Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Today's post is a really hard one for me to write.  I have been struggling with the feeling that I need to say something about this issue for a long time and it's finally gotten to a point where I just have to do it. There can be a really fine line between finding inspiration in someone else's work and copying it and claiming it as your own. I have found an amazing online artist community on both Etsy and Facebook that is filled with wonderful artists who are full of integrity and original ideas. Then there are the ones who are not so original or honest, though those are, thankfully, few and far between. I usually ignore these people. However, there is one who keeps popping up all over the place. I get messages from other people at least once a week about this person and their tendency to "glean" ideas off of other artists. Just to put it out there, this is the artist in question's view on copying, in her own words.

"These people don't understand what "copying" means. If you take the exact fabric, shape, colours, and copy every single detail, then that's copying. There are no original ideas out there. Someone's borrowed something from someone, and you have to realize that they are probably jealous. Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll be fine. CHIN UP!"

"Oh, and if your design is 10% different than this person's design, you're safe. That's the rule in the art world. Take something, change a minimum of 10%, and you're good to go."


10%, huh? Aside from being an unethical practice, this theory doesn't hold up in court, either. See the following articles on artist copyrights and 'fair use':

Myths about copyright
top 10 myths about copyright

You can decide for yourself but, as far as I'm concerned, and I know several other artists who strongly agree, she is a copycat.


She copies artists over and over again and we, the artist community, point it out to each other, privately, but very rarely say something out loud. This is a topic that we need to be more public about.  I am not going to name names today, because I'm rather positive that my pictures will speak for themselves.  If you still don't recognize this 'artist's work and would like to know who to watch out for and hopefully unlike and block on Facebook, please message me privately and I will give you the person's name.
Remember--in her mind, all you have to do is change a design by 10% They may not be exact, but you can tell exactly where the "inspiration" came from.
The worst part is that she claims the designs as her very own and often blogs and remarks about how awesome she is and how her business is so wonderful.
It surprises me that she won't even wait a while after she gets "inspired". She just jumps right at it and makes a similar item of her own.
For example, I came out with my little cupcake monster with a unique cute nose and the copycat even commented on a couple of my monster photos that I posted. Then, the VERY NEXT DAY, she came out with her "new" monsters with the same noses, saying, "I also love the furry noses, and I think they are a fantastic addition, something I thought of later on. I'm so glad I did it."  
Seriously? If she had said something about liking my monster noses and wanting to try something similar on hers, I might not have been as angry.

Here is one more photo of an item that was just copied today (7/10/12).
There are more.  I could sit here for hours and put together photo collages, but I'm not wasting any more time on this person.

Do you think I am being harsh or unreasonable? Many of the artists who are being copied are earning their living from the time that they invest in their craft. They work hard, thinking of new, fun ideas, only to wake up the next morning to see this person posting their items on Facebook, claiming them as her own. Where do you stand on this topic?

15 comments:

  1. Well done for highlighting such a contentious subject but one that really need addressing, there are so many people out there just ripping off hard working, original and imaginative artists/crafters.
    This 10 percent thing is bizarre ? its surely just a excuse.
    No i don't think your being unreasonable, it took courage to post this, how soul destroying it is to find someone taking your hard work, your originality and your creativity and passing if off as theres, i know from experience x

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  2. It's terrible to see it going on.. I don't know why anyone would call themselves an artist and then quote that 10% line.. Surely you should be creating from your own imagination, I would be destroyed and embarrassed to created something copied from someone else! These photos say it all really! As Heidi said..You have been brave to speak your mind and I for one admire your courage and sense of right!

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  3. I am so tired of this people who have no imagination to create something coming from its inside! But! I must say that all copycats sucks! They look awful!

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  4. This 'person' should be embarrassed. If you took a song and changed 10% of the lyrics/tune would you still be sued for plagerism? Of COURSE you would. Same thing if you were in university and only changed 10% of the words in an essay- you would e expelled! Ridiculous! This is creative theft! Just because the product is an image/thought it doesn't lessen the original artist's right to retain copyright over that image!

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  5. Really tired of people who claim they're creative and have all of these wonderful ideas, yet all they put into practice is their abilitiy to blatently steal ideas. Scrolling through the pictures, it disgusted me thinking how little imagination she had. I would say the skull monster isn't particularly "copied" as such from the image provided, although I'm sure I've seen something like that before. I think that one is a touch of looking too far into things, but if it was me I would be frantically looking into what passes off as a crummy replica too. The moustached monsters (cute by the way!) shocked me the most - how she passed that off as her own really shocks me.

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  6. First, I am not condoning copy catters out there, however I also realize that ideas evolve and copy catting can be innovation, “I can make that better”, scenario. I have been in the Industrial Equipment Industry for many years and it happens all the time, in many industries, people inspire other people, however there is a difference here. The biggest thing here is that the lady mentions it’s her own thoughts and her own inspiration, without any credits going to where credit is due, that is where it smashes your self-esteem, right . Just think where products would be if there were no innovation, what for car would you drive, what for phone would call out on, what for house would you live in, the list goes on and on. The best thing you can do is just what you did and that is spout off, and then get on with life, which is easier said then done.
    I am waiting till someone tries to copy what I am doing, oh well that’s life, it will happen eventually.
    www.facebook.com/StoltzfusAbstractArt
    Just my 2 cents
    John

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  7. Very well done on a subject that has needed to be addressed in a public forum. Instead of being frustrated behind closed doors. There is a vast difference between inspiration and flat out copies.

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  8. Thanks so much John. I think we all have been inspired by other peoples work. It is a natural thing and I do think in certain ways it is healthy and productive. What concerns me is when that inspiration is not taken and then molded into something new or at least in a new style etc. Copying happens all the time and there are a lot of misconceptions on what is legal whats not and who needs copyright protection. I hope my readers take a minute to read the articles I provided. So many small scale artists don't say anything because they believe they have to pay for copyright protection and they don't have the money and that simply isn't the case. There were several photos I could have chosen from. A couple I chose for their obvious copying, the others I chose simply because of the timing, that one day one person had item A and the next day she had one too.

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    1. Believe me I understand your right to be frustrated and you state the obvious, this lady is down right sitting there and watching your every move, "oh that looks good, I'll try it" That is what hurts people that are creative, and that is why the world is filled with free riders, looking for some elses gold nugget and then yelling, "I found it"

      Wish you success in the future,

      Sincerely,

      John

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  9. I whole heartedly agree as well. I actually TRY to be unique! I am SO afraid that someone is out there doing it to me too! I have been creating crafty things my whole life. I started selling at craft shows about 7 years ago and just started selling on Etsy last November. I have seen a few things online that look somewhat like my stuff, but I don't think they are copying me. Actually my son has helped me come up with a lot of what plushies I have made. I have been making the "Quadrpus" and "Mr. Skully" (as he called them) since he drew them for me to make 5 years ago. They have been one of my mainstays and prob always will be. Recently he told me that I should take fur scraps I had and make caterpillars....so I did. I noticed that someone else sold some that are kinda like mine and contacted her BEFORE I listed mine to make sure she understood I wasn't copying her. We both agreed that mine are not like hers. People still contact her telling her about me, but she tells them we are good :)

    My whole family is creative and we bounce things off each other all the time...mostly goofy things! I have made some really neat plushies these last 5 years, a lot of them are ooak and I won't make them again. Mostly because I am ADHD and am constantly need to try something new!

    I do love your plushies! I have liked your FB page and Etsy shops for a while now. Just found your blog today! Good Luck in dealing with "copycat"!!! XOXO ~Misty

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  10. I too am glad to see this addressed in a public forum. I read that 10% line on your FB page and I was shocked. I create from the heart and I don't understand people who don't. Quite frankly they shouldn't be creating at all if they can't come up with their own ideas. Your work is lovely and unique, good for you for saying something. oxoxo

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    1. Thanks lovely. I just love your monsters. They rock.

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  11. So happy this has been called out. Very sad it even happens and continues to happen... I think we all need T-Shirts that say "Originality is more than 10%" lol

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    1. Hahaha those would be great! I know who I would send the first one to. :)

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