Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Cube chaps cover your eyes.

So it's a sad day when I have to dedicate a blog post to something negative. Not something I wanted to do but I felt it was necessary to point out this mornings find.

It seems ASOS have taken my little cube chap and made him into a necklace pendant. I used to doodle this little fella as a student all over my sketchbooks. In 2006 I decided to develop the idea further and make a 3d model. Cube chaps became hand stitched little people and key rings, and also screen printed stationery and stickers etc...

Cube chaps have been my friends and my invention for quite some time, so seeing my idea taken and mass produced by a well known fashion brand is pretty upsetting.

Theft of creative works happens so often now. Several good friends of mine have had their work mimicked by big companies that should know better, for some it happens repeatedly and often.

I work for myself. I design and create my own ideas and I produce everything with my own hands. I do what I do because I don't want to be part of a bland mass produced society, I'm not interested in that. I really don't see the need for big brands to take the ideas of individuals without asking. If ASOS had simply contacted me to ask about using my design they could have paid me to do so rather than paying a designer to copy it.

Things need to change.
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16 comments:

  1. Anonymous28 February 2012 at 06:53

    Oh no! This sucks. Why do SO many companies think they can get away with this? It's immoral and illegal! Hope you get the outcome you're looking for x

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  2. M28 February 2012 at 06:55

    Did you copyright/trademark your idea? Cute Cubes though :)

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  3. Jane Cabrera28 February 2012 at 06:57

    Sorry to hear this. As you say, it happens too much. Hope this little cube david slays the ASOS Goliath!

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  4. Victoria28 February 2012 at 08:00

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. trey28 February 2012 at 08:49

    If your work is registered with the copyright office, you're good. Likenesses and derivatives are covered and you could sue for infringement - big money back for damages. If not registered, REGISTER, then send a cease and desist letter. If they don't stop producing them you can sue, but not for damages. Retain a lawyer now!

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  6. Anonymous28 February 2012 at 09:57

    To be honest, your design is pretty generic. It's not something I haven't seen a lot of popping up as street art and the like for some time.

    That said, if you genuinely feel it is an idea that has been stolen, contact Citizen's Advice or a similar free legal advice service as intellectual property should remain yours whether you have registered it or not - check out 'UK Design Right' on this web page:

    http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-applying/d-before/d-needreg.htm

    I personally feel you'll struggle with the originality but good luck.

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  7. BDP28 February 2012 at 14:27

    I'm so sorry that this has happened to you! Your poor cube chaps, being stolen!

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  8. worpeddesign28 February 2012 at 15:37

    Don't let them get away with it. Confront them about it and ask what the hell they're playing at. It makes me sick to think a company as big as ASS, sorry ASOS, is stealing artists ideas!
    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

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  9. Amelia29 February 2012 at 01:47

    .... *sigh* this is not cool. ASOS should have purchased the right to reproduce him from you. Is there anything you can do? Unfortunately if you don't register him as a trademark, they can get away with stealing it. Good luck xxx

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  10. Unknown29 February 2012 at 02:02

    Hi, as much as I empathise with your predicament and I recognise that it is annoying when you find something similar to what you've been doing for a while being done by a company with more money behind it/distribution/access to customers etc.

    And I have seen many sides to this argument, are companies seeing a good thing and directly copying smaller creative types, or have they got the idea from a creative type working within their own company who has been exposed to the same things every person of that generation is exposed to. Or any one of a number of other reasons.

    Anyway, I get to my point. Whilst at university in 2008 - yes I know this is a bit later than you have pointed out you created your men but I have only just come across your blog - we were studying in the library and to procrastinate, to do anything other than work we started making little men with pink tack. The cube is naturally very easy to mould to index finger and thumb from both hands so is quite a natural shape to make. Sticking to eyes, hands and feet are just a natural progression. Please see here for the pink tack men we created: https://plus.google.com/photos/116282160020803912431/albums/5714494762932484401?authkey=CNytzdLyqrf7KA

    So my point is, yes, their design is VERY similar to yours, and yes if they have seen your design then that's very unfair but we're all so swamped by the same things over and over again nowadays, we absorb things we don't even realise we're absorbing until an idea just comes to our mind. And whether the little men we've all made are just a natural progression of a Mr Potato head from a film probably everyone has seen, or a brand new idea which is so unique that it can't possibly be copied without anyone knowing where from; we will never know.

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  11. Unknown29 February 2012 at 07:11

    I'm sorry, but I was sketching these in high school in 1993 and I'm pretty sure I don't have any claim on them either. THEY'RE CUBES.

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  12. Madison29 February 2012 at 07:34

    Whilst I understand what people are saying RE: innovation and originality (we live in a postmodern society after all) I have to agree that your Cube Chaps and the ASOS designs are remarkably similar. Someone mentioned limbs - but both designs have only feet. The eyes are the same, even the mini crystals match your stitchwork. I think they are very similar. And in light of Claire's Accessories ripping off Tatty Devine's designs recently, it's becoming a more well-known issue.

    I think what you need to do is think about how likely it is that ASOS might have seen these designs. Are you on Twitter? Do you sell these Cube Chaps? Where? Perhaps you should even look at the dimensions. If those are the same then I think you should approach them more formally about this..

    Madison @ www.sex-shopping-and-chocolate.com

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  13. Apolonia St.Ainolopa29 February 2012 at 09:15

    I'm going to be rude, I'm sorry, they are scumbags!!! I've just found your blog out, and I love your works. I am really sorry that they stole one of your creations. What is frustrating is that we are quite powerless to fight against those shameless corporates that only think about profit and that have no respect for creative artists like you. I hope you'll manage to get some compensation and a long letter of apology. Take care.

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  14. Ostra's Creations1 March 2012 at 04:51

    How awful. These top companies have some cheek.I hope you can get it sorted. xx

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  15. Nicola5 March 2012 at 04:09

    I think they are very similar, it can't just be chance in this case! Even the name is practically the same.

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  16. Autumn Thyme22 June 2014 at 06:12

    Hi :) I surfed through to here from an old topic on CraftForum. Would love to know how this was resolved? Plus if it helps at all, I found this excellent website on Copyright. The forums are fascinating reading. Hope it all worked out for you :) http://www.copyrightaid.co.uk/forum/

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