Schleich Chinese copies... I'm confused!

I don't know enough about the process to be of much credible help, but here are my two cents on the topic.

Most of the copies I've seen are somehow altered, usually smaller or bigger than the licensed figure (the original Schleich dog or whatever). They are usually a different color scheme too (though I've seen obvious impersonators, the Schleich Aussie adult for instance). I'd imagine that legal or illegal possession depends on each case (i.e. AAA has produced figures for multiple brands, as have Maia and Borges etc.)

I don't buy them as a general rule, ones on ebay are tempting (there are so many bootleg wolves that actually appear better painted than the original model) but since they charge so much obviously someone profits off them... where as I've seen many Papo, Safari, and Schleich knockoffs at the dollar store and have only ever bought one, not a knock off, but a comically ugly arctic wolf no one would bootleg. So I don't feel that is such a big deal but I suppose dollars add up. Generally speaking, its better to buy the model from the original maker to support business with them and the artist who sculpted it, rather than someone selling a bootleg copy of it...

Hopefully someone has more info and advice for us.

(Poor quality photo, its older) I actually have grown to love this awful figure. I still have it.
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Roger that is an interesting idea and I wonder whether that is true too, it's all a bit of a mystery
And thank you Paige, that' so interesting to know that they are slightly altered in size, and your Arctic Wolf is lovely in its own way, I know how it is to get to love a figure, even if they are not the best!
And I definitely agree much better to support the original maker, which is why I'm making sure that if I ever were to buy a copy, I will also have bought the original too. Thank you again for the info and let's hope that someone knows more about how they are made, if it's legal etc.

I suppose there are two kinds of knock-offs: Those where they have changed the sculpt, presumably because they had to copy the original sculpt or did not want/dare to make an exact copy and those where the sculpt is really identical. I was more thinking of the latter. When you look on the internet for brands like Oenix, Flormoon, etc., these Chinese brands have knock-offs that are almost identical to the (often discontinued) originals.

A while ago, I bought what I thought was a a toob of CollectA animals. When I got them, I realised they were copies. I then bought the real CollectA toob and the sculpts are really identical. The difference is that the copies are not so well painted and they came in a bag rather than nice toob (as a result, they had lots of scratches). It reminded me very much of well-known supermarket food brands that are also sold more cheaply as an unbranded product in a different packaging.

So I wondered whether the major manufacturers don't really own the moulds, or perhaps only own them until they are discontinued and then the actual manufacturer in China gets them. Perhaps similar to Maia and Borges, who I believe own the moulds and manufacture the figures for other companies such as Schleich and Papo.

I wish there was someone on the forum who works in the industry and knows more about it.

Yes so do I, it would be very interesting to know! And I've heard of Flormoon...what are all these brands making copies Maybe you are right, the moulds are then sold on to a manufacturer in China.
I've had that problem with copies of CollectA dogs, these other companies seem to copy the paint almost to the point of being completely identical sometimes, so when I think I've discovered some rarity, it turns out to be a copy of a discontinued model!