Anyvents in the UK should check out Karl Evans studio in Wales. Just google the name. He makes a male and female version, they are cable controlled and work very well. I have both. Also the after sales is fantastic, after a year of use 5 nights a week my male mask needed repainting. I sent it to Karl who contacted me and said it would cost abot 10 quid to repaint it or he would send me the latest new model 1/2 price which I did. Great service my mask arrived 6 days after ordering.

Copying is definitely wrong. But if your act is created based on inspiration of another ventriloquism act, I think it's OK.

Am I right in saying this?

Inspiration comes from many places. The most original people I know all get their inspirations from others (usually not even in the same field) then modify, adapt and add other componets to create something unique and different. Copying line for line, joke for joke is wrong - and there are now court precedents that can allow people using other's material to be sued.

I started using animatronic masks that I made starting about 17 years ago.
I was certainly inspired by Ronn Lucas - as was everyone who started using masks after seeing him do it with such amazing results.
Ronn himself was inspired by Joel Hodgeson and an old British vaudevillian vent whose name escapes me right now.
Nothing new under the sun as they say.. I am sure that someday a hieroglyphic image of a pharaoh doing an early version of the mask routine will surface.
It is interesting how the routine itself started as a hilarious novelty and has now been done so much that it has kind of turned into a tired bit.. A tired bit that still gets a great response from lay people.. But it seems that every vent kind of does that same basic 'Lucas-y' bits (nod 'no', say 'yes' sort of stuff)..
Currently, I am working on a remote control mask for my own use with a fully articulated mouth (not just up and down jaw movement, but lip snarls/animated lips).. I will be sure to post pics when it is done