Copying styles?

This is not copying designs, but doing so with the utmost of being
"fraudulent". I know of a fellow who originates from another country
and he is copying not only the setting designs, or styles, but also
using the companies name. He actually showed me that companies
catalogue and that trademark stamp that he uses! He makes the
jewellery here and has his setters copy the setting style and then
’he’ sends back to his original country the finished rings. Can you
say “knock-offs”? I have no need to be a part of his charade. I
prefer not to mention the name of that company, or his name.

Oh yes, he is selling gold and diamonds extremely close to the
original. Slightly disgusted when I see what he is doing. He is
making many people thinking that they are buying the original, but
they aren’t. Is this right? not in my books.

Gerry!

With all due respect, and no hostile or negative attitude throughout
this entire post:

You may have opened up a can of worms by venting here, when not
intending to expose the crime and evidence you witnessed?

If he is not your friend, I don’t see why you wouldn’t turn him in. I
would warn him even if he were my friend, to stop or he’ll be
reported. That kind of bs has got to end. It’s one thing if he was
dirt poor and has found the absolute only way to survive, but it
sounds more like he enjoys and takes pride in making fraudulent work,
and a lot of it-- forgeries are one of the many crimes hurting the
jewelry trade, why let it continue?

I think it would be an injustice to yourself not warn him and turn
him in if he continues. How much longer can you bear that information
on your conscience, before coming back to Orchid to vent a little
more about it? :wink:

It makes sense to expose him. If it’s “not right in your books” and
you don’t want “to be a part of his charade,” then you have to do it.
If not, you are responsible for allowing the charade to continue, by
withholding that - which in a way harbors his crimes and
you then indirectly remain a part of it.

Sure an easy answer is to simply ignore it, vent about it, or think,
“someone else will find out and turn him in, so I won’t be the bad
guy.” You are the hero, just call up the company and spill the beans
:slight_smile:

Just my humble opinion,
Jim Sprague Jr.

I know it is a kinda different realm and I know that jewelers and
such are pretty sensitive about coping, copyrights and that is wrong
to make knock offs. And using someone else design with a few
variations and there name sounds like bad news and why couldn’t they
just use there talent to create there own product. Where I will agree
that I never want my work copied verbatim, especially trying to feed
off my name (supposing I have one or not) but as a sculptor I see
ways to copy without copying or ‘appropriation’ of ideas.

Probably an argument will ensue from this, hopefully a discussion
instead because I have no problem ‘appropriating’ an idea or
fundamental style or technique if there if a good reason, like I’m
making a statement about something or by doing this I’m trying to
emulate someone, some reason. I don’t want to get into an argument
about fine art vs. craft because I know that jewelry can be fine art
and I know it can be conceptual if the artist wants to take it that
way, and I don’t want anyone thinking I’m an elitist or something
because I’m primarily a sculptor, because I’m not.

So I guess my question to all of you is when does it stop being
’individual’ / ‘original’ if anything can be anymore, and when does
it cross the line into being a copy?

Or do these factors even apply when you are marketing a product then
selling an artwork or series?

Just curious,
Zoe Hardisty

Hi Zoe:

So I guess my question to all of you is when does it stop being
'individual' / 'original' if anything can be anymore, and when
does it cross the line into being a copy? Or do these factors even
apply when you are marketing a product then selling an artwork or
series? 

You are the only one who would know if you had crossed the line in
this case. As I wrote in another post this morning, I really liked
the work of Andrew Goss. The first thing I said to myself when I saw
it was “wow, look what you can do with etching and rollprinting.
Maybe I can take another class this year and explore that. I really
like the technique” I didn’t say, however, “I like that. I’m going to
go learn how he did it so I can make some variations of it.”

You have to do what’s in your heart. If you can wake every morning,
looking forward to the work, and can honestly say at the end of the
day “I’m proud of what I made”, then you’re ok.

Oddly, in my first metals class, there was a student who liked the
work of Andrew Goss as well. He brought in a brochure and said that
he really liked the cement pendants. He wondered how they were made
and wanted to make one for his daughter. The instructor happened to
have some cement at home. They scheduled a class for everyone to go
over this. I wasn’t cool with it, but I’m not one to tell people what
to do, so I just missed the class. I wouldn’t feel good doing that
type of thing, but other people have to decide for themselves.

I don’t want anyone to say to me “Boy, I love what you made, it
looks just like something I saw made by…”

Best Regards,
Kim Starbard
Cove Beads

I don't want anyone to say to me "Boy, I love what you made, it
looks just like something I saw made by....." 

It’s funny-- when I read this, I realized something. If someone says
this to me, it really bothers me-- if they say the name of someone I
took a workshop with. But if they say someone I never heard of, it
doesn’t bother me much at all. Come to think of it, when that
happens, though, it’s usually a painter, not a jeweler…

–Noel

I don't want anyone to say to me "Boy, I love what you made, it
looks just like something I saw made by....." 

When I did shows, since I use a lot of hand cut non-presious stones,
sometimes someone would stop by my booth and tell their friend,
“this is just like something my grandpa used to make”

Kind of bugged me at the time, but now that I’m an old grandma, I
can just hear my grandkids saying, “this is just like my grandma
makes.”

Its all relative I guess. (no pun intended :–)
Jan

So I guess my question to all of you is when does it stop being
'individual' / 'original' if anything can be anymore, and when does
it cross the line into being a copy? 

people, here’s a true crime report i related to the table at the
great orchid dinner:

about seven years ago, while wearing one of my signature design
neckpieces at a show, two women approached me and asked “is that your
design?” after my “yes” they wanted to know if i had exhibited at any
of three art shows they named. another “yes” from me. the women then
turned to each other and declared simultaneously “we knew xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx couldn’t come up with that design!” ‘okaaay’, i thought as
they walked away a minute later, ‘i wonder what that was all about.’

fast forward a couple of years. checking in at another art show in a
university city quite a ways from the above show and seeing that ‘x
x’ had already signed in, i commented to the check-in person “i
should meet the man who liked my design so much.” but, would you
believe it, he was never around his booth when i went that way?

fast forward yet another two or three years at yet another art show
in yet another city. i finished setting up the day before the show
and headed for the van, stopping in the next block to ask an artist
still working if she knew which way to my motel. she wasn’t a local
and had no idea. the next morning she went by my booth and without
stopping called out “did you find your motel?” i nodded. then she
glanced at my displays, did a u-turn and came back to my booth. “i
recognize your work! i want you to know that we’ve never let ‘x x’
live down what he did to you! we told him ‘you never do that to a
fellow artist’.” i still don’t know who she was or who “we” were,
but they must have been an art league with a concept of the value of
an artist’s ideas - the ‘products’ resulting from a personal journey
down roads untraveled by other artists. so here’s my suggestion:
when you see some artist’s design style you like, admire it, enjoy
it, aspire to develop your own style that others will also admire and
enjoy, BUT don’t steal any part of it - don’t falsely lay claim to
the product of someone else’s journey…

and take off you hats to kim (covebeads) who wouldn’t copy the
andrew goss ‘cement’ design - copy her integrity and personal pride
but not her design style.

people, think and grow!
ive