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Posts: 2,203Kim, Hi sweetie. I am now working on a pattern that a friend sent me just to get the feel of sewing a bear. She had told me that I could sell it if I gave her credit for the pattern but to pass off a clone as original is very unprofessional. You are right too be upset. :hug:
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Totally agree with Karen & Cheryl!
I've seen the same thing happen - when I started putting custom pads on my bears' feet and handmade metal claws, I started showing a photo of their feet - I've called it their Upside-Down image. Normally they're not seen when the bear is in its normal position and, as my NFed work starts with a higher price, I want viewers to see all that goes into the pricing.
You have no idea how many pix I have saved in a Folder - every one that I now see on eBay & websites with this pose. And the work of all but one of them are awful! The nerxt time you see a fuzzy pic of a bear/dog/pig/cat/etc... laying on its side with some Magic Markers black spots - you'll know that I'm laughing too.
Your work far out shines the copy. It's maddening to see a design that you've worked so very hard on be copied. Chin up girlie! Your work ROCKS! Be proud in the fact that you know where your designs come from.....your OWN heart and soul.
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsKim. I agree with all who posted: Tutti clearly outshines the other!! And I also think you should say something.
It is going on on ebay, and I think it's a risk we all take when we put our work online. I'm sure that doesn't make you feel any better, but I do think that, like Cheryl said "copycats don't have much of a shelf life". Or this person may realize she's not only hurting other's, she's hurting herself too, as collectors watch ebay as much as we do (perhaps more) and just like Chrissi and her husband noticed this person copying Michelle's work, your collectors and followers will know it's a copy of yours. Perhaps then she'll do what's right and try to develop her own style.
Kim, its a hard cruel world out there and in business there is no such thing as Mr NICE GUY, you do what makes you feel right.
Recently I spoke to someone who lives in Europe who has a brother/sister who is a lawyer dealing with copyright.etc Because of the cost, the time, it becomes almost impossible to take someone to court over stealing your designs.These people organise a big show in Switzerland and have been doing so for many years, they had a logo associated to their show, which was then copied by a new organisation- much to the fury of the existing organisers, but at the end of the day, unless they wanted years and lots of financial loss, they had to get on with it .
Once your work is exposed to the public it is out for anyone there to copy. It is a known fact that some people have bought bears, taken them apart, and copied off the pattern and then made up their "own pattern".
Kim in your case with your bear and the "copied bear" I would be throwing my toys out of the cot- 
Lynette
Matilda Huggington-beareYep they look similar possum. But I wouldnt worry about it. The original is a far superior and polished piece of work. It's quite noticable that TUTTI is the original.
The green one looks quite obviously a copy. It doesnt have any of that true creative flair that is noticable in TUTTI.
I'm not saying this to be nice. I'm only stating what I see and how I react to the bears.
Just accept it as a back handed form of flattery.
I know love, its just not fare when people copy. :hug: :hug:
Your the one with the talent. You thought of it first. She had to copy. 
K P BearYour bear is by far the better bear. And yes I would give her a piece of my mind. I sell patterns on some of my bears and I always give promission for the buyer to sell the bears but they have to tell on the swing tag that I am the designer. I do not sell patterns of my later bears.
Lena 
I agree that the copied piece looks messy, unaccomplished and quite frankly it's not a threat in any way..I, personally wouldn't do anything. If you do anything other than keep on coming up with cleverer new designs to be one step ahead you waste valuable time on someone who clearly is no threat to you since the work is not a patch on yours.
I just think that once you start selling your work by posting photos of it people will copy..period. I just wouldn't waste time even thinking about it..let alone trying to do anything. When I started making my 'chubby cheek' faces about 18 months ago several appeared afterwards...but you know what ..I don't care because I can keep on making and selling my bears one at a time. I just think there are things out there that everyone, if they are honest, thinks...'hmmm..I think I'll have a go at that ' If was the inventor of something which was going to make me billions and someone copied it then I would worry . It's not really a good copy since all it does is make yours look even nicer than it already is!!!
I agree it's annoying ..and it's tragic that some of these people don't have a mind of their own. I was on the receiving end of a wrongful accusation..so I can see that side too..because it was/is so unfounded and fictitious...but ,hey, you know what ..all it ever does to me is just make me think harder about my work and how I can get better..so maybe these things have benefits too!!
Kim-Bee BearsThank you girls... I have decided at the time being to "let it slide" and then if I see she makes a bear like Ozzie next week, THEN I will have to say something... so keep your eyes peeled for a German Ozzie twin LOL...
But, you know what, I was thinking of it this way, if she "tried" to copy me, maybe I am headed in the right direction! I added new wording to my auction since this happened....
All of my needle felted critters come from my heart, soul and mind... I use no patterns and just let the critter be born from hours of "sculpting". I take pride in the originality of my bears and have been needlefelting for years. I am glad you took the time to take a peek at my creation.
So poo on her! 
:crackup: :crackup:
Kim..that's exactly the right thing to do...and spend the time you would have spent dealing with that nonsense coming up with exciting new pieces!! :hug:
Yep, the fun part of being copied, if there is one (!) is to keep ahead of the game and be a leader! So, poo on her indeed and we'll all look forward to seeing your next creation Kim! Good luck!
Laurie Lou BearsRise above it Kim.Your bear is easily better than hers and you must be a better artist for her to have to copy you in the first place.If she was a good artist even though we all draw inspiration from others she would have been able to come up with her own ideas.
Laurie :hug:
Baird'sBears
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Kim! :hug:
The blobby green thing certainly does look like an attempt to copy, but the colors and proportions and face just scream "eeeeeewwwwww".
As the proud owner of an original, I'd never even be tempted!
I'd wait until she does it again, and then send a neutral note saying that she seems to be unaware that artists' designs are subject to copyright.
Canna Bear PaintHere's some food for thought. Considered to be the most powerful woman in business in 2006, Indra Nooyi (CEO of Pepsi), had this to say about her belief in constant reinvention.
"The minute you've developed a new business model, it's extinct, because somebody is going to copy it."
It's life, it's business. People will lie, cheat and steal when money or prestige is on the line, and it's in the bear industry, too.
Good luck to you,
Kelly
You Go Girl!!! I think that you are handling this perfectly!
Chrissi-I too saw the same bear, and thought it was Michelle's and upon realizing it wasn't I was actually disgusted with the bear that it was a blatant copy!!!
The other thing that gets my goat is people obviously selling a bear made from an easily recognizable pattern as their own without giving credit to the designer, sure it is OOAK but still not an Artist original!!! PLEASE GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE!!!
I have a new idea that I plan to launch, I have not seen it out there yet, and I am curious to see how long once the first one goes out that there are more of them!!!
Hugs,
Krista
puca bearsHi Kim
I am in complete agreement with what everyone has said - your wee bear just radiates quality - the green blobby is NO competition!
Having said that, I really sympathise/empathise with what you felt - being ripped off like that just leaves a sick, angry and helpless feeling. It's happened to me too, and I was reassured to realise that it doesn't go un-noticed among fellow bear artists....one can only hope that Ms. Copycat will get a few "cold shoulders" from them!
I think that bear "people " DO look after each other's interests - I came across a good example a few years back when someone (an acquaintance- I can't call her a friend) turned up at a bear show with bears made from other peoples patterns, which she presented under her own name....and even photocopies of patterns which she had then made up into kits - it wasn't long before a posse of FURIOUS artists confronted her - and she hasn't done a show since!
So - Kim - don't feel bad - just keep on making your delightful bears!!
huggies
Maria 
Posts: 3,540Oh man, grab the popcorn...I would have loved to have seen that woman getting mobbed by a posse of FURIOUS artists!!! :crackup:
Indeed Kim, follow your heart on this one, and you can't go wrong :hug:
Chaska, MinnesotaJacqui wrote: I really, really understand how you must feel, the person who has done that obviously has no scruples.
Kim: that is too bad some people act like that. Your bear is clearly of higher quality....
Flying Fur StudiosKim, this exact thing happened to me a couple of years ago.
It's when I was selling polymer clay dragons. I had put up quite a few on ebay, when one day, I saw a dragon that looked just like mine, and the worst part......she copied my EXACT auction listing. To the font, the EXACT words in the description, and selling terms. I was soo mad.
You know what worked? The doll makers list I was part us all send her emails, saying they know she is copying etc.
Then I emailed her, and it sure worked! Never saw anything like that again. Thank goodness.
PM me if you want me to email her. I think we all should. That'll scare her.
Jane Perala Designs Ltd.What a shame Kim - it takes away your pleasure at creating that lovely bear. However, be consoled by the fact that yours really is superior in every way. Chin up, and push on.
I have been at both ends of this particular predicament, and when I was accused by Pam. W. of copying her bears I was devastated, as it was totally without foundation. I was sick for weeks! But I found out later that she made a habit of accusing other bear makers of the same thing all the time. (Sorry, don't mean to insinuate you do that, because I know you don't)
Then I have seen copies of my bears from a couple of my own customers - but there's no point in going on about it, as I'm the only one who will suffer - as my husband says, I take everything too personally. Also if I have inspired these bear makers to create something they are pleased with then I guess it isn't too bad after all.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Jane P.
Charlotte Des Roches DesignsKim,
I understand how you feel...totally...I recently had quite a shock when I saw a Needle Felted Father Christmas for sale on ebay that looked an aweful lot like the one I am teaching on EBearZ U...and this person did not take my class btw.. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: Also I must agree with those who have said the quality of your work really is MUCH better that the copycat...I can see how much time you must spend on each of your beautiful needle felties...you are a firm firm felter...that "greenie meanie" looks like it would fall apart if a heartbeat...
Hugs &
Ahh Kim, so sorry this has happened to you I have to say I can totally relate- there was a certain bear artist at shows here who had several distinct styles, which in itself is unusual enough- but each style was to me, obviously a knock-off of other artists work, artists at that very same show.
I had that uncomfortable feeling mine was one of them but dismissed it, thinking I was full of myself lol, til several people made comments to me about it.
Soon she started listing on Ebay,and since she doesn't seem to do shows anymore, was listing more than I was, which made it look like I was copying *her*... argh... and of course listing several totally different styles of bear- each similar to others work- and even using descriptive words from other peoples auctions, including mine. One that stood out to me was a fabric I like to use, and I know is almost impossible to find specially in Australia, even very difficult on the internet and while she used the term, I could tell it wasn't the fabric.
Thankfully now she seems to have found a niche that is far away frim mine, but is still virtually a copy. I have never had the courage to email her tho, and dont think I ever could.
The frustrating part to me is that you worry others think *you* are the copycat!
Chin up, and let it spur you on to other wonderful original ideas... keep ahead and innovative 
You have a wonderful imagination and Tutti's expression is adorable! Best Wishes, Karen
Bears by JodiJodi Falk
Kiprie BearsHi Kim, I'm so sorry this happened to you 
He look soooo similar to Tutti ...
I would say something too if they makes too-similar one
again...
I totaly agree with what you said. :hug:
> maybe I am headed in the right direction!
↑
bravo! :clap:
hugs/Marie
K P BearWhoa Judi that would have been sooo souldestroying. What kind of people were they??? Not very nice at all.
Lena 
