Crafters, if you copy someone's design that you've seen online you're not just a CF, you're a thief.

[ThingsBeingVarious]

I have a small, successful craft business and mostly sell online, which means there are loads of photographs of my work for anyone to see. Yet again I've just been made aware of someone copying my original design and selling the product - she probably thinks it's okay because she's raising money for her local charity. And sometimes my 'followers' and customers will send me a photo of the copy they've made saying I've 'inspired them'.

I know people often say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but it really fucks me off. People should think up their own designs, not scroll through Pinterest or Etsy or wherever looking for ideas to nick. Or if they haven't got any original ideas they can BUY patterns from other crafter's.

YABabitU - it is only theft if they sell the thing.
If they make it for themselves? meh. They have the ability, they were never going to buy yours (sorry)

Everyone as an artist is in this position. Every photographer, every textile artist, everyone who sells anything over the internet basically. You just have to be the best at what you do and presumably you have been doing it long enough to have better techniques and ideas that the copiers. You can’t be paranoid. Just get on doing what you do, people will buy quality and see that your work is better than the plagiarists.

@Mammyloveswine what helpful context would it give if I only said the type of craft? Whether it is antler carving or making paper-mache toads or ceramic soap holders doesn't make any difference to my AIBU because I could be making generic ones or highly original ones. You'd need to see my actual work to make a judgement.

@BarbaraV thank you but although I appreciate all sales I can't keep up with demand as it is. I know that makes me really lucky. My best selling work is not easy to copy well, that's why I'm always been asked for the 'pattern' and why I get sent photos of poor copies with requests for free advice on how the copier can make it better.

@FelineGood76 yeah you're right in that I've probably come across as cripplingly paranoid in my AIBU, in real life it's a minor annoyance to me - it's just that last night I had a proper Mumsnet fuming moment when read the message from the woman who was planning to sell her copy of my work for charity, then I posted here. Many people's posts on this thread have helped me see the situation from other angles too.

Lots of confusion about copyright protection on this thread. Original creative works are automatically protected by copyright. You don't hve to take any action to register the design.
Some other forms of IP protection have a registration process, but not this. If I was the OP I would be pissed off by the copying.

'Outing' nobody cares who you are in real life

It is infuriating. So many people don't understand copyright or that for some people this is their livelihood.

DH is an artist, obviously people will be inspired by art they see but they shouldn't copy and especially not in such a way that is costs a professional money.

DH has had people lift his photos from the internet to paint them and customers looking at a picture when a friend offers to "paint one just the same".

I care. I know this might sound ridiculous to you but because of my business and online presence I do want to protect my reputation. Scoff away 🤣 Mumsnet is used by many posters to discuss and work through stuff anonymously.

You never know, 41% might want to buy it

I think the main point is, OP - did you (or are you going to) write back to the ripper-off selling the item for charity to point out that she is infringing copyright, and never ever to do it again?

The ones who send you pictures, for whatever reason, do you have a standard reply? like if they just want you to admire their work, or sell it would have one reply. Anyone asking you for tips to make theirs better should get a "haha - you need to practice for 42 years like i did" type of thing

You'd need to see my actual work to make a judgement

If I had enjoying making something for me inspired by someone's work and then got a snotty sharp email about their "rights", I'd be instantly unfolllowing and dumping.

Your business is successful. Be grateful for your customers admiring your work.

I'm a highly unskilled crafter. Ive bought felt picture kits then later bought materials and tried to do a felt picture of local scenery in a similar style. undeniably I am using the method learned by following the kit instructions, and theres definitely a similar colour mix and general style. Nobody would buy it. End result often used as placemats ratger than wall art... but is that copying?

Think there is a world of difference between simple imitation - thinking that looks cool o wonder if I could do it - often then building on that concept to make something a bit different -

Vs buying something and taking it apart to then copy and sell which has a vibe of deception

Next time protect the design legally.

Cross stitch, crochet, knitting, bear making, sewing, tapestry etc

But, yeah, Amigurumi. That takes clues from bear making or knitted toys of the past.

I can understand how that would piss you off, so I think you're justified in being angry, and perfectly entitled in telling her to cease and desist because she's doing it for profit, which is protected under copyright law.

But a copy, per say, isn't - I can pretty much copy whatever I like that I see on the internet or in the street, so long as it's for my personal use and I'm not going to affect the originator's sales. That's fair use. It's also normal, people can't afford to look at the internet and see something they like and just buy it. So they'll make something similar themselves, for themselves - that doesn't affect the sales negatively, because they weren't going to buy it in the first place.

It can, conversely, have a positive effect on sales - for example I saw some wall art a friend made on his wall, that I couldn't make myself, liked it, found something similar online and bought it. I wouldn't have done that had he not made it and put it on his wall! So not all copies are bad, some are both a compliment and a money spinner!

If it is Amigurumi then it generally mainly is just a combo of single crochet/double crochet in various configurations. A lot of artists are very similar

What about buying from Shein (or other large unethical businesses) and copying their designs? Probably using better quality materials and with more care. Then sell them small scale craft fairs for lical small charity (ie unlikely to get caught).

Is that also immoral, or poetic justice, given how many designs they rip off?

PS - op yanbu!

@ohtobeme the design is protected legally. Copyright is automatically conferred on me as the creator. Problem is that many people either don't know or ignore this and other than, firstly, a friendly message and next a 'cease and desist' letter there's not much you can do to stop people copying.

@Brefugee I haven't replied yet but I am going to. I normally would have replied straight away but I was really bothered by the fact we'd had quite a lot of chat about our crafts over the last couple of weeks (since she became a customer rather than only a follower') - her copying with the intention to sell was quite a surprise. Then I posted here, in a bad mood, and have been distracted ever since...

@Saz12 I don't know, but for me that would not be enjoyable. I love the idea and design stage - making is just something I have to do to make what's in my mind's eye become actual. It can be a frustrating process at times but when it works that's complete job satisfaction.

I don't think there is an issue in copying ideas for personal use, especially when not making an identical product but taking inspiration from form, shape or technique.
I love doing a variety of making/crafting but I am not a particularly good fine artist.
I was inspired by carvings of rowan berry sprays that are everywhere in an arts and crafts house in the Lake District. I used the carvings as an inspiration to do cardboard printing of similar sprays. They are nowhere near as good as the carvings but I enjoyed trying to get something of the same feel/vibe.

I was inspired by an image of a running hare on a piece of Roman Samian ware in a museum. I painted hares on slate coasters to imitate Roman style fresco. I traced one hare from an image of a Roman hare brooch, one from an image of a running hare that an illustrator had put on line and drew round a hare I had on a decorative metal panel at home.
I couldn't draw a decent looking hare on my own to save my life!

It was probably cheeky to trace the illustrator's hare picture, but I am not selling my product. I reckon that displaying these tiles on my mantelpiece takes away nothing from her as I'm not selling it or even putting a photo online. It has been interpreted differently ( colour and style of painting) . If a friend asked me about how I did the pictures, I would say I traced the basic shapes.

If you were to take this to the extreme, what about a child who traces a Disney princess from a book and colours it in and puts it on their bedroom wall. Would that be wrong?

Obviously selling items for profit is a different issue.

I understand where you're coming from. As a dressmaker, I was often brought a picture of a very expensive dress by a client and asked to make a straight copy for a lot less money. Every time I refused, explaining that I was happy to make something similar but there would have to be changes or it was unfair to the original designer, as well as being a form of intellectual property theft. Similar but with differences is fine IMO, a straight copy is not.