Hi Fellow Beaders and Bead Enthusiats,
First, please forgive the long post. I just could not sleep and it is 1 30am now. Why cant I sleep? Because, the words for these post keep running through my head and I do hope they turn out the way I want them to, cos I tossed on the bed 4 times trying to lull myself to sleep but my mind just wanted to speak.
Recently, there has been many articles and even'rave' about copyrt issues for beaders etc..and ineveitably I have been affected too, not because I have been accused of copying but it was suggested that I had copied...the Dreaded Word?
A dreaded word for someone who came out with the original design and also someone who has copied...
Please do not mistake me, I am not condoning Copycats, I am not , and I do think the Beaders Ethics sums it up pretty well and I totally agree with it. I also agree with certain beaders their concern to copyright their items because they are truly unique or they represent something about the beader, much like perhaps what Mickey Mouse is to Walt Disney. And if you are in Singapore, then you may even agree with me that a beaded butterfly is a rather unique and not commonly found item...and perhaps warrants copyright.(as I did not seek this crafter's permission, I choose not to list her name, but some of you may know who I am referring about)=>
If that is the crafter's trademark design, give her credit for it. Dont copy it until it may mislead me to think that the "CopyCat" (I use this word guardedly) was the originator... That is definitely a NO NO....
But I am not referring to these group of peopel who blatantly, outrightly and obviously copy.They ought to be ashamed, should they not?
Unfortunately, they are not the people I am referring to,,,rather I am referring to the truly ignorant few, those who
1.Do not or Have not until recently discovered the beauty of blogging (I was a Blogger Pumpkin)Hard to believe?But it is true...yes
Did people like them know about Blogger?
Did they know they could sell stuff here?
Did they have access to the internet?
Yes to all the above, but only 1 problem...
They were slow....slow in what?
- Slow in getting their stuff up on the internet first,
- Slow in perhaps registering a design that they may have come up first but did not think to copyright it...
- Slow in showing by proof thru selling items or 3rd party means that they produced the design first
Not so hard to believe if you have been working for 20 years, beading for 15 years, selling to relatives and friends maybe 6 years put together?
But simply too busy trying to carve out a career and care for a family you hold dear to...Years later, things settle, and you finally had time to see this as your hobby in greater light, and have so much more time to fiddle with things like Blogger?
I have no issue with a copyright and I certainly uphold it but I do not want the copyrt law to be abused>?
How so,you may ask?
Well, if I could copyright and Had copyrighted any thing with 2 beads and a charm, or 3 findings and a flower bead for eg, (I am not referring to anyone, just writing what this sleepy head is saying...)and say that is a copyright, then I would be rich by now, because I would be dominating the market...but to think of it, I wont be, cos there would be sooo many other veteran, acclaimed others who would have done that to....
So would it be an infringment then, If i really had copyrighted the above, and someome chose to do a similar thing, but instead of using a daisy flower, which I use, and changes that to rose?Can I really call him or her a copycat?
On the contrary, if someone had copied the idea of this lovely etsy seller who uses scrabble tiles and make them into pendants, then that might be a copycat,isnt it?I think in this scenario, it is easier to see who the copy cat is because the idea is so uncommon, and ethically, we should not do that...
But what about beading?HAve you ever wondered how many different beads and findings in the world?
Numerous...
So can it not be a coincidence at times that fellow beaders have bought the same beads, findings and crafted it in the same manner?I would think so...cos I do not believe that creativity on what to do with those beads, runs only in me...but to everyone who has been given it...
Why am I being so long winded?My point is that, we should also consider the "them", the rest of the world, people who do not constantly look at other blogs or creations to find new ideas for Copying!In fact, people like me do not sometimes even have time to go to the loo if we are multi tasking 3 different things at the same time...Would we even care to look at others?
But strangely, since I heard about this growing fever to boycott copycats, I can imagine myself looking at other blogs, after my completed design etc to ensure that I did not Copy@!
Did you hear that rt?Yes...
I have spent about 1 hour in all for the last 2 weeks viewing blogs or even typing certain key words to ensure that the earring or necklace i made does not look similar to anyone elses!
Afterall, nobody like to be slammed or be accused of a being a copycat when they are not.
I cannot even believe this. I am looking, to make sure that my idea is different, Not Because I want to copy...
I could have put that 1 hour to good use and bead a beautiful creation and if so unfortunately, someone else has it, then I can only say Creativity is truly not Limited...so enigmatic,this quality...
But 1 thing is clear, at least my conscience is clear and my time was used more creatively...
So tell me who are the real victims...?(Those who are have had their original works violated intentionally, are of course victims...and a larger infliction of hurt is to them)
But there are also others like me, (hopefully i am not the only idiot around) who have been dragged into this web, so unwillingly and inevitably...
From the sleepy head of a clear soul:)
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We are back from our holiday, broke :> but it was a super super trip and we drove from perth all the way to Albany so you could say we really went DOWN UNDER.. 
