Sunday, January 22, 2012

there goes the neighborhood

Well, I guess I'm one of those people now who can get mad at a big website for stealing my design! Cool?

I was pointed out today by a fellow jeweler (Charlotte Burkhart- really cool stuff) that Mod Cloth has a bike necklace for sale that looks JUST LIKE MY OLD BIG BIKES. Am I crazy to be upset about this? Is a bike just a bike just a bike? I mean, it's freakishly similar. 

Here is mine: 


And here is theirs:


So....um... boycott? 





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7 comments:

  1. AmyJanuary 22, 2012 at 3:07 PM

    that is bullshit, rachel. i'm not sure what kind of copyright you have on your deisgns, but if possible you should write them a cease and desist letter. here's an example of one regarding copyright infringement = http://www.aaronhall.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/minnesotaattorney.com-copyright-cease-desist-letter.pdf

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  2. chrisJanuary 22, 2012 at 6:26 PM

    Don't send a C&D unless you speak with a attorney first. It can backfire.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement
    http://www.chillingeffects.org/copyright/
    good luck.
    Remember this is what THEY will do:
    http://www.ehow.com/how_8096696_write-reply-cease-desist-letter.html

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  3. chrisJanuary 22, 2012 at 6:36 PM

    They may be buying from a source that mass produced these pieces rather than copying you directly.

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2012 at 11:18 AM

    It's more likely that they bought from a source that mass produces them like chris said.

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  5. RachelJanuary 23, 2012 at 11:20 AM

    Hey guys! thanks for the support! I have a feeling you all are right and that they just bought it from some factory that ripped it off of me. Which makes it all the harder to do anything about :(.

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  6. TuriJanuary 23, 2012 at 11:37 AM

    Thanks for your blog post. ModCloth does not currently produce or design our own items, so this necklace was not designed by ModCloth; our founder, Susan Gregg Koger, and our buying team travel the globe looking for unique clothing and decor from independent designers. Our designers and suppliers guarantee that they have full legal ownership and copyright to their designs, so the item has been pulled from the site while we investigate. It's impossible for our buyers to keep track of every item or design that's on the market, but it is never our intention to "steal a style." Our mission is to build a site that empowers independent designers, suppliers, and our community, and that means supporting originality. Thanks again for letting us know about this!

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  7. Kira - oopsicraftmypants.comJanuary 25, 2012 at 7:27 AM

    I'm glad to hear they pulled it from the site! You have every right to be upset. Take comfort from knowing that YOU are awesome and creative and fantastic and people love YOUR original designs!

    ReplyDelete

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