Intellectual Property... what does that really mean? Here is the definition:
intellectual property
noun
LAW
- intangible property that is the result of creativity, such as patents, copyrights, etc.
That definition didn't get us very far, did it. Intellectual property is so hard to define, because it has to do with ideas and concepts. How can an idea be the property of just one person and at one point does that idea then stop belonging to said person.
The pictures above are a very good example of the problem with intellectual property. The first picture was taken by a photographer for the make up artist vladamua. The second is an advertisement for Kylie Jenner's cosmetic company. It is obvious that she used vladamua's idea, but the question is, did she steal it or just use the original as inspiration. The experts don't see vladamua having a chance in court with a law suit, because the courts have had such a difficult time protecting intellectual property.
Have you seen this happening on Stardoll?
It happens all the time and it depends on the doll, as to how they deal with the situation.
I've been blogging about suites on Stardoll for at least 3 years, which means I have visited a large number of dolls. I've seen dolls who have copied someone's suite piece for piece and others who've just used suites as inspiration. One of those dolls who is often copied is Rosie.doll. I adore her suites, and I have seen at least 50 different versions of each of her rooms.
I have spoken to Rosie and asked her how she felt about the copying. (This was prompted, because I had a doll who visited me, only to copy one of my rooms. She never said hi, she never indicated she liked my suite, she just continually visited, so that she could replicate my suite. And this made me unhappy.) Rosie told me to take it as a compliment, even when there is no acknowledgement by the doll who is copying. It was sage advice and I follow it to this day.
I am often inspired by what I see on my many visits... Here is an example of a suite that inspired me to redo my Millionaire Mansion suite some years ago.
Solyma77
You can definitely tell that her suite inspired mines. I let Solyma77 know at the time that I admired her talent and that her suite inspired me to create a version for myself.
Inspiration or Stolen Ideas on Stardoll...
- Suite Design
- Wigs
- Stardesign Clothing
- Style
When does inspiration turn into a stolen idea?
Every doll will have a different answer for the question. So to avoid conflict, I would recommend that you contact the doll directly, to let them know that you've been inspired by their talent.
If the doll is making money from their idea and you decide to "copy" and sell you version of it, you might find that they will not be too happy about you being inspired by their work. But it is best to let them know, as to avoid conflict in the future. You can also do your best to vary your design from theirs. This is often difficult, because most designs are often inspired by RL releases.
What are your thoughts on intellectual property?
**The image above was taken from the following article click here.
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