I won’t name and shame on the forums, but I’ve just found another seller who has not only started to sell a product that is very similar to one of my designs (something that I have been pretty much the only person selling on Folksy for over three years), but has also virtually swiped my carefully crafted product description lock, stock and barrel! All she has done it to change a few words, but it’s still recognisably mine… Blimmin’ cheek!
So I’ve reported her to Folksy. I haven’t complained that she is copying my design, as it’s something that most competent seamstresses could pretty easily work out for themselves. But nicking my words is much easier to demonstrate.
Then I notice that someone else is making the same product and using photos that are suspiciously close to mine… Again, it’s a photographic set-up I’ve developed and have I’ve been using on Folksy for several years.
Nope - not unreasonable or paranoid at all! Sadly, the world is full of people who may have the skill to do something, but no imagination to do their own designing. When I started out doing this full time I had someone who saw everything I posted on a certain forum, and would then make her (tacky) version of it (usually for a higher price!) She followed me onto Folksy and again, anything new I did, a few weeks later she would do it to. Thankfully she got bored after a couple of years - hopefully your issue can be sorted before that long, though x
You’re not being unreasonable, there’s nothing worse than feeling like someone is ripping off your hard work!
I can’t see whats the point being in a creative industry if you have no imagination or ideas of your own. Taking inspiration is one thing- but inspiration isn’t the same as ‘copying’. Inspiration tends to lead to something far from the original.
I’m afraid it’s something that is all too common on online selling sites and elsewhere. Unless you make something that is too difficult to copy, there will always be others who will use your ideas/designs and create their own very similar version of it, especially if it is obviously popular and sells well.
I’ve had it happen to me many times - crafters see something that sells and decide that would be a good idea to copy, usually it’s not very well made and a fraction of the price I sell at, so it’s not really taking my business, but it can be annoying. Best thing to do is just shrug it off - they will not steal your customers and will probably close their shops in a few months anyway.
Thanks folks, you’ve made me feel a lot better. I can cope with being copied (I find it rather flattering really), it’s stealing my words and photo styling that really got my goat!!
I think you’ve got it exactly right, Jane-imitation is the highest form of flattery, but product descriptions and photo set-ups are actually a lot of hard work too and are also part of the product itself, in a way. It might be that Google will automatically pick up on the fact that they have copied your words and demote them down the search order. This will serve them right
You are not unreasonable Jane. Imitating your stuff can be flattering for you, but coping your photos and descriptions is totally not fair… We all trying to have pics and description perfect but all that should be purely ours, showing our style and our imagination if I can say that…
that’s so annoying. it takes so much time and effort making the items, photographing them and selling them that i too would be v. annoyed if someone nicked my ideas etc.
i hope that you can get things straightened out with the other seller
You are not being unreasonable. In fact if someone is copying your descriptions then it will bring you both down in a google search. Also it’s plagiarism.
I would be more than annoyed and would report it also.
That’s a very good point Eileen: I haven’t heard anything back from Folksy (although I wouldn’t expect them to involve me unless there was a dispute over this), but if it’s still there in a day or two I will make a bit more of a fuss.
Thanks everyone for your lovely supportive words.
Jane x
I hope you get it sorted Jane. Unfortunately I found a re-seller on Etsy using one of my images to sell their “not allowed” factory imports today sigh!
not at all, though Im sure you have gathered that by now! :o) I could say the same about one of my designs which i’ve been making long (years) before i started selling on folksy, I did a search a while ago, and came across a very similar versions in almost identical photo set up. A bit disheatening, but I just don’t look anymore as not much i can do about it.
We’ve had the same thing happen over and over and it is infuriating. Not on folksy - so far as we know! - but Etsy, eBay and other random places. We’ve had quite a bit of luck by contacting the person directly with some people actually removing the listing, though some don’t of course. We’re not aggressive with it but make it clear that you feel they’ve directly copied you - I think the shame get’s to them!
I don’t think you are paranoid. Especially when I also caught another knitter getting inspired by one of my products, making the same and copying good chunks of my listing description. Google doesn’t like duplicate content. It takes time to find your style, way of writing and photographing and that’s part of your brand. As others said, as long as there are unethical people out there these things will happen. Let’s just hope they don’t happen often.
I don’t think you are being unreasonable Jane, hope you got this sorted now. It is annoying, I’ve found someone who has copied the overall design of my ballerina card and directly the ballet shoes (I know this for sure as I drew them…as I do all my designs).
