Plagiarism

I say design your own!

PS Have you got a link to both?

Stationer's website

Blog post

I have just seen this blog too and she has blatantly ripped off the designs!!!

Woah just seen it. Blatent copy!

I can see two sides though. And I think another HIB said similar last week - from a jewellery perspective, for example, there are only so many things you can do with pearls and rondells to create a necklace. There are quite a few styles of standard designs that feature on many/most websites and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Unfortunatley many businesses use the same suppliers. I was browsing a few days ago for logo inspiration and came across two near indentical tiaras to mine. This is really unfortunate for both parties but I don't think it can be helped sometimes - there's no way to search every website before making something that there isn't something similar.

On the other hand, when someone's style is so different and obvious like Bunny Delicious's I don't think it's acceptable to copy. I know of two businesses that have copied her ribbon style and have copied other elements in the past. If I can spot it I'm sure others will. Again I think it was raised last week in a stationery post about whether using something very similar is copying - if there are a few different elements then perhaps it isn't?

Slightly different but the thing that really takes the biscuit is when photos of designs are passed off as their own. I know Sherrie, Starstruck and RainbowFlorist have all suffered this. This makes me so angry, they work hard to create beautiful pieces, their website etc and someone comes along passing it off as their own.

I think this might be a long debate!

I agree with you on all points, LLL!

I think the 'copiers' need a bloody good slap round the chops!

I find it a bit strange that the blog did a special feature on Bunny Delicious a while back yet feature a copy, surely they must recognise the design as copied.

This is becoming so rife now not just by Brides using Suppliers designs but also other 'professionals'. It really gets my back up when I see it.

Doing searches almost all day every day I see it time after time, when you have been in the business a long time you get to recognise others work so instantly know who it belongs to. We all have our own style so it makes it unique to us. Another thing that annoys me is when they take stock photos & use them as their Gallery or on their site to pass off as previous work, if you haven't got a Portfolio , then don't use misleading pictures. Needless to say most of these don't last 2 minutes in the Industry as they can't fulfull what they proport to do!

Ooooh yes it certainly does! and ouch - I've just seen the one you've referred to - extremely blatant ? on behalf of Zoe. It's still not a patch on the beautiful detailing and finish that Zoe puts into her work though.

I know other stationers and other kinds of designers get equally cross. Despite being in business competition a lot of us are friends away from forums and chat regularly, we all know each other from places like Twitter. In fact this was a big topic when some of us met at a recent industry do. We also hate it when someone shows us a photo of another designer's work and asks for a copy (and always wants it cheaper) - the answer is always absolutely no and original designer is usually informed!!

It's difficult when it is a bride or groom that copies and of course you won't always know unless someone flashes it on a forum or blog (and then, believe me, someone will tip the original designer off). It is very galling when they try to pass the design off as their own and take credit for it. I actually found a blog post recently where a bride was suggesting getting a sample of one of my letterpressed pieces and taking it to a local printer to copy. I refused to take her sample request. She'd even put a link to the design directly to my website (so it showed up in my analytics - that's how I came across it) and even copied the photo over.

It is SO frustrating, but unfortunately it happens all the time. I've been in the industry for about 7 years, and I have seen it happen over and over and over again. What Lisa LLB says it true, but Zoe's style (Bunny Delicious) is SO unique! She has been copied on numerous occasions! If anyone actually knew the processes she uses and how her incredible work is created, they would understand better why it is worth every penny - it is more expensive than some other handcrafted stationery, but it truly is amazing and utterly worth paying the premium for. (can you tell I'm a fan!?!?)

No matter what you do as a designer, people will copy you. It is NOT flattering in the slightest, it is downright bloody rude and proves that the person doing the copying has no imagination or creativity if they need to stoop so low.

Often people see 'similar' styles and there is a massive difference in price - often because totally different materials have been used, or alternative products. It's still copying but from a designer's point of view, it's almost impossible to prove.

And breathe.....

OMG, Suzanne, that's awful! No wonder you didn't give her your sample!

(P.S. I shall follow you on Twitter! Didn't think of adding people I knew, what a plonker! I'll be the silly looking one in a sailor hat!)

You said it all so much better than I did Suz!!!

I remember that thing over the sample request, it was quite shocking! I had a stationery designer order 5 samples from my website once......she forgot that she had used her business email so it was fairly obvious! Ummmmmmmm.........

^^ WSS - she's a jolly gorgeous person who puts so much heart and soul in her work

I don't see a problem with it providing they are not trying to sell the design as their own. I am sure we have all looked online and in magazines for inspiration. What's wrong with thinking "I like that, but I could make it for a lot less than they are charging" and having a go yourself? If it goes well, why not use it in your wedding? It's not a public commercial event, and you're not selling your stationery to your guests!

I agree that you will come across similarities in a lot of designs but I think when the style is as distinctive as BD's then it is much more likely to be a copy than a coincidence!

to be fair, how do you know she's copied the designs? perhaps she bought her stationery from Zoe?

Because she said that they designed and made the stationery themselves and she's not Zoe.

Quite a simple deduction on behalf of CB-Holmes today! ?

It says in the article she made all the stationery herself, and doesn't give a link to a stationery supplier.

Yes making your own will be sometimes be cheaper. But no one else expects to work for free - why should a stationery designer be any different? You are also buying into their design ideas, skills, experience and labour.

The original post refers to a bride who has submitted their wedding and stationery work on a major wedding blog - they totally copied another designer (without any credit) but passing it off as their own - it's wrong!

Ok fair enough my bad for not reading properly! lol

To copy someone's designs is bad enough but to flash them on a blog and not even write 'stationary inspired by Bunny Designs' or something is pushing it too far.

Edited because someone posted same thing before me ?

Plagiarism is rife isn't it? I have even had it in my business over the last few years. On 3 occassions in the last 2 years I have employed the services of an internet lawyer, it seems so ridiculous! But this is just the way society operates now. We are all willing to pay a premium for good design (you only have to look at the success of the ipod/phone/pad) but some people do not have the creativity (or knowledge) for good design and therefore think they can steal others. The general attitude being: "It's only this or that, I can do that myself" Not realising the work that goes into the creative process to make these designs.

It drives me nuts.

Having said that I am one of those people who think I can make virtually anything. For my own wedding I have taken inspiration from various (more talented) people than I. I certainly will not pass this design process as my own work.

Fair enough, you're right there, there should be a mention in the article. Is there a way to add comments? I didn't notice. Perhaps someone should pass this on to Zoe so she can contact RMW and get the credit she deserves.