I had another post planned for this spot today, but I decided to bump it into tomorrow because there is something a bit more important that I'd like to post about. I hope you won't mind.
Copyright infringement, intellectual property theft, counterfeiting, copying...whatever you want to call it, it bites the big one!
As a blogger; travelling around the web is my job. A job that has brought me face to face with more copycats than I can stomach. Today was the last straw when one of my sponsors and someone whose work I find to be exquisitely unique and lovely reached out to me to see if I had any advice to share with her regarding a seller who is copying her designs. The sadness in her letter was palpable and it broke my heart.
I'm not a lawyer and certainly don't know all the copyright laws (I still have a lot of questions myself)...but I do know that it is wrong to steal another person's ideas/designs and play them off as your own. Copying takes on so many forms (from blog layouts, product packaging, full design copies, etc) and when you see it happen or it's done to you it really hurts. And not just the original artist, but the design community at large. I really love this independent design community...but time and time again I see this sort of underhandedness go on from within the very community that should be fostering originality and inspiration amongst one another, and it really upsets me.
So, what I wanted to have in answer to my lovely sponsors plea for help was a novel of fighting words and copyright law jargon for her to use to right this wrong, but ultimately I told her what I have learned myself (yes...there are copycats of my work out there too)...and that is this:
Anyone who knows and loves your work will recognize the care and true talent that you put into creating it. Of course this doesn't really help to make it hurt any less. But it helps me to remember that imitators are simply small people without the talent to come up with their own ideas. I have been copied (in all of my businesses) countless times. Each time it does sting, but then I try to allow their wrong-doing to become the fuel for my continued growth as an "artist / designer." It's a great way (though probably not the most fun) to motivate yourself to always strive towards creating new and better things. I'm not perfect...and it is a challenge to keep my chin-up in the face of blatant copycats, but it is possible. Don't let thieves rob you of your passion for creating unique and truly wonderful work. There may be a thousand other imitators out there throughout the years...but you have to remember that YOU are the original!
And finally I want to share a favorite quote of mine that has helped me through so many tough times: "Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." (Carrie Fisher) So please if you've been copied or wronged, be as proactive as you feel you need to be to find resolution, but I hope you won't let frustration and anger take you down. I've been there, and it's not a pretty place to be.
So, now I will climb down from my soapbox and would love to hear from you lovely readers. What do you think about knock-offs and copying? Do you believe there is a difference between copying and inspiration? I can't wait to hear what you have to share.
*A small request: please don't use the comment section to call out the name(s) of those you may have been wronged by. I understand the desire to do so, but I don't believe it is a healthy way to bring about positive change...especially not through this blogging platform. Thanks for understanding!
Some additional reading:
Edited to add your article/site recommendations:
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