MarlonN
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2016
- Messages
- 47
Wink|1479831338|4101481 said:Some designs are fairly unique, such as Mark Morrells wonderful three prong design with one prong curved underneath the gem and between two prongs curving underneath the gem from the opposite direction.
Wink
Wink|1479836869|4101518 said:I do not have a photo of this design, perhaps he decided it was too much trouble and does not make it any more. I think there were some photos posted on Pricescope several years ago, but I do not know where to find them.
Wink
MarlonN|1479814321|4101392 said:I have seen a couple of truly unique ring designs here on this forum, and I was just wondering if it's alright to 'copy' the designs or if it's unethical to do so?
MarlonN|1479814321|4101392 said:I have seen a couple of truly unique ring designs here on this forum, and I was just wondering if it's alright to 'copy' the designs or if it's unethical to do so?
Yssie said:Please don't do this.
Unless by "copy" you mean "ask the vendor who made the original to remake the design for you".
Or the original vendor is out of business (vintage pieces, etc.), in a different field, or for some other reason definitively has nothing to lose in terms of credit to reputation or monetary compensation for design time, effort, and cost.
Whilst it is true that all designs are composed of elements of other designs reused innumerable times, the details of composition and execution certainly can and do make some designs truly "unique".
Theft of intellectual property is theft. Please don't enable vendors who subvert professional courtesy and business ethic by blinding themselves to this inconvenient reality.
missy|1479815079|4101399 said:It is a complicated issue.
Personally I feel flattered if someone wants to "copy" a piece I own but some pieces i.e. RDG for one are in a different category and I wouldn't copy a design like that. I would go to the original artist. It just becomes a more difficult discussion when the design is truly a unique one vs one that is not an original. If in doubt I would reach out to the owner of the piece I was inspired by and wanted to "copy" to ask them if it was OK with them.
Here are some previous threads on this issue.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-constitutes-an-inspired-by-piece-vs-stealing-designs.225184/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-constitutes-an-inspired-by-piece-vs-stealing-designs.225184/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/copying-and-copying.186160/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/copying-and-copying.186160/[/URL]
I agree with this assessment. Artists and brands have every right to expect protection under copyright laws. They invest their talents and resources into developing and marketing their creations. For someone to simply pirate it in order to get it cheaper, or to profit from someone else's work, is simply not right.kenny|1479846156|4101570 said:MarlonN|1479814321|4101392 said:I have seen a couple of truly unique ring designs here on this forum, and I was just wondering if it's alright to 'copy' the designs or if it's unethical to do so?
Some people feel it's okay, others not.
You have to decide for yourself.
Even if 99% feel it's okay, you may be in the 1% who feel it's not.
Being part of a majority is not inherently superior to being in a minority any more than people with brown hair are superior to those with red hair.
People just vary.
Unless we're talking about things like murdering someone or what 2+2 is equal to, it is problematic to think there's only one correct way that everyone must conform.
All that said, there are intellectual property laws that may be violated by 'stealing' a design that holds a copywrite.
Those laws vary from state to state, and country to country.
Rockdiamond|1479866950|4101679 said:Let me pose a question for the sake of discussion:
Say a person loves Monet.
They can't obtain an original, but they find an artist willing to replicate a Monet.
Say the buyer is not intending to misrepresent this painting- only to use it for personal enjoyment.
Is it wrong to commission the artist to copy it?
Yssie|1479868048|4101683 said:Rockdiamond|1479866950|4101679 said:Let me pose a question for the sake of discussion:
Say a person loves Monet.
They can't obtain an original, but they find an artist willing to replicate a Monet.
Say the buyer is not intending to misrepresent this painting- only to use it for personal enjoyment.
Is it wrong to commission the artist to copy it?
Is Monet alive and painting in this scenario? (Meaning - does he stand to lose monetary profit or credit to reputation as an artist if one of his works is copied?)
If yes, then IMO yes, it is wrong to have another artist copy a piece.
If not then my answer changes![]()
Yssie|1479828605|4101468 said:Please don't do this.
Unless by "copy" you mean "ask the vendor who made the original to remake the design for you".
Or the original vendor is out of business (vintage pieces, etc.), in a different field, or for some other reason definitively has nothing to lose in terms of credit to reputation or monetary compensation for design time, effort, and cost.
Whilst it is true that all designs are composed of elements of other designs reused innumerable times, the details of composition and execution certainly can and do make some designs truly "unique".
Theft of intellectual property is theft. Please don't enable vendors who subvert professional courtesy and business ethic by blinding themselves to this inconvenient reality.
I'm not an attorney so take this with a grain of salt, but this is how I see it. (Maybe Molly Malone will chime in here). Copyrighting a design is just one step (but an important one) if you want to protect your creative property. You also must actively monitor infringement and attempt to enforce it.Rockdiamond|1479920221|4101917 said:I'd be interested to know how many copyrighted jewelry designs exist. And how they are protected.
I remember working for A Jaffe, sometime in the late 1800's( it was actually the 1980's)
They created a design, attempted to protect it- which was very easy because it was a dog. No one wanted to copy it.
IN another case, a design which was copyrighted back then proved extremely easy to copy without breaking copyright by changing a few elements. Not 100% sure but I believe it was the "Lucida" swoopy wire design.
I was a worker back then- had no say.
Now that I own a company that manufactures, and we do actually create designs- if anyone wants to copy them- ( and it's happened plenty of times)- I say go for it. So much of what draws me- and our clients- to the jewelry encompasses more than simple design.
Having said all that- when we are approached to copy a design we let the buyers know we don't do exact copies.