- Joined
- Jan 11, 2006
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- 58,547
So putting aside bad blood/issues between these 2 designers, sounds like:
Repro of vintage/antique design = ok
Repro of new design with some changes = ok
Repro of new design without substantive changes = not ok if it is an indie brand with iconic elements but ok if it is a large scale brand and/or design elements are relatively generic.
Where would that leave something like a copy of the ring concierge ER which is an antique but she started selling copies of it herself? Is that considered her design now?
I didn't think anything of it when I went to my jeweler with a bunch of photos and a drawing I made which was basically a cvb head on an mc2 body and asked them to turn it into a ring. Should they be upset at me? If someone were to copy it, should I be upset or the jeweler be upset?
And we're talking about what's good etiquette really, being a thoughtful/ethical customer or designer, because I agree with ceg I see lots of designers big and small copy each other without substantive changes all the time. Maybe people coming to these boards with designs on their minds will find it helpful to hear this hashed out.
I'm having deja vu b/c I probably had the same questions/confusion last time this came up.
I agree that I would like to bow out on the specfic vendor conflict at this point!
I think these are good questions and yes, I think it can be confusing. We've talked about these things before, but I really think some of it boils down to opinion.
I've seen several rings using the petal shank of MC2. I have no idea if they were the very first people ever to do a shank like that or not. If the head was totally different than any of theirs, then maybe one could justify that the ring was 50% different? I am not sure where to draw that line. If someone were to copy a piece where I used recognizable elements from others, I would feel no right to be upset if others did the same. If someone goes to another vendor and copies one of my original pieces that a designer made for me, yes, I'd be upset. If they go to my designer and ask him/her to make it, the designs technically belong to them, so I would not be upset. At least I'd know my design was being made in the same quality as the original piece.
That ring concierge ring simply cannot be considered an original design. Anyone can copy it because it is an antique design. However, wise people will make it a little stronger and more durable as hers is far too delicate to last long term.