Whilst checking where my listings are coming when I put in my main search words, I came across a seller, selling a necklace, that is very similar to mine.
There are plenty of wire workers I know, but for the past 9 years I have been the only person, that I can find, that does spiral necklaces like mine. And I have been very successful selling them.
I have checked this persons shop, its the only one she has listed, everything else is very different, where as my shop is all about silver spirals (its even my shops name!), with an addition lately of a new copper range, which might go in its on shop eventually, just testing the market at mo.
What was really gaulling is that she is soooooo cheap, like £10 cheap, with no postage to anywhere in the world (she might of forgotten to do the postage), where as I am more than twice that.
My question is what should I do (never had this issue before), should I contact her and say she has blatently ripped my design or do I just accept the fact she is making and selling them too.
Hi, I don’t think you need to worry. Yours are absolutely beautiful and quite different from the other one. I don’t think you are allowed to name another shop though xx
without wishing to be difficult, I think you should remove her link as admin would take a dim view of your shaming someone who might be copying but might not…they don 't like people being named.
I don;t think there is any law about copying unless you have a copyright to your work.
It is upsetting I know but people copy all the time (I am so glad I just paint…and that any of my crochet is my own design…lol)
I think you just have to take it on the chin…it is a tough world out there.
I remember a couple of years ago that a lady on here, selling Jewellery found almost duplicate items in a well know high street store…but you cannot fight the BIG BOYS…
I just hope that you get sales and keep going…
Good luck, but please remove her link as I would hate you to get into trouble over it.x
Think you might be contravening forum rules by having the link to the offending item so I think you should remove that first. Then I would contact admin and see if you can get them to act as an intermediary - there is a definite similarity but she could have independently to your work found a wire work tutorial on making spirals and that type of necklace was (to her) the next logical step and she has never seen your shop - they need to ask questions of how she came up with the design. I also wonder if they need to investigate whether some of her items would fall under the ‘assembled’ banner.
Thank you. My sales on Folksy have been a bit poor lately, so could do with out it! I have removed the other shop, wasn’t aware of that, thanks for the heads up!
I have removed the other shop, wasn’t aware of that, thanks for the heads up!
I know… its how I learnt after all, I was just a bit miffed as I have not come across anyone doing as many spirals as I do before, calmed down a bit now!
She might be put off them when she realises she will knacker her wrists making them!!
I don’t want to be mean to you, but you say yourself that your designs are based on Celtic and Viking spiral designs. There are lots of museum pieces displayed on Pinterest that show similar designs which are indeed Viking, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon, so it could be that this other shop has been inspired by the same source material. I sometimes use spirals in my own work because they are an iconic ancient northern european design and easy to replicate. People have been making them since Adam was a lad and will still be making them in 1000 years time. I don’t believe that this is something that anyone could really claim to hold the design rights to.
At a conference I was at with Theo Paphtis from Dragon’s Den, he was asked about copying; designs, ideas, complete business models. His reply was that someone who is copying will almost always have an inferior product and no new ideas to go with that. You can either take umbridge, take to court etc if a big issue or you can concentrate on your own work, moving forward, new ideas etc The original will always be superior and often time and energy spent concentrating on your own work and moving yourself in the direction you want to go will be more worthwhile.
On the plus side I hadn’t seen your lovely shop before!
As others have said, I would just forget about it and move on. Your work is far superior and I know which I would purchase even if it is more expensive, I would go with the quality every time. Beautiful shop by the way!!!
Your not being mean, I’m realistic, I know what I do is all over the place, Ive just never seen anyone do exactly what I do before, most people just put a few spirals in their work, rather than a whole necklace worth! I know I don’t hold any claim over the design rights and even I have taken ideas from other peoples work and added my own twists. I think it was more the fact she was so cheap, that got my back up!! Over it now
I love your necklace and the idea of spirals as connectors. I have spirals in most of my wirework, part of my trademark, they are in my logo, but I’d never dream of just lifting your idea. Love your precision and consistency with them too!
. After 9 years of making them, I make them in my sleep! 