Copyright

[Ross K]

....if you are really concerned about "your" designs being copied, immitated or otherwise used for inspiration, don't publish pictures of them, don't offer them for sale, don't tell anyone about them, in fact, don't make them either, that'll keep them safe. Otherwise... grow up and join the real world

Well said that man, a perfect summing-up!

I make my living from making my own originally designed furniture (some of which is probably derivative design from subconscious sources, and much of it generic, like many of us except those with an inflated opinion of their work, let's be honest) and quite frankly I couldn't care less whether or not someone copied one or all of them. In the real world, it's highly unlikely that ayone ever would and even if they did...

So what?

What is there to worry about if someone flatters you by copying your design and in any case when do you ever find out that someone has actually copied your piece?

And if you did find out, what on earth are you going to do about it? employ a lawyer at huge cost to sue the plagiarist?

Or is it just an opportunity for a good old-fashoned Englishman's moan?

I get a genuine kick when I feel that I've come up with a truly original design (and I make plenty of them despite what I said above) but I'd really not worry if I knew it was being copied.

Reserve your worrying about real problems is my advice. :lol:

 

[seanybaby]

Hardly anything is completely original

It's statistically proven that 98.673% of art is plagiarised.

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

Hardly anything is completely original

It's statistically proven that 98.673% of art is plagiarised.

It is also statistically proven that 99.9% of all statistics are made up.. :roll:

 

[seanybaby]

Hardly anything is completely original

It's statistically proven that 98.673% of art is plagiarised.

It is also statistically proven that 99.9% of all statistics are made up.. :roll:

Rubbish. God told me, she said to me personally, it was 98.674%. So there

 

[BradNaylor]

I make my living from making my own originally designed furniture (some of which is probably derivative design from subconscious sources, and much of it generic, like many of us except those with an inflated opinion of their work, let's be honest) and quite frankly I couldn't care less whether or not someone copied one or all of them. In the real world, it's highly unlikely that anyone ever would and even if they did...

So what?

What is there to worry about if someone flatters you by copying your design and in any case when do you ever find out that someone has actually copied your piece?

And if you did find out, what on earth are you going to do about it? employ a lawyer at huge cost to sue the plagiarist?

Or is it just an opportunity for a good old-fashioned Englishman's moan?

I get a genuine kick when I feel that I've come up with a truly original design (and I make plenty of them despite what I said above) but I'd really not worry if I knew it was being copied.

Reserve your worrying about real problems is my advice. :lol:

Couldn't agree more, Ross.

It is only those at the precious, arty-farty end of cabinetmaking who get worked up about this kind of thing.

There are very few true innovators out there. I suspect those that there are take a pride in pushing the boundaries of design allowing the rest of the world to follow.

The 'moaners' I would contend, are the second raters who think that they are something special. If they took their heads out of their ar$es for ten minutes and had a good look around they would realise that it has all been done before and that with a handful of honourable exceptions furniture making is a craft involving making furniture - not high art!



Here's an example of how hard it is to be sure that a design is original. Earlier this year I was talking with SWMBO about making a statement piece for our dining room. She suggested a 'grandfather' clock but in a contemporary style.

I got to work making sketches and came up with a shape which we both thought looked fantastic - sweeping asymmetric curved sides. I then consulted Dr Google for further inspiration and to my dismay found this;

Apart from the ridged surface it is almost identical to what I had sketched.
I know for a fact that I had never seen this piece before, but if I had spent weeks making my design I could have been accused of plagiarism!

Back to the drawing board...

 

[nanscombe]

There is, of course, the old expression "Great minds think alike".


Many people may be able to think of a concept but, IMHO, relatively few can successfully bring it to life and they are the craftsmen.

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery

 

[tomatwark]

I agree with Ross on this, and as long as you don't go out to create an outright forgery and try to pass it off as another makers work what is the problem.

The chances are if you are working from a picture and then put both pieces side by side they would be different anyway.

Tom

 

[Doctor]

"gnomegate"....... I shall say no more

 

[studders]

"gnomegate"....... I shall say no more

What, ever? :shock:

 

[WhyDi]

Good Morning,

Quite interesting thread. I read your replies with many care and spend much time to figure out what they could mean in the real world but also have some hard time due to my mother tongue and the complexity of the issue. Whatever the country such topic is not so common at all and actually you have given a sense to what was only my feeling until now. I would like to thank all of you for the variety of opinions on the subject.
As some replies have enhanced, I have never published any picture of furniture I don't want anyone can copy and share them only with some close friends but their photos never go through the internet, whatever the means. I also really think that I am the only owner of drawings and photos or pictures released on my web site and that is the meaning of the watermark applied on each of them but I also really think the content of these pictures is public which means the idea conveyed can be shared and taken by anyone else. Beside I must say that part of the concepts came from the internet and publishing my own design is no more than a way of returning to the others what they have given me. I just wish that anyone could not do anything, simply that !

Is this a sense of a realistic copyright, in your opinion ?

Best Regards