On Copying Toys or Items

This is copied from my post on GC regarding copying others items. This is my 2 cents on the issue.

I have been a vendor in this community for 4 years and a purchaser of specialty glider products for about 6. Here is my best explanation of where *I* draw the line in the sand (so to speak).

To me, the idea of copying in this community is not about the PARTS used on a toy. Every vendor in the community can use chain, whiffle balls, rubber duckies, bells, rings, jacks, mini links, heart and star links, animal links, finger puppets, bowls, dive rings, etc, etc, etc for all I care.

The issue of copying only comes into play in MY mind when the CONCEPT/IDEA is copied. To me, it does not matter if you make it better or worse, bigger or smaller, louder or quieter, or any other variation if you have taken someone else's concept.

For example - if the CONCEPT is a finger puppet with 4 strands of various beads coming from the bottom, each ending in a toy or set of toys, then that is the concept. No matter how you arrange the beads or what toys you put at the end, you are copying the design concept. That is just wrong.
However, if you take the exact same finger puppets, beads and toys and start with a wiffle ball with strings of various beads some ending in a toy and others in a finger puppet, then you have not copied the concept even though you are using the exact same PIECES. This would be OK - a new idea/concept. Not copying at all.

This is why some things are not things we look for copies of - standard foraging toys of beads with a cup are so standard and basic that I could not tell you one person's from another. But, a foraging toy such as a Forage Ahead or a Triple Foraging Bin are CONCEPTS that should not be copied. A standard cage set - pouch, hammocks of all shapes and sizes, tunnel, fleecy vine, etc. these are all basic and anyone can make them.

But, specialty pouches such as the floppies, the play and stay log/hollow, the pillow pouch, the comfy pouch, etc. are unique designs and should not be copied. The CONCEPTS should not be copied. If you were to come up with a tear drop shaped pouch with flaps on the sides concealing the entrance holes that happens to have an alien face or a sasquatch face, I will still say you copied the floppy (even though there is, sadly, no sasquatch floppy to date). It is the CONCEPT that one must stay mindful of.

And, if you wonder if your idea has already been done, do as others suggested and ask. Just be sure you are getting feedback from people who have been around the community for longer than 3 seconds and have seen many vendors' products.


Does that make sense?

Go ahead and make your toys using any PIECES you desire. Just don't use anyone else's CONCEPT. No matter how much you dress it up or dress it down, if at the heart of it your product is the same concept/idea as someone else's, then I believe you have copied.

And, if you DO accidentally profit off of someone else's concept before you find out about it, then do what I have done the two times I found myself in this situation - you contact the original creator, apologize and offer to give them the money that you made off of their idea. Explain that you know it was a really good idea because you had it too and you just want to show them the respect that you believe this great idea deserves. You will win the respect of another vendor by doing so, and that word of mouth will spread. Accidental copying does not have to be a really dramatic thing - it can be a character building thing if you approach it as such. In the end, with all things in this community, it is your character as a person that will drive your success as a vendor, breeder, rescuer, etc.

Very well said Val. I agree 100% with all that you said.

Ditto. I was going to agree with you on that thread but it got shut down.

How do we/you feel about entire websites that are copied?

If, say, a person copies all of the text from someone's website and changes the names or addresses or such and uses it as their own. Is that OK? In this situation, would you trust the advice given on the copied website? Would you trust the one who copied the text to be honest with you if you were purchasing from them?

What if someone were to start a new forum, copy posts from other forums and post them on their new forum? How would you feel about that? In this situation, would you feel that this new forum had anything original to offer you?

And, lastly, would your opinion change if it were YOU who had your words plagiarized?

From dictionary.com for the definition of Plagiarism:

Quote :

the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work, as by not crediting the author

To me, this creates distrust, disrespect and it is technically theft. That's how I feel about it.

I would not go to that site at all. I would have to wonder what kind of people are running it that can't come up with their own stuff they have to copy from others.
If all they were doing was copying others then why bother to start a new site.
It's no different than copy people products i don't support those people and I will NOT support the website or the people running the site.

I think if you can not come up with your own information then you should not have a website. I can read every other web site out there and gather my own information. I would not support it in any way what so ever.

It is really low to steal from others whether it be people products,ideas, physically taking things from someone else or coping there information.

Any one can copy and paste do your own research and write your own articles.

i would give them an F in the class and report them to the proper authorites. oh wait we are talking about websites not final papers. sorry im in research mode for school (i'm actually supposed to be researching a paper right now but i got bored).

Ulitmatly i don't think their is much "new" information out there. if you look up anything on the web its all the same information, just in a different order. i'm doing a research paper on czech foods, and every website i look at the says the exact same thing. i'm actually at point now where im reading pages and wondering if the site i'm on now got the information the site i just got done with or the one i was reading from two days ago.

personally i don't agree with it, but in the modern age it seems like it is becoming more and more socially acceptable, or maybe its just people getting lazier and lazier?

BCChins wrote:

I think if you can not come up with your own information then you should not have a website. I can read every other web site out there and gather my own information. I would not support it in any way what so ever.

It is really low to steal from others whether it be people products,ideas, physically taking things from someone else or coping there information.

Any one can copy and paste do your own research and write your own articles.

Agreed.

Double agreed.

I don't agree with copying anything ~ regardless of what it is. Think for yourself, write you own stuff.

When dealing with someone, we typically go to their site first. If the information on their site was plagiarised, then no I couldn't trust them. And no, if they copied the information from me, it wouldn't affect my opinion ~ it would make me very mad though!

It's not difficult to come up with your own material. If you are advertising something, or providing information, you should know your "product" well enough to come up with the information on your own.