To ask seller not to sell this specific design?

[Minkoh]

I don't know if I've been a nob!

I've bought stuff from a seller many times. She makes things, but always things that are designed by other people. She buys the design with permission to sell the image, for context. She's doesn't design images, just crafts them after buying them.

So the main image is available to everyone.

I asked her to tweak a particular image for me as I wanted it personalised (not unusual).

So rather than the standard image I asked her to put

-A specific word above
-A specific word below

• 2 items either side
• A specific style of font
• A specific set of colours

All of my choice.

It turned out fantastic. I absolutely love it.

Thing is she's put the whole design up on her page and said if anyone wants this let me know, it's £xx

But the words are very personal to me. The additional items are too.

And the reason I didn't want just the normal image is because I wanted it to mean something to me.

And now that very personal thing is being sold en mass.

WIBU to ask if she would mind changing the words and numbers so it's similar but not exactly the same for the ones she goes onto sell afterwards?

Or would that come across rudely?

She's a lovely lady and I've bought stuff from her for years. I really don't want to offend her!

It feels like going to a tattoo artist and asking for a rose with XYZ. You obviously expect the artist to showcase it and give plenty more rose tattoos to clients and many will be similar, but you wouldn't design someone a tattoo then do the exact same design for someone else?

[ComtesseDeSpair]

In reality, if the words and imagery are very precious and esoteric to you, it’s pretty unlikely anyone else is going to request the exact same design - and if they do, then these things clearly aren’t as unique and special as you assume. They may request a similar design, colours, and font, but you have absolutely no rights over those things.

[Minkoh]

@loudlylikealion

She really didn't have to do that so I hoped you thanked her profusely

I did, of course. She's a lovely lady.

[Minkoh]

@MuggleMe

You didn't pay her for exclusive rights to that design, she can do with it what she likes. If it's personal to you what are the chances others will want the same? You have the thing and the meaning isn't diminished.

People would want it because it looks cool and it appears very generic in a specific genre but it's personal to me.

In the same way Asda sells shirts that say San Francisco, 1984. Road trip!

They're may only be a few people who went on a road trip to San Fran in 1984 but loads of people still wear it cause its just a design. And the numbers and words tie in to the aesthetic of the image very well so it could easily be worn by someone who it means nothing to.

If that makes sense 😂

[loudlylikealion]

She really didn't have to do that so I hoped you thanked her profusely

[Candleabra]

@Minkoh

I spoke to her and she said it's not an issue.

She's going to change the words and side pieces and sell that version, she won't make another version the same as mine.

She was so nice about it and understood completely.

Well that is very nice of her! Good outcome.

[Theimpossiblegirl]

She sounds lovely. Fab outcome.

[minipie]

Ah cross posted! Glad it’s sorted

[WiddlinDiddlin]

If she owns the rights to the images, then no there is nothing you can do.

If you want someone to design something bespoke and ONLY for you, then you pay to buy the copyright - but if this design uses images she has the licence to re-use commercially, she doesn't have any right to sell that copyright to you exclusively.

Btw, if you pay a tattooist to design you something and you buy the copyright so its your use only.. then no they shouldn't then use that for anyone else. But most people never ask that and typically that design would go into the book to be available for someone else, which is the tatooists right, they own the copyright.

[minipie]

I think you could ask her to change the tagline to something like “Example of my work, this one was £x, let me know if you’d like something similar. Design can be altered to your personal preferences”.

If it’s clear that customers can choose their own font, colour etc. then there’s less chance of them choosing to have exactly what you have. People like to make things their own (as your post demonstrates!)

[Minkoh]

I spoke to her and she said it's not an issue.

She's going to change the words and side pieces and sell that version, she won't make another version the same as mine.

She was so nice about it and understood completely.

[Candleabra]

Unless you own it, then no sorry she can do what she wants with the design.
Same with your tattoo analogy - they can do the same design on multiple people

[Hyacinth2]

I would think she might easily change a word - is that a hugely time consuming thing to do? - she should be grateful to you for coming up with a great idea.

[FlissyPaps]

Do you have intellectual property rights to this design?

Yes - then absolutely tell them not to sell.
NO - YABU and don’t have a leg to stand on.

[TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination]

I don't think there's any harm in asking. I used to design & craft something, sometimes with specific requests like you've made and I'd never have advertised the exact thing. I think it's just basic 'manners'.

[J0y]

Is it as original as you believe it is?
Sometimes things feel like our idea but they were coming in to fashion anyway. Ykwim.

[Doggydarling]

Of course a tattoo artist could design an image for a customer and use it again for a different person, its a case of making a profit on their time and skills. Same in your case.

[LuckyLil]

Ask yourself this. In the last few moments at the very end when you're looking back on you're life, how important is this still going to be to you?

Exactly. In the greater scheme of things it's completely meaningless. Worry about things that really matter. Not the illusions you have attached to a few words painted in a specific font, because none of this is going to matter one day. It won't even be entertained as a passing thought when that time comes.

[AchatAVendre]

Its not really that unique though. Its not as if there is an artwork or drawing or novel arrangement involved. I'm sure you're fond of it, but it just appears to be an arrangement of letters and fonts. What are the "2 items either side"? Did you draw them yourself?

-A specific word above
A specific word below
2 items either side
A specific style of font
A specific set of colours

Can you prove you created it? Because the seller seems to have done most of the work in interpreting it and presumably has altered it somewhat as it was not a bought design in her usual format.

[NerrSnerr]

Unless you own the image in some way I don't see what she's doing wrong.

Is it likely at all that anyone you know would order the same thing anyway? I'm just trying to imagine what it is, mugs?, knitted jumpers?, a wall hanging of some description?

[caringcarer]

Ask her if you can buy exclusive right to image. She what she says.

[MuggleMe]

I wonder if there's any way people who know you could identity this item was designed for you? Could you ask her to tweak it on that basis?

[MuggleMe]

You didn't pay her for exclusive rights to that design, she can do with it what she likes. If it's personal to you what are the chances others will want the same? You have the thing and the meaning isn't diminished.