[allhamps]

Reading through another thread that Rodney has since closed, it struck me as ironic that some folks were getting a little hinky about designs being "borrowed". I had this same issue with a forum member and sent a PM asking politely that MY work be removed from the site as things that were being actually sold. NO RESPONSE. Initially I thought ok, forget it, not worth the time, but is seems as though this site is FILLED WITH MY DESIGNS!! At least 5 on the attached page alone!!

Ok, so I didn't copyright those early designs, but I always thought there was a certain level of integrity amoung the folks on this forum. I see I was the fool. I hope my momma comes from her grave and haunts you for taking the design I created ONLY for her.You didn't even change the picture, except to crop it into separate pieces. That is shameful. I would have been more than happy to work with you and trade designs, if you had only asked.

I am so angry that I will never post another thing to this forum again. We use to help each other here, now it's just a joke.

Keep 'em up, take 'em down, it really doesn't matter any more, but you will NEVER be able to "borrow" my style, creativity and ingenuity. I have tons of designs I am WILLING to share and/or trade. Just be grown enough and ASK.

So long forum

 

[BlingItOn]

Carol it's not just your designs that this person has "borrowed". I noticed about a year or so ago that this same website has "borrowed" some of my designs too. I contacted them just like you did with of course no response back and my designs are still there.

It's nice that we can do leg work for someone else to come along and copy and paste the design onto their website and start selling it as their own design. They claim to provide their customers with "cutting edge designs" but left out the part that they may not be the actual designer who created it.

 

[johnbol1]

They are also using a free open source web cart script "prestashop"...seems like they dont wanna pay for anything.

lazy, and dishonest

 

[katruax]

Interesting development for sure... Carol... Once you create a design it is by law copyrighted technically... Really Copyright means nothing unless you sue and then it's up to a judge or jury to decide... But once you create an original piece of work whatever it is... It's yours... There's nothing special you need to do to "protect" it...

Copyright issues are a problem in any industry... I think there is a difference is "copying" a design but creating the design yourself and actually selling the same exact template file as another... I know many would argue the point... But it's one mans opinion...

Even in this industry I see the same transfers made by a dozen different companies.... Someone has to actually own that design no?

What I have a problem with is Will and others too calling foul when they themselves are not without sin.... It's a little rich for Will to be crying that I "STOLE" something form his website when I did nothing of the sort... Technically my web developer did and I hired him so I'm guilty... But whatever...

I was recently talking with a member of this forum and they had mentioned your website Carol... They commented I don't know how she does it?... All those copyrighted designs on her website... How does she get by with that?... I then explained how you can get licenses from certain license holders... I know I have some... From major college teams... Actually for the most part it's fairly easy to do and most college teams allow for a small crafters license...

On the face it one could scream hey look at all those copyrighted designs... But unless we know the facts we should not judge... My guess is the proper licensing agreements are in order.

So if we are truly above reproach then it's fair to preach and call foul... My guess is though must of us are not above reproach so perhaps we should not judge without all the facts? And if we see we're being taken advantage of on one end and we are guilty of the same perhaps we should rethink things?... If we point the finger at someone else that leaves 3 pointing back at us.

Kevin

 

[Rodney]

I am so angry that I will never post another thing to this forum again. We use to help each other here, now it's just a joke.

@allhamps People definitely still help people here every day. Lots of members are getting help and sharing their experience with others.

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience that makes you not want to post anything here. I hope you won't let a bad apple spoil the whole pie. There are people who don't play by the rules in any community. Whether it's an online forum, Facebook, Youtube or a local neighborhood book club. It sucks when it happens so close to home.

Just to make things perfectly clear. We definitely do not condone or endorse people taking others intellectual property here. It's one of the reasons why we don't allow file sharing.

There are over a million posts in this forum, so it would be impossible for me to see them all. I read a lot of posts, but in a real time message board, things can get posted that don't belong. That's why it's great when the community can help let me know about things that they see that I may have missed: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/announcements-site-updates/t35067.html

If there is ever an issue, all you have to do is report a post or contact me directly if you see another forum member taking your work. It won't be tolerated here. To date, nobody has contacted me to let me know about an issue with that. I don't even know which members are being talked about in the post above.

I know you're frustrated, but a quick note to me instead of starting a thread could have taking care of this issue a lot easier.

 

[allhamps]

Ahh Rodney the voice of reason. To you and the other true forum members I apologize for my unprofessional rant. I gave this member the opportunity to resolve this with me a while ago and he chose not to. He just pushed me over the edge today. Since I don't think he has any interest in resolving this, I think now would be a good time to close this post and I'll keep the other mean thoughts to myself, go have some Oreos and ice cream and see how I feel in the morning

 

[superD70]

Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery.
It sucks to have others steal your designs but it means they were good designs, who would steal crappy work and try to pass as their own.
I'm not condoning it just trying to lighten your mood a bit

 

[dazzabling]

go have some Oreos and ice cream and see how I feel in the morning

Oh Oreos and ice cream always make things better

 

[lizziemaxine]

Slick, please don't leave the forum. I would miss you too much. Pretty please don't go.

 

[Rodney]

I gave this member the opportunity to resolve this with me a while ago and he chose not to. He just pushed me over the edge today

Please let me know which member it is (privately if you like) so I can look into it and take care of it if necessary. We definitely do not want people here stealing others intellectual property.

Sure, they could still find it some other way or steal from someone else, but that's not what our community is about by any means.

 

[hi-nrg-joe]

They are also using a free open source web cart script "prestashop"...seems like they dont wanna pay for anything.

lazy, and dishonest

There's nothing wrong with using open source tools. Using free tools doesn't make one lazy or dishonest.

 

[Leg cramps]

I have used other peoples ideas to create my own designs.I havent just gone out and stole their design and claimed it as mine.Katrux has a great basball design that seems to pop out of the chest.I have had the idea to do that same thing but havent gotten around to it.Does it mean Im stealing it?no I dont feel so,objects ripping through shirts have been decorated for long time,just not in rhinstones.My design will not match his.it will be my own becuase Im going to create it.Im gonna use baseballs,footballs,soccerballs,ect.
Any time you post something,even if its on your own web site it could be stolen,and if its good enough you wont be able to afford the lawyer to go after all the theives.
I thought most people here were pretty good about not stealing, sorry to hear you had it happen to you.
Keep your chin up.

 

[Rodney]

I had this same issue with a forum member and sent a PM asking politely that MY work be removed from the site as things that were being actually sold. NO RESPONSE

@allhamps Have you still had no response from the member? He says he has been in contact with you. Please let me know if the designs aren't removed today.

 

[api]

Slick,

I made a design just for you. I hope it is comforting. Ice cream helps too.



Api

 

[allhamps]

You guys are soooooo sweet. How could I ever leave you all??? Again, I do honestly apologize for letting my anger get the better of me, but then I've never been known for being politically correct or cool headed. In any event, the other member and I have worked the issue out.

I will just state again, that if you ASK me, I will see what I can do. I don't mind sharing. I may have a nasty attitude problem (according to my hubby), but I'm really nice almost to a fault.

PS - way too many Oreos, but they were so much fun

 

[MsHutch]

Really glad to hear that you got things worked out! I wouldn't like to see you leave this place either!!! Thanks for eating the Oreos and coming back, lol!

 

[Jenks]

I'm glad you're not leaving the forum! Your opinions and advice have been very helpful to me as I was starting up last fall. I appreciate you and thank you!

 

[treadhead]

No condoning but curious on how you can claim ownership on rhinestoning a Route 66 road sign??

I may be missing the point here but that just jumped out at me when I looked at the designs.

 

[BroJames]

Oh Oreos and ice cream always make things better

I see. I'm having some oreos and ice cream right now. With strawberries but not served outside down.

No condoning but curious on how you can claim ownership on rhinestoning a Route 66 road sign??

I may be missing the point here but that just jumped out at me when I looked at the designs.

It is not the route 66 road sign but your version or artistic rendition of it. It can be a photograph, a sketch, or a rhinestone design of it. That is how I understand it and would be glad to hear more authoritative opinions on this.

 

[katruax]

It is not the route 66 road sign but your version or artistic rendition of it. It can be a photograph, a sketch, or a rhinestone design of it. That is how I understand it and would be glad to hear more authoritative opinions on this.

I'm not sure your theory makes practical sense... Following your theory couldn't one make the same argument about any copyrighted design?...

Say I wanted to do an Elvis shirt... I just make one whatever I like and those that own the rights to Elvis and his image and likeness are SOL because my design is my artistic rendition?

I want to do a design of an M&M character and I'm in the clear because it's my artistic rendition? Never mind the fact that Mars owns the copyright to M&M's and it's characters?

What really frustrates me is MANY of us here are a bit hypocritical.

Will at Rhinestone Artwork got all excited because a web designer I had hired "copied" one of "his" designs when doing a mock up for me because I had given my web designer his website as well as others as references and my web designer for whatever reason picked an image from his website for the mock-up he did for me...

So he get's all excited about it and then I call him out for actually stealing a design from another member and then yet another member claims he stole their designs too!

And yet if you look around just a little bit you'll see there are MANY members on here with designs on their website that are clearly in violation of copyright... It's actually pretty common...

So as long as we don't steal a design from a member here it's OK if we "borrow" someone else's designs Say Elvis, NFL, Nascar whatever... At least that's what I'm seeing...

Some would argue that Route 66 is in the public domain... But one quick Google search would reveal another whole story...

Alleged Infringement

IN my mind "copyright" actually means nothing... I can copy, borrow create whatever I like when I like... But understanding doing so does put me at risk if I copy borrow, duplicate a design that someone else is going to claim as theirs and actually assert their right to take me to court over the matter...

Check this article out...

Barack Obama "Hope" poster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I mean with copyright you could sight a 1000 examples... In the end none of it really means anything unless you are standing in a court room...

Kevin