授权制造商品？霍夫曼回信：曾大声清楚拒绝范可钦
总计 票。
黄色小鸭的版权争议越演越烈！从原本一面倒支持霍夫曼，到范可钦爆出霍夫曼「收大笔权利金却不准别人收门票」，开始有不同声音出现，过去美国玩具公司对霍夫曼抄袭小鸭的指控也再度浮上台面，更有律师举例，这样的小鸭缺乏原创性，在中国是没有版权保障。霍夫曼团队则在22日深夜回信给《ETtoday东森新闻云》，痛批范可钦赚钱的方式「丑陋而廉价」。
黄色小鸭在台湾从高雄、桃园，一路往北到基隆展出，吸引成千上万的民众前往合照留念。原本是充满疗愈、开心的喜事，却在基隆爆发版权争议。巨型黄色小鸭创作者霍夫曼因不满现场贩售未授权的黄色小鸭相关商品，拒绝来台参加开幕典礼，也逼得已辞去主办业务的范可钦再上火线面对外界质疑。
对于小鸭的版权争议，网路上言论原本几乎一面倒支持霍夫曼，逐渐开始浮现其他不同看法。有人找出台湾早在多年前就有非常类似的小鸭玩具；也有人找到早在1989年，也就是将近24年前，美国玩具公司就曾举办的漂流鸭活动，还在90年代推出戴着墨镜的大黄鸭「Duck Derby」，更到霍夫曼的家乡荷兰展出，相对照霍夫曼2007年开始巡回各地的「Rubber Duck」，玩具公司指控霍夫曼才是抄袭。
受限于无法得知详细合约内容，网路上言论也多是推测。《ETtoday东森新闻云》持续追踪黄色小鸭事件，记者在21日寄信给霍夫曼，询问是否能对有争议合约内容做出说明，在22日获得该团队回应。信中一开头表示看到《ETtoday东森新闻云》有关于范可钦与商品的报导，因此他们特别做出回应。
对于商品授权的争议，霍夫曼团队指出，范可钦于六个月前开始参与基隆黄色小鸭策画团队，「范可钦在大陆时认识霍夫曼，当时他提出要大量创做相关商品，就已经遭到霍夫曼本人清楚且大声地拒绝。」但没想到拒绝后，范反而以迂回方式继续制作，霍夫曼团队指出，「合约内容承诺，不应有其他商业活动行为，必须立即停止。」
霍夫曼透过信件重话批评范可钦在未经授权状况下，用「廉价和丑陋」的方式来制造商品赚钱。霍夫曼团队指出，范可钦的种种恶劣行为，加上记者会发表的谈话内容不断「暗箭伤人」，令人愤怒。对于范可钦的不实指控，霍夫曼团队表示，已经请求法律专员调查相关违约证明，将会采取后续行动。
霍夫曼信件全文如下：The signed pledge on top opt that , done because of the recent situation says exactly why Mr. Fan is not allowed to have any commercial activities.Please ask our commissioner for this written pledge and the the points they are violating right now.
Mr. Fan is partly responsible of creating this commercial circus around the rubber duck art work in Keelung!Mr. Fan was from the beginning (around 6 months ago) involved already.Together with our commissioner they met Mr. Hofman in China to speak about the souvenirs.Mr. Fan wanted to create a lot of merchandise and buy us out for authorization.
Mr. Hofman didn't approve and told them then loud and clear he was against all this merchandise they proposed!In this sense it is a stab in the back, not cooperating with us and our other original souvenirs.Choosing the way of going around Mr. Hofman and his strict rules making a lot of unauthorized by Mr. Hofman; cheap and ugly money win merchandise.
Our legal advisor and his team tell us our commissioner is violating this signed pledge and contract on several points.As signed in the pledge they have to stop all commercial activities.Our commissioner must perform what they exactly signed in the pledge and contract for.
Mr. Fan nor anyone connected to the commissioner have rights and privileges in the selling any merchandise and should stop directly.Our legal advisor and his team are still investigating on the exact size and impact of the commercial activities and violations.