automatic assumption that just because something is ''similar'', it can't have any value on its own merits. If everything that was derivative was that bad, it wouldn't be done so much. Some can actually be quite good on their own. See CloningGold.

This assumption can be infuriating to creators of products that are similar to products being designed simultaneously. Your options are to either reduce the quality of your work in order to get it out first, or be written off as a cheap imitation of your competitor's product (which ''they'' probably watered down to beat ''you'' out of the gate). Many "ripoffs" were in fact in development at the same time, but due to the development window for most modern media, could be released months or even years apart.

This is the justification behind [[{{Sequelphobic}} Sequelphobia]]. Compare OlderThanTheyThink. Not to be confused with TheyChangedItNowItSucks, where a sequel or an official adaptation changes an aspect of an original work for better [[AdaptationDecay or worse]]. Also not to be confused with [=~It's The Same Now It Sucks~=], the polar opposite.
----
'''Examples:'''

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''{{ScRyed}}'' is compared to ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'' a ''lot''. Sometimes considered a rip-off entirely and dismissed because of that and more.
** There was also that TV show called ''Mutant X'', where Mutant X was the name of a team of young adult mutant with superpowers (such as cat-like agility, SuperStrength, [[MindProbe telepathy]], [[IntangibleMan density shifting]], the [[PsychoElectro ability to throw lightning]]), formed by a scientist to defend the mutants and work for their integration in human society while an evil government conspiracy tried to capture or eliminate them and study them. [[{{XMen}} Sound familiar?]]
*** It should. The show was created by Marvel Studios, and the suing and counter suing between Marvel, Fox and Tribune is epic.
** ''{{Push}}'' gets similar treatment, despite having far fewer similarities. Most people seem to ignore the fact that StockSuperpowers were around before ''XMen''.
* ''DuelMasters'' had this issue in being compared to ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh}}!'' for a good while, and ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh}}!'' itself is scoffed at by fans of ''MagicTheGathering''.
** Which is interesting, because the author of {{Yu-Gi-Oh}}!! stated on a website that he based the card game in his series on ''MagicTheGathering''.
** And the ''DuelMasters'' card game (yes, there really is such a thing) is in turn produced by Wizards of the Coast, the ''makers'' of ''[[MagicTheGathering Magic: the Gathering]]''...which makes a kind of sense, since the game really does have more in common with Magic than with ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh}}!''.
* ''StrikeWitches'' is generally seen as a copy of ''SkyGirls'', but with {{Fanservice}} turned up a few notches, leading to its FanNickname of "Sky Girls no pantsu". This is a moot point, given that both are the brainchild of Shimada Humikane. By the way, have you seen those funky girl-machine hybrids dubbed Mecha Musume floating around imageboards before SG and/or SW premiered? [[OlderThanTheyThink Yeah, those were Humikane's original creation too, and they appeared first]], ''and'' trademarked. Not to mention the Busou Shinki line of toys he premiered.
** And Mecha Musume is just Humikane's brand. Mecha ''Shoujo'' was around quite a while before that.
* ''InitialD Arcade Stage'' fans like to do this to ''Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune''.
* Watching the first few episodes of ''{{GunxSword}}'' get it called ''{{Trigun}}'' [[InstantAwesomeJustAddMecha but with mechs]] and compared to many works like it. [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/gunxsword/dvd-1 One review]] even said that it was ripping off every major show it could, and how it obviously was made to pander to an American audience. Of course true fans of the show will know that it stands very strongly on its own.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* CaptainMarvel from Marvel is somehow accused of ripping off Captain Marvel from DC because [[NamesTheSame they have the same name]].
** Don't get anyone started on Namor and Aqua Man.
*** Or Hawkeye and GreenArrow.
*** Or GhostRider and {{Spawn}}.
** The Captain Marvel thing has led to several lawsuits back and forth between DC and Marvel. This is part of the reason that DC's Captain Marvel's comic is called [[IAmNotShazam SHAZAM!]] with the well known [[IAmNotShazam unfortunate consequences]].
*** ''Before'' DC owned the "Shazam!" Captain Marvel, they sucessfully sued Fawcett Publishing on the grounds that they invented the caped FlyingBrick. That Cap was a very different character beyond that didn't occur to them until they owned him, and suddenly realised there was room for both Big Blue and Big Red ''in the same universe''.
**** Back in the early 40s, the idea of a superhero in general was still quite new. It was only becoming a recognized genre, and so what are now genre tropes were seen as specific characteristics of Superman.
***** Perhaps, but it was in the 40s that DC introduced {{Aquaman}}, who was basically a prettier SubMariner. They were lucky that Timely (later renamed Marvel) weren't as quick with the lawyers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Name a movie, and the odds are that someone has derided it for elements it shares with another film. For example, the train fight in ''BatmanBegins'' is accused of being a rip-off of the one in ''Film/SpiderMan 2'', and many Disney films are accused of plagiarizing from anime.
** "The climactic duel is so cool! The huge scary badguy in the dark cloak fights our wry, skinny, clever hero to the death ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome inside a giant clock]]'' - even without having to fight one another they could get crushed at any moment! To say nothing of the poor young lady heroine..." Now, has this troper just described a scene from ''TheGreatMouseDetective'', or ''{{The Castle of Cagliostro}}''? (Believe it or not, the [[{{Disneyfication}} Disney version]] is actually [[AvertedTrope WAY darker]])
*** I thought it was {{Shanghai Knights}}.
* Do ''not'' ever start drawing comparisons between the new ''JamesBond'' series (starting with ''CasinoRoyale'') and the [[Film/TheBourneSeries Jason Bourne films]] in front of a large group of Bond fans. Half will agree with you and the other half will ''unleash the fury''.
** Then there's [[TheTransporter Frank Martin]], described by one reviewer as "a sort of third-party international man of mystery for those who think James Bond is too effete and Jason Bourne just doesn't have enough chest hair."
* ''{{Film/Beowulf}}'' was wrongfully accused of trying to rip off ''[=~300~=]'' because of the main character's signature phrase ''"I AM BEOWULF!"'' is somehow similar to ''"THIS IS SPARTAA!!!"''. How that becomes ''ripoff material'' is beyond some people. Let's also recall that [[ThisIsSparta we have an entire page full of examples of people yelling that way]], and that ''Beowulf'' [[AnimationLeadTime was filmed first, anyway.]]
** Before both of them, there was a film starring Leonidas himself, called ''Beowulf & Grendel''. For some reason, no-one ever knows about it.
* This troper has a mother who claimed ''[[{{D-War}} Dragon Wars]]'' was somehow trying to cash in on the movie ''Transformers'' despite the previews having a lack of StuffBlowingUp. ''[[MockBuster Transmorphers]]'', on the other hand...
* A lot of people figured ''The One'' was just a rip off of ''TheMatrix'', only with Jet Li and more bullet time sequences. Considering that it came out practically soon after the first Matrix film and uses many of the same conventions, it was bound to be met with a little negativity, regardless of the fact that the two movies could not be more different.
** While we're on the subject, ''anything'' remotely resembling "BulletTime" after ''TheMatrix''.
*** Even though ''MaxPayne'', which also used "bullet time", was in development before ''TheMatrix'' came out.
*** In the DVD commentary for ''{{Blade}}'' it's pointed out (tongue-in-cheek) that they used a Bullet Time scene first, so these should be regarded as ''Blade'' rip-offs.
* Despite [[OlderThanYouThink parody movies having been done back in the dawn of cinematic history]], a lot of the newer ones are long forgotten for trying to cash in on ''ScaryMovie''. Then again, Scary Movie did repopularize parody movies...
* ''CoolWorld'' by Ralph Bakshi, had been riddled with bad reviews for mainly trying to copy ''WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' because it used the same [[RogerRabbitEffect real-world/cartoon integration special effects]].
** Well that, and because ''CoolWorld'' was a steaming pile of crap.
* The ''ForrestGump'' vs. ''TheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButton'' debate. Both are written by the same screenwriter and detail the life of men with some sort of handicap that have similar story elements (chasing after the woman of their dreams, encountering various people, [[spoiler: the possibility of having a child with a similar handicap]] and feature inovative SpecialEffects. Both have their individual merits.
* ''{{Zathura}}'' had been scoffed at largely as a ''{{Jumanji}}'' ripoff.
** Presumably then, the people who think this didn't know both films [[SpiritualSuccessor were based on books written by the same person]], and then in the ''Zathura'' novel the Zathura game was found in the same box as the Jumanji game.
*** Which means that this is also RecycledInSpace...
* This is one of the reasons why TheNostalgiaCritic hates ''{{District9}}''
** What did it copy, exactly? It was basically an extended remake of the director's own "Alive on Joburg".
* George A. Romero's ''Diary of the Dead'' had the misfortune of being released a month after ''{{Cloverfield}}''.
** And even more on top of that was that it came out after O REC (The O stands for DOT on a handheld film camera), the Spanish original version of ''Quarantine''.
*** The latter movie having the same misfortune of this trope, considering it came out a year after REC.
** And all three had the misfortune of being released nine years after box-office hit ''TheBlairWitchProject''. Although ''Cannibal Holocaust'' did [[ApocalypticLog it]] [[OlderThanTheyThink first]].
* ''Thirteen Going On Thirty'', has often been criticized for ripping off on ''Film/{{Big}}'' - completely disregarding the fact that the former has TimeTravel in it, while the latter didn't.
** The RobinWilliams movie ''Jack'' was accused of ripping off ''Big'' as well. This was mostly by people who never saw the actual movie, [[NeverTrustATrailer just the trailers]]. ''Big'' was a comedy, ''Jack'' was a '''freaking''' '''''TearJerker'''''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Sadly, a lot of genres are accused of this, making it hard to find your way through when "The classics" will ''always'' be blowjobbed and placed on a ridiculously high pedestal. A ''lot'' of these accuers are, often Trolls, usually [[FanDumb culture aliens]] who don't know the common characteristics and [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch only really read one example of the genre]] (This example is often either SoBadItsHorrible or [[ComplainingAboutPeopleNotLikingTheShow granted Immunity to Criticism]] thanks to the NostalgiaFilter, with a huge rabid Fandom, or with a huge {{Hatedom}}.)
** Don't ever expect to write a fantasy novel without being told it's a ripoff of ''LordOfTheRings'' or ''HarryPotter''.
*** Any UrbanFantasy is usually called either "Weeaboo shit" or a ripoff of ''NeilGaiman''.
*** Unless you can clog HighFantasy up with all other sorts of stuff not native to the genre, then you better not be surprised when it's called a ripoff of ''LordOfTheRings'' or ''ASongOfFireAndIce''. Because that's probably ''never'' gonna happen.
** Don't even ''try'' and say your Science Fiction isn't a ripoff of ''StarWars'', ''StarTrek'', or anything by Isaac Asimov.
** You can argue all you want about how your romantic plot has ''nothing'' to do with ''RomeoAndJuliet'' or ''{{Twilight}}''...because they aren't listening. (Of course, when it comes to romance...you can bet your bottom a lot of your haters have [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch probably never even read your story.]])
*** And to be honest, if you're going for a love story, you could do a lot worse than Romeo and Juliet. Sure it's an old hat, but there's a reason it didn't drop off the radar.
**** [[OlderThanTheyThink And it's not like Romeo and Juliet was the first version of that particular plot...]]
** If you can get a horror novel past the "All horror is a ripoff of Stephen King" types, I will be ''very'' impressed.
** Should one ever manage to get a realistic fiction book about politics past the [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks you copied it and you suck]] card players, then you really should report yourself to the Guinesses book of world records...because that has almost ''never'' happened.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''{{Friends}}'' was constantly being accused of being a ''{{Seinfeld}}'' ripoff. However, anyone who actually follows both shows realizes that they have very different styles of humor.
* On a related note, ''LivingSingle'' is widely considered to be a ''Friends'' ripoff, despite the fact that the former premiered before the latter.
** And so is ''{{Coupling}}'' pretty much just because it has six leads, divided perfectly by gender.
*** ''And'' a LocalHangout where they sit on the only sofa! The only way it could be any ''more'' of a ripoff would be if, er, there was the slightest similarity in characterisation or humour...
** And ''TheDrewCareyShow'', mainly as the show focused on, well, a bunch of friends.
** Inverted in [[{{Channel4}} E4]] trailers for ''HowIMetYourMother'', which uses this as a selling point: "It's basically new episodes of ''{{Friends}}'' without boring ruddy Ross."
* There are people who watch ''SaturdayNightLive'' who seem completely incapable of enjoying any sketch that has a premise that's even remotely similar to another sketch from a previous season. Since the show has been on for more than 30 years, this means there aren't very many sketches they can enjoy.
* When ''{{Firefly}}'' first showed up, word among anime fans was that it was a Live Action Rip-Off of ''OutlawStar'', primarily due to the '[[GirlInABox naked girl in the box]] in the first episode' and the CoolShip. The two shows turned out to be very different, not in the least because ''Outlaw Star'' had 26 episodes and ''Firefly'' had 13 (and [[TheMovie a movie]]).
** Has no one noticed visual and some premise similarities that ''Firefly'' has to ''Starhunter''? Just the visual casting alone and such.
** ''OutlawStar'' itself got similar flack as a supposed rip-off of ''CowboyBebop'', mostly due to both being {{Sunrise}}-produced {{Space Western}}s with a relatively similar naming convention. Of course, not only do the similarities stop there, but ''OutlawStar'' technically [[OlderThanTheyThink predates]] ''Bebop'' as a manga series.
** To say nothing of the fact that Outlaw Star the anime began production several months before Cowboy Bebop.
* ''LittleBritain'' is frequently accused of ripping off ''TheLeagueOfGentlemen'' and ''TheFastShow''. In turn, ''TheCatherineTateShow'' gets flak for copying ''Little Britain.''
* ''{{Dinosaurs}}'' was thought by many to be a ripoff of ''TheSimpsons''. Seeing as how the former takes place in prehistoric times, this could even be in the same vein as ''TheHoneymooners'' and ''TheFlintstones''. One episode of TheSimpsons was a not-so-subtle TakeThat featuring the characters watching the show with Bart saying, "It's like they saw our lives and put it up on screen". A ''Dinosaurs'' episode also had Earl complain there was nothing original on TV, with Baby saying, "Don't have a cow, man".
* ''{{Hyperdrive}}'' is a sitcom about a bunch of incompetents on a spaceship. Although that's as far as the similarities with ''RedDwarf'' go, a few insist it's a blatant rip-off.
* ''FifthGear'' is often accused of being a rip-off of ''TopGear''.
* In {{Psych}}, Shawn walks up to a police department desk and identifies himself as a psychic. "Like ''TheMentalist'' only [[HypocriticalHumor not fake]]."
* A newer example that will likely only get worse: there is a good deal of ire directed at ''StargateUniverse'' by people claiming it's a rip-off of ''BattlestarGalactica''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* ''Extremely'' prevalent in music fandom/journalism. How many times have you heard "______ is just doing the same thing The Beatles did in the '60s"?
** Speaking of The Beatles, it would take no less than a miracle of God to get critics not to use this argument against Sean Lennon or any other musician related to a Beatle.
***Jakob Dylan has the same problem.
*** Hilariously lampshaded in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHBVnMf2t7w&e this video]]
* If you are an aspiring female singer-songwriter, don't bother. You ''will'' be called a ripoff of Joni Mitchell/ KateBush / ToriAmos /Regina Spektor/Alanis Morissette/Ani DiFranco etc. Sometimes, all of them at once.
* [[PostGrunge Post-grunge]] recieves a lot of flak from many people due to many bands' overexaggerated attempts to sound like {{Nirvana}}, PearlJam and AliceInChains.
** Parodied in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYd-Fs8Q15Y this]] MadTV sketch.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:ProfessionalWrestling]]
* {{TNA}} has been mocked as "{{WWE}} Lite" due to its occasional gimmicks and storylines similar to those used by "that promotion up north."
** Not to mention that they also hire many former WWE talents (Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Mick Foley, Taz, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Tara (Victoria), Team 3D (The Dudley Boys), Bobby Lashley, Elijah Burke, Stevie Richards, Matt Morgan, Rhino, and Shiek Abdul Bashir (Daivari) are all currently on the active TNA roster).
**Current Roster, add in what they've siphoned from the WWE development, previous workers, copied gimmicks...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The number ''one'' complaint about people who hate genres. Yes, some genres will be similar because they have common elements and gameplay features...but the argument is that they are ''the exact same'' as one thing. Naturally you can tell who DidNotDoTheResearch, since if you walk up to a hardcore FPS fan and say that every FPS is a copy of {{Halo}}, they'll rip right into you and then tell you about how wrong you are. Of course, RPGs apparently do not get this defense except by people who ''actually played them'' or isn't pulling it on all RPGs.
* Any sort of show or game with a [[{{Mon}} monster-collecting]] or -raising element as a {{sidequest}} or main premise will inevitably draw comparisions to the genre maker, ''{{Pokemon}}''.
** ''{{Bomberman}}'' has seen the harshest of criticism thus far with their Charaboms.
** Sometimes ''{{Digimon}}'' has the issue of being compared to ''[[{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'', [[OlderThanTheyThink despite the fact that the games came out a year later]]. This is a textbook case of ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch, as the existence of {{Mons}} is about the only thing the two franchises have in common.
***This argument really needs to stop. Pokemon was released in 1996 Digimon in 1997. [[ShinMegamiTensei Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei]] is older than both of them anyway.
***A strange example, the ''Rumble Arena'' series is almost invariably likened to ''Super Smash Bros.'' (although not necessarily seen as a negative) or, alternatively, attacked for ''not'' being like ''SSB''. Amusingly, ''Digimon World'' is occasionally accused of [[DidNotDoTheResearch ripping off]] ''Tamagotchi''. [[hottip:*: For those unaware, ''Digimon'' was conceived by Bandai, makers of ''Tamagotchi'', as - you guessed it - a ''Tamagotchi'' for boys.]]
* The original ''DarkCloud'' game was compared to ''TheLegendOfZelda''. Its sequel was, however, [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel much more well-received]].
** In a reversal, ''{{Okami}}'' was released a couple of months before ''Twilight Princess'', as Link turned into a wolf and the similarities between the games many said Nintendo had stolen the idea.
*** Which is kind of funny because this Troper thinks Okami is the closet Zelda game the PS2 got. But then it was ported to the Wii.
*** What about Shadow of the Colossus?
* Take a good look at any MascotRacer and find one person who doesn't compare it to ''MarioKart'', and belittle it for trying to cash in on it.
** Likewise, any Party Game with a board element in it will inevitably be compared to ''MarioParty'', unless it's a video game adaption of ''{{Monopoly}}'' or the like.
* Several people note that [[FollowTheLeader Sony's peripheral devices are rip-offs of Nintendo's controllers]]. From the SNES-like design, to the rumble, the control sticks and, most recently, the motion sensor technology and connectivity between consoles and portables, Sony has been accused of being a copycat.
** Despite Rumble being an arcade feature at the time, the controller design coming from the Vectrex, the sticks coming from the Atari 5200 (historically, the first games system with analogue joysticks), and connectivity coming from the Dreamcast. Nintendo rips something off, Sony does it twice.
** Even the first Playstation was originally meant to be an SNES peripheral, so it goes back quite a ways.
*** Specifically, it was originally Nintendo's attempt to rip off the Sega CD
* Microsoft has likewise been getting a lot of this, such as with their version of Nintendo's Wiis.
** Microsoft has been fielding similar accusations from Apple's [[FanDumb faithful]] for years, who seem to honestly believe that Apple invented the WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers) interface paradigm. [[OlderThanTheyThink For the record, Xerox did it first]].
*** This troper saw an analysis in Edge magazine many moons ago which nicknamed Windows 95 as Mac 89.
*** Xerox is the user interface bicycle: Everyone's had a ride.
**** This is actually considered the Microsoft buisness model, where they wait for a market to flourish, then buy their way into it. From Internet Explorer, to XBox, to Zune to now Bing, Microsoft lives off this trope.
* A new game in development, called ''Wiki'', looks ''very'' similar to ''TheLegendOfZelda: The Wind Waker''. Nintendo was already on Sony's case about it.
** Similarly, many people accused ''Starfox Adventures'' of trying to be too much like a ''{{Zelda}}'' game.
** On the other hand, is anybody really ''surprised'' that a game called "Wiki" is building on other developers' work?
*
* ''FinalFight: Streetwise'' was accused of trying to cash in on the ''GrandTheftAuto'' franchise. Then again, you can't blame them: the market has thousands of titles just about [[FollowTheLeader trying to be like San Andreas]]. If you thought that was bad, check out the quantity of {{First Person Shooter}}s and war simulation games right now (especially the ones that take place ''[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: [[A Space Marine Is You IN SPACE! ]]
]]'')
* ''SonicTheHedgehog's'' spinoffs are frequently accused of copying from Mario's lineup of spinoffs. Then again, Mario [[{{Ptitle7gjriinhz0xc}} has starred in nearly every genre imaginable]].
** The Werehog was accused of being a GodOfWar ripoff simply due to [[FanDumb Sonic's arms being stretchy]].
* "Like ''WorldOfWarcraft'' but..." syndrome has begun to really invade [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMO[=RPGs=]]], due to said game's amazing economic success. In particular, user interfaces and tutorial zones tend to be described as ''WorldOfWarcraft'' [[RecycledINSPACE in SPACE]] or transplanted to other fantasy series (occasionally even other games that [[OlderThanTheyThink came out first]]). This isn't always a bad thing -- ''WorldOfWarcraft'' wouldn't have been successful if it had a bad UI or especially boring early quests -- but a lot of reviewers spend two or three days in a new game and advocate sticking with the precursor.
** "It's like WOW" has become a common complaint about ''DungeonsAndDragons Fourth Edition'', despite the fact that many of the alleged WOW elements started in [[OlderThanYouThink D&D itself]].
* Done to Hell and back with ShootEmUps. "It's the same shit from [insert any year between 1978 and 1989] years ago, so it sucks." Never mind that comparing ''SpaceInvaders'' to a BulletHell game like ''{{Touhou}}'' would be like comparing an Integra to a Viper.
* Speaking of WorldOfWarcraft, let's not forget the "It's HighFantasy for the LowestCommonDemoniator" or "It's just a ripoff of Lord of the Rings". But you can bet 90% of these people are trolls who are just mindless anti-fans who don't know how they practically have nothing in common with each other beyond common HighFantasy traits and some nods to it. (Such as the human male joke about the "Ruler of the bracelet" due to the movies being released around the time WoW was, and icecrown having similar architecture) If you're saying WorldOfWarcraft is a ripoff of Lord of the Rings, you '''''also''''' have to say Warhammer is to escape the fallacy, because by your logic, all HighFantasy is LordOfTheRings.
* During the development of ''{{Quake}} II'' and ''{{Unreal}}'', members of id and Epic's teams would often sling mud at eachother in their public .plan files, which reached the point of one of Unreal's staff members openly accusing the team at id of stealing ideas from Unreal. His justification? ''"[[http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/june03/dumbestmoments/index2.shtml Unreal has a bald guy and a girl with a ponytail. Quake II has a bald guy and a girl with a ponytail]]."''
* Fans of RhythmGames are divided over whether ''In The Groove'' is this and had [[ScrewedByTheNetwork it]] coming for being too ''DanceDanceRevolution''-like or CloningGold that shouldn't have had its life cut short.
* There have been accusations of ''Tiki Towers'' being a ripoff of ''WorldOfGoo'', despite using slightly different gameplay mechanics.
* ''{{Xenogears}}'': Red head heroine, Giant robots and religious tones: "This is an ''{{Evangelion}}'' rip-off", said some [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch uninformed fans of the anime]]. The usual answer they get is "Xenogears is '''very different''': the story actually makes sense".
** ''Eva'' makes sense too...[[MindScrew allegedly]], if you read the [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary materials]] in the [[NoExportForYou Japan-only games]].
** YourMileageMayVary; plenty of people don't think Xenogears makes much sense either.
* Fans of [=JRPGs=] constantly say that [=FPSes=] are a ripoff of games like ''{{Doom}}'' and ''Wolfenstein 3D'', and likewise fans of [=FPSes=] and "Sandbox games" say the same about [=JRPGs=]. Despite that obviously neither of them have played anymore than the actual ripoffs or games trying to be "Traditional".
** Whenever a game with a few similarities to ''GrandTheftAuto'' is released, it is automatically compared to ''GTA'' or even considered a ''GTA'' rip off.
** Western [=RPGs=] and [=MMORPGs=] have somehow managed to escape being flagged as a ripoff of ''{{Dungeons and Dragons}}''.
*** Some times, it's because they actually license DungeonsAndDragons and implement the rule set - you can't rip off your own license, can you?
*** Keyword being ''sometimes''. ''TheElderScrolls'' has "Dungeons and Dragons" written over every square inch of Tamriel (Even the blank space in Daggerfall), tell me with a straight face KnightsOfTheOldRepublic's combat ''wasn't'' derived from Dungeons and Dragons. And don't get started on Ultima or any [=MMORPG=] is practically using an actual rulebook.
** Most [=MMOFPSes=] have somehow managed to escape being widely compared to other games with similar goals or even ''{{Counter-Strike}}''.
* Some people are bashing ''{{TMNT}}: Smash Up'', because it has the ''SuperSmashBros.'' engine, panning it because they think it will be Super Smash Bros. [[{{INSPACE}} with Turtles]], but the gameplay is showing that there are some differences, namely that there are health meters rather then stock damage, the enviroments change consistently, and guard breaks are different, and the people developing the game in question? The team who MADE Super Smash Bros., as well as Team Ninja, so they're really bashing themselves.
* I'm not sure if there was any back then, but I'm pretty sure ''DuckTales'' or ''DarkwingDuck'' may have been labeled ''MegaMan'' ripoffs because of similar engines (Okay, Darkwing Duck used the ''MegaMan 5'' engine, but still), Ducktales had it's own original gameplay though, your weapon didn't shoot plasma at the opponent, you had to use Scrooge's cane as a weapon, pogo stick (not making that up), and to trigger things, ''DarkwingDuck'' works a little more similar to Megaman, so it's slightly more justified, the only difference? You can grab a hold of something to get higher in the stage.
** And you know what's more interesting? ''DuckTales'' is one of the few liscensed games to have a piece of memorable music, The Moon, it's recognized as one of the best NES music pieces out there, even making it to number 6 on GameTrailers Top 10 Video Game Theme Songs.
* Possibly averted with MassEffect and KnightsOfTheOldRepublic. There is a stunning amount of similarity between the two, to the point of sharing main plotlines and endings, abilities, similar puzzles (Tower of Hanoi puzzle, Quasar/Pazaak), similar mechanics (The Citadel feels an awful lot like Taris, and the Rapid Transit system has seen some track time as well...), but nowhere has ThisTroper found any backlash about it.
** Which is strange, because the main complaint about JadeEmpire is that it was KOTOR in China. All three games were made by the same developer.
* ''ThrillDrive'', a popular game that ran contrary to ''BurnOut'' concept of taking out other cars in a violent matter had a 4th installation that ran contrary to everything that made Thrill Drive the game it was with PowerUp items, a system that encourage maximum carnage as well as BoostPad, Japanese fans were not too amused
* This is what is happening to the yet-to-be-released ''HAVEOnline'', given that in the trailers it looked almost ridiculously similar to popular game ''TeamFortress2''.
** Not just ''similar'', people were finding exact shots ripped off from TF2's trailers.
* KillerInstinct was accused of this for trying to be like MortalKombat.
* The later ''Driver'' games tried to be like ''GrandTheftAuto'', and failed, apparently [[FranchiseKiller killing the franchise]].
* FZero fans occasionally consider {{Wipeout}} a rip-off.
* RockBand fans often claim GuitarHero stole any number of ideas, the most notable one being full band play.
* Any Stealth-Action Game will inevitably get compared to and get accused of copying either {{Metal Gear Solid}} or {{Syphon Filter}}
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Despite good reception overrall, ''TheIncredibles'' was scoffed at for being [[{{Understatement}} somewhat]] of a ripoff of the FantasticFour (rather than as it was clearly intended, an affectionate [[SatireParodyPastiche pastiche]]), considering 3 of the family members have the same powers save for Dash.
** Realistically, it was only two. Mr. Incredible was more of an {{homage}} to 40's era {{Superman}}. That, and y'know, he wasn't made entirely of rock.
** ''{{Cars}}'' also received some mild bashing for being ''DocHollywood'' [[RecycledINSPACE with automobiles!]] - not enough to dent {{Pixar}}'s track record, though.
* And let us not forget that every adult animated series after 1990 copied ''{{The Simpsons}}''. Never mind that there would be no Simpsons without a little show called ''{{The Flintstones}}''.
** Nor would there be Flintstones without ''TheHoneymooners''.
*** A fact lampshaded on ''TheSimpsons'' when in court deciding who owned the rights to Itchy and Scratchy--Roger Meyers pointed out shows that owed there existence to earlier shows, naming ''TheFlintstones'' and ''TheHoneymooners'', then asking the judge "If you take away our right to steal ideas, where are they going to come from?"
* There's a rather large controversy on the internet regarding whether or not ''TheLionKing'' is a rip-off of the classic anime series ''KimbaTheWhiteLion''. Comparisons between the two can be seen here- [[http://www.kimbawlion.com/rant2.htm Yeah, a LOT of similarities, aren't there?]]
** This was even referenced in ''TheSimpsons'' in which [[TheLionKing Mufasa]] appears in the clouds to Lisa and says-"Kimba...I mean...Simba...avenge me."
**Except for the fact that the actual stories are as different as night and day.
**And pointing out the tuft of hair on top of the head really isn't worth mentioning. Ever hear of Chip and Dale? Oliver? Baloo?
***''Or'' {{Bambi}}? ''Or'' [[{{TheFoxAndTheHound}} Todd]]?
** Not as many as ''{{Hamlet}}'' and the African ''Tale Of Sundiata'', the former of which probably ripped off the latter ({{Shakespeare}} being Shakespeare).
***Though the people behind Lion King did give credit to {{Hamlet}}, at least. There probably be lessing [[{{InternetBackdraft}} ranting]] if they at least said there was similarities.
** When you consider that the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y14TwUGQ3xE ending they originally had planned]] kinda hits the nail home
**Though Osamu Tezuka's actually copied off of Disney's style of animation.
***Out of admiration.
*The more [[SeriousBusiness rabid fans]] of ''DannyPhantom'' accused the series ''AmericanDragonJakeLong'' of being a rip-off of the former...even though all they had in common was that they are about a HalfHumanHybrid with supernatural powers. If that wasn't crazy enough, the ''AmericanDragonJakeLong'' fans then began to accuse ''TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' of being a rip-off. Ironic, considering that [[OlderThanTheyThink shows/cartoons starring a teen with supernatural powers have been around since at least the 1960s.]]
* ''SquirrelBoy'' gets this, as the haters blame Rodney and Andy for copping... [[FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Mac and Bloo]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Don't ''ever'' do reviews on YouTube, unless you want to be labeled an [[TheAngryVideoGameNerd AVGN]] ripoff.
** And there are videos on YouTube calling the [=AVGN=] a Seanbaby ripoff. This is probably in part because they've reviewed many of the same games, but the comments are not the same.
* Many Abridged series are dismissed just for copying LittleKuriboh, regardless of whether they have different jokes or even parody the series differently. This can come off as a bit hypocrital, given Kuriboh's own heavy reliance on pop culture references.
** ''NarutoAbridged'' made fun of this.
-->You're copying Little Kuriboh! He said the word "the", and you so said it in your last episode!
*** Since The Abridged Genre runs on FollowTheLeader, this was inevitable...
** Aaaaaand LittleKuriboh just put a TakeThat in his last episode, where he implied the NarutoAbridged had a dead fanbase. Complete with rimshot.
--> Yugi: "They had a Fanbase?"
--> Yami: "Touche."
* Many people on DeviantART are just eager to pounce on people that copied (just short of actually taking the person's work) artwork off someone else or made a similar picture, whether by accident or on purpose. Even putting characters in similar poses will get many people flamed because "true art" is original. The mentality can get so bad that all it takes is one artist making a journal crying that someone ripped off his or her work and the people responding go and flame the hell out of the target.
** Never '''EVER''' draw in anything that's even remniscent of anime. Period. You will immmediatly be told that you copied and now it sucks. Never '''ever''' draw fanart. You are copying.
** One art thief actually tried to use this to her advantage. Jen "Spunkywulf" Seng is a very popular artist and animator, especially in the Furry Fandom. An artist named "Mochi" may have traced her art and that of others. After Jen and her friend tried to discuss it privately, Mochi wrote a journal entry making Jen out to be some sort of elitist who was begrudging Mochi being "inspired" by her work, presumably expecting Jen to be cowed by the flames of Mochi's few hundred fans. Unfortunately, Jen herself has ''thousands'' of fans, and she was perfectly willing to call Mochi out. [[http://www.crushyiffdestroy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3358 Hilarity ensued]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Romans liked to copy Greek art, often making perfect replicas in marble. Among artistic communities, it's often thought that this copying made the Romans less worthy, artistically speaking. Of course, even today with complicated techniques and high-tech tools, it's very hard to make an exact copy.
** Which says something about the pretentiousness of the art world.
*** Or that good talent shouldn’t be wasted on rehashing old stuff.
[[/folder]]
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