johnbonsai

As has been explained once you receive the tree , it's yours. However you really want to put your mark on it by the sounds of it. I think that as soon as the tree needs some attention, even to be watered, the tree can be called your own. If it is n't cared for the tree becomes nobody's, unless you think the compost heap is in some way personified! I have had some experience of the Japanese Koi interest and to me it is supprising if that's the right word, that the Koi keeper with the most money to spend gains the highest prestige by winning Koi competitions with the fish they have bought. In the world of Koi there are no such qualms. To make the kind of balance that is worrying you Japanese Koi keepers in the U.K. would have to breed their own Koi to receive any accolade.
However, to put your own scent to a tree, (the image of a dog comes to mind) you would have to restyle it. What I would do is keep the Bonsai tree as is, and take inspiration from it. This way if you ever create a tree with great aspirations towards this "snobsai" then you can be proud, and shout from the rooftops that this is a tree of yours. Keeping Bonsai is a very difficult business, unless it all is second nature to you. Bonsai are a bit like cats, do we ever own one, or are we just caretakers.