[BurnTees]

as many of you probably know, our Jesus Saves design is our biggest seller. I was quite surprised today to come across this: noisebot.com/jesus_saves_passes_to_moses_he_shoots_he_scores_t-shirt

this site is obviously much bigger than mine and i'm afraid that they are going to steal a lot of my busines. anything i can do?

 

[Vtec44]

I see variations of that design at a lot of places. Unless it's the exact design, and you hold the copyright, I don't think there's anything much you can do.

 

[Swing Easy]

So was that a very original idea for you? I mean, was it something that had variations on it already, such as "Jesus Saves....With Coupons?" Seriously, the text is almost word for word like yours. Did you register the copyright on your design?

 

[T-BOT]

hey burn,

not familiar with your design, would you mind displaying it here on the thread ?

thanks

 

[Rodney]

You can find the design by clicking on his signature, Lucy.

I'm sure I've seen variations of that same slogan before. Let's be sure all the facts are in place before folks start throwing around accusations.

 

[Ross B]

I thought it was clearly established that you can't copyright phrases on Ts? Or are you saying the other site is using your graphic as well, BurnTees?

 

[BurnTees]

You can find the design by clicking on his signature, Lucy.

I'm sure I've seen variations of that same slogan before. Let's be sure all the facts are in place before folks start throwing around accusations.

Rodney, there were plenty of Jesus Saves shirts of different variations....we were the ONLY jesus saves passes to moses shoots scores out there. i did a LOT of research to make sure of that.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

Did you research copyright law?

If the graphic is different, but the words are the same, I'm afraid all you can do is be pissed.

 

[Solmu]

Plus it's an old joke, so it's not like you even came up with the text.

There's nothing wrong with you running that shirt... but there's nothing wrong with someone else running it as well either.

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

Yeah I think you got ripped off. The shirt is a hockey design...I thought when I first read the phrase it was refering to basketball...never even looked at the graphic. I have seen Jesus saves this and that for a long time but never on a hockey t-shirt. Of course all this means nothing cause I live in Tx. where I probably wouldnt see a hockey shirt ever!!! I dont know what you can do about it without proof of originality. Sorry mate!!!

 

[T-BOT]

have you contact them ?

 

[BurnTees]

i understand that what they're doing isn't illegal and isn't against copyright law...however...i just feel ripped off.

 

[Solmu]

Maybe the guy who came up with Good Bush/Bad Bush, or I Ride The Short Bus, or Dickfore, or I Put The Stud In Study, or who first put the classic cheat code on a shirt feels the same way about your store. Are you ripping them off? (I don't think so, but I don't think it's any different).

I just don't see the big deal, or indeed the difference. It's all (more or less) public domain.

 

[T-BOT]

Competing in the FREE world sometimes is hard to swallow.

A good example of this is a Record Store that spends $ 20,000 on a newspaper full page advertisement and their Next Door Competitor simply puts this Full Page ADvertisement on their store window with a sign that reads " Take An Additional 10% Off ".

This is the Selling Game and it will not go away anytime soon.

 

[kentphoto]

Well, if it makes you feel better, you're design is better than Noise Bot's.

My personal favorite is a shirt with jesus and a razor. "Jesus Shaves"

I doubt they will hurt your sales. Unless you keep telling everyone that there's this site with "my design" Then I'll go there and buy "Bonosauraus"

 

[ShopaholicChick]

i agree with kent - unless you keep telling people to go look at the other site - people wont be leaving your shop to go there - i like your design better - so quit whining and promote your shop instead of the other guys!!

 

[loco]

Sorry to say, but it happens. One shirt we did for a major skate shop franchise was ripped by a major chain of women's clothes a month later. The Major women's retailer made alot of money. It was an exact replica. Same colors and fonts. We, however, sold the design, and received over $15,000 in royalties. Lesson learned that anything good will get pirated. We have grown thick skin in the women' fashion indusrty. You just have to get the design out to the buyers faster.

 

[hongkongdmz]

Maybe you should just focus on your store rather then another. Unless you can take direct legal action try to be better then your competitor which I'm sure you're doing anyway. Designs can always be copied, but we have more laws in the Western world for protection against that.

 

[Rodney]

we were the ONLY jesus saves passes to moses shoots scores out there. i did a LOT of research to make sure of that.

But with all the shops that are hard to find and may have offline prescenses, there's really no way to be SURE that you were the only one.

There is no database of all t-shirt slogans. Only the trademarked brands/slogans in the trademark database.

I can totally understand your feeling of being "ripped off" (I've had that feeling many times

But like others have said, it's best to move on and use that energy in a positive way to motivate you to market YOUR stuff even harder and come up with even BETTER designs.

 

[BurnTees]

all good responses. of course, right after i posted this, i thought i'd do a little research...look around a bit.

i found a guy selling on ebay our EXACT design..looks like it was copied right off our site. so, i had to fill out an infringement notice from ebay and i'm still waiting to hear back from them. we'll see what happens.