Copying Someone Else's Work

Discussion in 'Norrathian Homeshow' started by Wizzam, Oct 12, 2017.

  1. Wizzam Well-Known Member

    In this amazing community we love sharing ideas and inspiration! I'll be the first to admit I steal little bits and bobs from others, like lamps or washing machines. I always try my best to send them a tell or a mail, just letting them know how much I liked their original design and that I stuffed it in my pocket for a future use.
    But copying someone's entire design is a whole other level. I know some people sell their layouts, or offer them up for free. I'm always happy to put someone on the door so they can use the same layout, that's not a problem. But when I'm randomly visiting houses on the leaderboards, and I come across a house that looks about 90% exactly like a home I've done, I'm not gunna lie - I'll get upset. I never got any mail from this person, never spoke with them. I've looked up their toon and I don't know any of their alts.
    But they've copied my work about 90% and are passing it off as their own. That's not cool.
    This one is mine and has been video toured numerous times.
    [IMG]

    And this one is theirs.
    [IMG]

    This is on Maj'Dul, so feel free to look them both over. It's not illegal to steal designs or copy 100% over, but it is rude. We all work very hard on our reputations, even tho this is a game. To have someone do this is hurtful.
    I am very disappointed.
  2. Ealdian Well-Known Member

    You're right Wiz.

    It's not just that someone is dishonest about passing YOUR work off as their own, in essence, STEALING YOUR IMAGINATION, but it is also that for almost NO imagination on their part, they are attempting to gain reputation without doing any work.

    This is theft. Plain and simple. They even used the SAME pic as the teaser. How anyone could sink so low is truly beyond me.

    I hope this person comes forward to both apologize publicly or privately to Wiz, and also unpublish this house.

    It already exists on the leaderboards.

    Sir Ealdain Cearnan, Knight of Bayle
    (who would gladly pulverize the thief he if catches him!)
  3. Febrith Well-Known Member

    Wow at the audacity, that's a breathtaking straight-up copy - I completely agree with Ealdian and his signature!:)

    I have heard of this happening fairly recently to another decorator - I won't name names because that decorator hasn't taken any steps that I know of to "out" the copycat. One wonders if it is the same copycat going by another name.
  4. Ethini Well-Known Member

    I have no words suitable for these boards. I want my facebook angry reaction.:mad:
  5. Trixwynter Well-Known Member

    I saw in chat this morning when you found it. So sad what people will do. I admit I get inspired by others and have forgotten who did what that I loved. But I would never go that far especially to publish it. I'm sorry this happened to you
  6. Trixwynter Well-Known Member

    I should have said i would never copy that much. I might been inspired from how someone did a firplace and replicate it with my own spin.
  7. Leafa Active Member

    Well, that stinks! I've seen people borrow aspects of things I did, and I've been asked for an entire layout (which tickled me at the time), but that straight copy without acknowledging you was entirely lacking in decor etiquette.

    Yanno, I like the look of the shiny trophy when I win, but the very best thing for me after decorating is to hear what another decorator says when they tour. Getting to share the fun is my favorite part, so I'd be upset if someone did a smack down copy as though I was non-existent.

    Wizzam, thanks again for the floor and wall fixes you did for me!
  8. Sigrdrifa EQ2 Wiki Author

    Actually, I'm reasonably sure that you could make a legal case that this is theft of intellectual property (IP) for the design itself. DBG, of course, owns everything else but your imagination in putting it together as you have. You couldn't take the person to court,even assuming you could identify them IRL, because you'd have to be able to show actual (monetary) losses, but that does not change the FACT that what you have here is outright THEFT OF IP.

    I certainly have borrowed an element or two from folks' houses , especially those pictured here in the forums, and I hope others borrow some of what I've concocted. But I would darn sure be mad if someone copied my whole design and failed to either ask permission or acknowledge the source.
  9. santargria Well-Known Member

    I unfortunately can't help but copy what others have done - I have zero ability to visually create these things by myself.

    So I take bits of here, and bits of there, a little thingamagig there, and a OMG I'm so stealing that!!!! there.

    That being said, I've tried to recreate some rooms from others and have failed miserably forcing me to attempt to design the overall feeling on my own - which seldom works very well I might add.

    However, stealing an entire layout is beyond even me :( not only would I not want to do it, but I wouldn't be able to any way LOL.

    I don't really see why someone would copy an entire layout - by the time you get it finished to look like the original, you could have created a whole new original!

    No?

    Anyway, I've got torches at the ready to burn the house down as needed!
  10. Wizzam Well-Known Member

    Wow, thank you all so much for your support!
    I never knew how hurtful it could be to someone until this morning. I've had quite a few people go in and tour each home and come back to me, wondering why I was not enraged, or pulling them out to publically shame them every time I see them online. I'm not out to humiliate anyone, I'm posting this because obviously common sense hasn't kicked in for some people and they think that doing this, stealing someone's entire house and passing it off as their own, is okay. Another player was talking in Homeshow today and said the same thing has happened to her on a different server. I have no idea how someone wouldn't see that doing this is wrong. And you are correct Sigrdrifa, that's straight up theft. Plain and simple. Eli was right on saying it's theft of imagination as well. But I'd never bother to find them in real life and challenge them. I'm trying really hard to be flattered by them stealing my design, instead of the hurt and anger that I feel.
    Someone else said they'd pull all of their homes down if this happened to them. I enjoy decorating, and sharing with our community. I couldn't just remove that love of what we all do. Leafa, you are 100% on the money there. The trophy is cute, but the comments I get from fellow decorators and friends, and the video tours that are done, really make it so much more fun for me. To be honest, I have so many trophies lying around, I even have some in my mailbox still. I just don't know what to do with them. But I save every single mail that people send to me, with comments on my work. They all mean a lot to me.
    If I hear anything from this person, I will be sure to let everyone know. In the meantime, we should all stay vigilant and help remind our fellow decorators of the common curtesy rules that we all live by. If you pinch an idea from someone, try your best to make sure and let them know, or leave a book in the house giving them a little credit. Unless you steal something really simple, or something that's been done over and over, then I wouldn't worry about it. But if you feel the need to copy over 50% of their ideas, then definitely involve them in it. OR, don't publish it. I fully admit I've copied Gracee's hall over on Maj'Dul probably about 75%, but I keep the hall closed off and to myself. I just enjoy the look of it and would never pass it off as my own or let others assume it's mine.
  11. Wizzam Well-Known Member

    I've gone back and edited the second screenshot as someone pointed out that could possibly be against the EULA and I don't want that. If you want their name, I'm happy to give it. I just think it's against the rules to publically post it.
  12. Febrith Well-Known Member

    I'm exactly the same Wiz - I have trophies all over the place and left in my mail box until I either build more shelves or find something else to do with them - BUT I keep every nice piece of mail I've ever been sent with kind comments - they really do mean the world. The first time I ever received such a letter (long before decorating became a "thing" and the leader boards were invented), I received a letter from a complete stranger who had gone to my house to buy something from my broker box I wish I still had it but didn't think to keep it back then. The impact that person's kindness had on me was immense. I can only empathise with you completely as I know how I'd feel in your shoes. What we do, the creations we make and the hours and hours that we put in to a new home are not to just be picked up and copied and claimed as someone else's work - it's maddening - I'm actually mad on your behalf /shakes fairy fist
    Spextasy, Moena, Sapphirius and 8 others like this.
  13. Febrith Well-Known Member

    And I'd just like to say that having been to both - hers is a very poor copy - yours is MUCH nicer<3
  14. kianne Well-Known Member

    My post has been deleted.... lol truth hurts some people i c
  15. Rosyposy Well-Known Member

    Housing trophies work well as hidden light sources such as underneath tables, etc... :cool:
  16. Quiarrah Well-Known Member

    I am the exact same way. . . But you can ALWAYS see my own "spin" on it because the way I remember something looking and the way it comes out when I try are 2 different things. I hope no one can come back on me one day and say I stole something from them. . . I don't think it would be that obvious. The IDEA maybe. . . but not the actual item in question. All I can say is. . . wow. . . what nerve.
  17. Senya Well-Known Member

    I know EXACTLY how you feel.

    A few weeks ago I was approached by someone from a guild on Maj'Dul. The person (I forget the name now) asked me to buy the layout for my guild hall and really complimented my work. I thanked them and genuinely appreciated the praise, but I politely told them I had spent a lot of time on my hall and wanted it to remain one of a kind. They said they understood and I thought that was the end of it.

    Shortly after I kept noticing people in my hall from the guild. Out of curiosity I zoned into their T2 hall to have a look. I've never said anything to them about it, but I was upset. Especially since I'd specifically told them I didn't want to sell my layout. After I seen what was happening I actually turned off visitor access to my hall, but it's obviously already too late.

    Here is the entrance of my guild hall (which I decorated in 2013)
    [IMG]

    And here is what I found in this other guild's hall.
    [IMG]
  18. Wizzam Well-Known Member

    Oh wow, Senya that's awful! I mean, the colors and design are gorgeous, but how terrible of them to go ahead even after you explained you didn't want to share your design. I understand how frustrated you must be. And hurt that they completely disregarded you.
    After talking with other people, I'm finding out my experience is only one of so many and this is incredibly disheartening. Lots of people don't speak up, which I can understand why they would rather not. But unfortunately staying quiet allows these people to keep stealing our designs, ignoring our wishes and passing things off as their own. I almost kept quiet about this when I saw it this morning, but now I'm really glad I spoke up. As decorators we need to stand together. We can't stop them but maybe we can make more people understand how wrong it is.
  19. kianne Well-Known Member

    OMG that is so so wrong... why do people fo this this is so unkind to do this its one thing not knowing but another to tell them no and they deliberately do it anyway thats premeditated ( i think thats the right word) and evil
  20. Sigrdrifa EQ2 Wiki Author

    Wow, they looked at your beautiful foyer, duplicated it, then junked it up with stuff that ruins the spare elegance. Obviously they Have No Clue.