Fan made plushies, as far as I'm aware, aren't covered by this sort of law. Very much like cosplay outfits can be sold online. What I'm paying for is the creation of a plushie, not the likeness of that to of a copyrighted design. The loophole lies within that I am paying simply for the time and materials used there in. <3 The design of the 'Metroid' as a gaming character or device is likely copyrighted, but I do believe that making a plushie in the likeness of it simply constitutes to that of creative arts which is held under law as completely legal and within boundaries.
Granted, that's in Britain. As for sewing? I can sew, but only clothes. And I have ADHD, I have no patience for that sort of thing. I was hoping better to get some people I have some idea of who they are before I go giving out my address to groups of people who may charge me immense prices. X_x
Error 404,
Unfortunately you are making some seriously incorrect assumptions of your own copyright laws. There is no "fair use exemption" for fan-made plushies. I regret to say in court it will not matter what you believe the law to be, nor how you wish it to be. The Judge will provide the law that applies.
True, it often happens the copyright owner does not investigate and start litigation every time. That does not change the law, nor is it a defense should litigation result.
There are some copyright owners, especially Walt Disney Company, who are super protective of their characters, even those not yet sold as physical toys or plushies. Disney owns several computer game vendors and influences most of the others in that industry.
My advice is to be discreet when asking someone to make this for you, especially on-line when the vendor might well be a spy for some corporation.
My additional advice is that patent, copyright and trademark law is a specialty nearly recession-proof. In your country most of that legal work is done by civil solicitors. Such classes are often called "Intellectual Property" law (IP) in school lists. Personally I only get those cases when pre-trial conferences fail to work out a deal between corporations. Once us litigators get inloved in a law suit the costs are as high as the stakes.