Bead Advice Needed!

I'm behind on things, and have a bunch of posts to catch up on, but
something is really bothering me. I NEVER thought I'd be in this position.
Here's a part of a post from someone who bought a couple of beads from me a
while back:


...........Anyway, I had a question. Recently, my friend told me that she
was pregnant and I happened to be on the torch at the time she called me and
I made my own (crummy in comparison) version of your pregnant goddess bead
to give to her. Well, since then, a few people have seen it and thought
they would make great gifts for their pregnant friends. I just want to know
if it's okay with you or if I should just send them to your website instead?
I don't want to step on any toes or rip off someone's design. I would feel
terribly guilty if I was doing something that wasn't okay with you to do. I
've listened to Sharon Peters complain about that very thing strongly and I
know it's a sensitive subject for a lot of people. I just want to know
either way. I won't be disappointed if you say no, and I've told the people
asking for them that I would get in touch with you before I went ahead and
made them. Just let me know when you have a spare minute.


I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At least
she was nice enough to ask.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!


--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com

That's the very reason I don't even look at beads on eBay or on WC hardly
any more. I just do what I do. I don't think anyone could make goddesses
like you do though.

"Beadbimbo" wrote in message
...
I'm behind on things, and have a bunch of posts to catch up on, but
something is really bothering me. I NEVER thought I'd be in this
position.
Here's a part of a post from someone who bought a couple of beads from me
a
while back:


...........Anyway, I had a question. Recently, my friend told me that
she
was pregnant and I happened to be on the torch at the time she called me
and
I made my own (crummy in comparison) version of your pregnant goddess bead
to give to her. Well, since then, a few people have seen it and thought
they would make great gifts for their pregnant friends. I just want to
know
if it's okay with you or if I should just send them to your website
instead?
I don't want to step on any toes or rip off someone's design. I would
feel
terribly guilty if I was doing something that wasn't okay with you to do.
I
've listened to Sharon Peters complain about that very thing strongly and
I
know it's a sensitive subject for a lot of people. I just want to know
either way. I won't be disappointed if you say no, and I've told the
people
asking for them that I would get in touch with you before I went ahead and
made them. Just let me know when you have a spare minute.


I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother
me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At least
she was nice enough to ask.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!


--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com

I don't know what I'd do. But I just saw the original ? on WC and was going
to email you. Glad the person contacted you.

I know I'd be tempted to say - yep send them to my web site - but I also see
the point in not telling others what they can and can't do. Bleh.

Kathy (no help at all) K
"Beadbimbo" wrote in message
...
I'm behind on things, and have a bunch of posts to catch up on, but
something is really bothering me. I NEVER thought I'd be in this
position.
Here's a part of a post from someone who bought a couple of beads from me
a
while back:


...........Anyway, I had a question. Recently, my friend told me that
she
was pregnant and I happened to be on the torch at the time she called me
and
I made my own (crummy in comparison) version of your pregnant goddess bead
to give to her. Well, since then, a few people have seen it and thought
they would make great gifts for their pregnant friends. I just want to
know
if it's okay with you or if I should just send them to your website
instead?
I don't want to step on any toes or rip off someone's design. I would
feel
terribly guilty if I was doing something that wasn't okay with you to do.
I
've listened to Sharon Peters complain about that very thing strongly and
I
know it's a sensitive subject for a lot of people. I just want to know
either way. I won't be disappointed if you say no, and I've told the
people
asking for them that I would get in touch with you before I went ahead and
made them. Just let me know when you have a spare minute.


I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother
me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At least
she was nice enough to ask.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!


--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com

Subject: Bead Advice Needed!
From: "Beadbimbo"
Date: 05/12/2004 8:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

I'm behind on things, and have a bunch of posts to catch up on, but
something is really bothering me. I NEVER thought I'd be in this position.
Here's a part of a post from someone who bought a couple of beads from me a
while back:


...........Anyway, I had a question. Recently, my friend told me that she
was pregnant and I happened to be on the torch at the time she called me and
I made my own (crummy in comparison) version of your pregnant goddess bead
to give to her. Well, since then, a few people have seen it and thought
they would make great gifts for their pregnant friends. I just want to know
if it's okay with you or if I should just send them to your website instead?
I don't want to step on any toes or rip off someone's design. I would feel
terribly guilty if I was doing something that wasn't okay with you to do. I
've listened to Sharon Peters complain about that very thing strongly and I
know it's a sensitive subject for a lot of people. I just want to know
either way. I won't be disappointed if you say no, and I've told the people
asking for them that I would get in touch with you before I went ahead and
made them. Just let me know when you have a spare minute.


I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At least
she was nice enough to ask.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!


--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com


I've never sold a bead, just string them together and give them to friends and
family. BUT! This is something YOU designed, and unless you copied it from
someone else, it is YOURS. This lady was honest enough to ask, and even offers
to send people to your site to order from you. I think you should thank her for
her honesty, and tell her that although you are very flattered that she admires
your work enough to copy - you would really prefer for her to make referrals to
your site. You might even add, that if she discovers a new technique that makes
her beads unique - or at least different enough not to be 'copies', that you
will return the professionalism, by making referrals to her.


MizKrysti

I think it's a good gesture that she even asked you in the first place.
There are so many people out there that wouldn't. If she was stealing them,
she wouldn't be telling you...she'd just be doing it.

I don't want to say that I think it shouldn't bother you because I can't,
and shouldn't, tell someone how to feel. I guess I want to say *don't* let
it bother you, because she is asking. You can say whatever you
want....she's put the ball in your court and she does seem sincere that she
does not want to offend you in any way and would understand if you didn't
want her to. It never hurts to ask because you never know how people would
react.

I'm trying to think of myself in this situation and again, I can't really
tell because it's not happening to me and I can't say how I would feel. In
this instance I'm thinking I might be ok with it but tell her that I'd hope
that she not actively market and sell them. Of course, you can't tell
someone what they can and can't do, but if they're ASKING for how you would
like it to be, by all means, tell her!

Just my own opinion.

--
Lori Greenberg
http://www.beadnerd.com

ebay auctions:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...origre enberg

"Beadbimbo" wrote in message
...
I'm behind on things, and have a bunch of posts to catch up on, but
something is really bothering me. I NEVER thought I'd be in this
position.
Here's a part of a post from someone who bought a couple of beads from me
a
while back:


...........Anyway, I had a question. Recently, my friend told me that
she
was pregnant and I happened to be on the torch at the time she called me
and
I made my own (crummy in comparison) version of your pregnant goddess bead
to give to her. Well, since then, a few people have seen it and thought
they would make great gifts for their pregnant friends. I just want to
know
if it's okay with you or if I should just send them to your website
instead?
I don't want to step on any toes or rip off someone's design. I would
feel
terribly guilty if I was doing something that wasn't okay with you to do.
I
've listened to Sharon Peters complain about that very thing strongly and
I
know it's a sensitive subject for a lot of people. I just want to know
either way. I won't be disappointed if you say no, and I've told the
people
asking for them that I would get in touch with you before I went ahead and
made them. Just let me know when you have a spare minute.


I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother
me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At least
she was nice enough to ask.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!


--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com

Well, Jerri - your pregnant goddesses are completely unique. I think that
your friend has some nerve to even be asking. It's a hard question, and I
completely understand why you would be feeling this way about it.
Personally, I think your goddess beads are your signature beads, and people
have no right to copy them for sale. However, I can understand how hard that
may be to tell a friend. Jerri - if you feel at all bothered by this, you do
have the right to ask her not to completely copy your design. I've never
seen anyone else do these pregnant goddess beads. If I were you, I would
tell your friend that copying is only okay if she is going to give them
away. Selling them would be crossing a line. Ask her to come up with her
own design that would be appropriate to sell to pregnant woman, etc. And if
her friends must have a pregnant goddess, ask your friend to send them to
you. She shouldn't have copied your style in the first place without
asking. That style is too unique.
I understand that some designs are widely done and not as unique, but in
this case, this is your signature design.
(((((((hugs)))))))) I know how hard this must be, though, and I wish you
lots of luck.
--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I'm behind on things, and have a bunch of posts to catch up on, but
something is really bothering me. I NEVER thought I'd be in this
position.
Here's a part of a post from someone who bought a couple of beads from me
a
while back:


...........Anyway, I had a question. Recently, my friend told me that
she
was pregnant and I happened to be on the torch at the time she called me
and
I made my own (crummy in comparison) version of your pregnant goddess bead
to give to her. Well, since then, a few people have seen it and thought
they would make great gifts for their pregnant friends. I just want to
know
if it's okay with you or if I should just send them to your website
instead?
I don't want to step on any toes or rip off someone's design. I would
feel
terribly guilty if I was doing something that wasn't okay with you to do.
I
've listened to Sharon Peters complain about that very thing strongly and
I
know it's a sensitive subject for a lot of people. I just want to know
either way. I won't be disappointed if you say no, and I've told the
people
asking for them that I would get in touch with you before I went ahead and
made them. Just let me know when you have a spare minute.


I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother
me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At least
she was nice enough to ask.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!


--
Jerri
www.beadbimbo.com

Um, if this person is a lampwork artist, is there possibly a chance that she
could lurk here? And see this thread?

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess

Jerri wrote:

I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother
me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At least
she was nice enough to ask.

I am new to beading but I'm not new to designing, so please take what I have
to say here without offense?

If you've created something new and unique and someone copies it completely,
unchanged and without permission then it's their problem for being so
ignorant. It's almost impossible, though, to copy a person's style in a
medium like glasswork and what they produce wouldn't be _your_ bead. Maybe
they'll do a good imitation, or maybe as in this case from what I can see,
they saw a concept that inspired them and they'll be creating something that
is unique to them but with the inspiration of what you did to give them a
bit of a push.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

There really isn't much under the sun that's new. There are millions of
individual interpretations of ideas or beads or designs or artwork. But if
someone sees a piece of work, is inspired by that to create something of
their own, the only thing you can really be is flattered that you gave them
inspiration.

I normally work in a very different medium where things _can_ be copied
exactly because it's a printed medium. There are thousands of scans of
charts out there in the virtual world, designers struggle daily to remove
sites where pirated copies of anything from single pages to entire books are
just sitting there being downloaded without there being much in a practical
way to prevent it. That's where the kind of medium like glass is so
wonderful. Someone else may want to produce pregnant goddesses, and after a
very quick surf of websites, I can vouch for the fact that the concept of
the pregnant goddess isn't new in any way at all. How you do yours may be
unique to you, and I would imagine how this other person does them will be
unique too. But the concept of a pregnant figure isn't new.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!

Unless they're making exact copies, it wouldn't be 'stealing'.

I'm sympathetic to your feelings on the matter. It's not easy to
distinguish between inspiration and copying, but ask yourself where you've
seen pregnant goddesses, and what you got from those images?

There's a very well-known designer in the needlework industry who pretty
much has the market for 'angels' or women in big swirly dresses cornered.
Hardly any one will design an 'angel' for fear of um... intruding... into
her 'territory'. Which means that a lot of designs get suppressed by the
creators for fear of being made to feel as if they are thieves of a concept
that is as old as time too.

I just wanted to give a different perspective on this issue. If one person
corners a design concept, such as goddesses or dragons or fish or cows, then
were does everyone else go?

-Su

--
My Floating Needle blog at:
http://www.floatingneedle.co.uk

Well, this is definitely important to think about. The pregnant goddess as
Jerri makes it is unique. Pregnant figures can be done in many different
ways, so of course I posted with the assumption that Jerri's friend copied
her exactly. I don't think Jerri would feel this strongly if this wasn't
the case.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Jerri wrote:

I really hate to re-hash the copying thread, but.............. what
would
you say? I guess I'm tired, but I just don't know. Yes, it does bother
me,
but I don't feel like I have the right to tell someone what to do. She
might take the design in a new direction and more power to her. At
least
she was nice enough to ask.

I am new to beading but I'm not new to designing, so please take what I
have
to say here without offense?

If you've created something new and unique and someone copies it
completely,
unchanged and without permission then it's their problem for being so
ignorant. It's almost impossible, though, to copy a person's style in a
medium like glasswork and what they produce wouldn't be _your_ bead.
Maybe
they'll do a good imitation, or maybe as in this case from what I can see,
they saw a concept that inspired them and they'll be creating something
that
is unique to them but with the inspiration of what you did to give them a
bit of a push.

I usually feel like there's nothing new under the sun. I've gone
through
phases where I didn't want to see another bead because I didn't want to
be
accused of copying someone. I've seen people get associated with a
bead,
when I know someone else has done the same thing for years.

There really isn't much under the sun that's new. There are millions of
individual interpretations of ideas or beads or designs or artwork. But
if
someone sees a piece of work, is inspired by that to create something of
their own, the only thing you can really be is flattered that you gave
them
inspiration.

I normally work in a very different medium where things _can_ be copied
exactly because it's a printed medium. There are thousands of scans of
charts out there in the virtual world, designers struggle daily to remove
sites where pirated copies of anything from single pages to entire books
are
just sitting there being downloaded without there being much in a
practical
way to prevent it. That's where the kind of medium like glass is so
wonderful. Someone else may want to produce pregnant goddesses, and after
a
very quick surf of websites, I can vouch for the fact that the concept of
the pregnant goddess isn't new in any way at all. How you do yours may be
unique to you, and I would imagine how this other person does them will be
unique too. But the concept of a pregnant figure isn't new.

Then again, I've felt like these beads were my babies (arr. arr.) and I
don't like someone else stealing them!

Unless they're making exact copies, it wouldn't be 'stealing'.

I'm sympathetic to your feelings on the matter. It's not easy to
distinguish between inspiration and copying, but ask yourself where you've
seen pregnant goddesses, and what you got from those images?

There's a very well-known designer in the needlework industry who pretty
much has the market for 'angels' or women in big swirly dresses cornered.
Hardly any one will design an 'angel' for fear of um... intruding... into
her 'territory'. Which means that a lot of designs get suppressed by the
creators for fear of being made to feel as if they are thieves of a
concept
that is as old as time too.

I just wanted to give a different perspective on this issue. If one
person
corners a design concept, such as goddesses or dragons or fish or cows,
then
were does everyone else go?

-Su

--
My Floating Needle blog at:
http://www.floatingneedle.co.uk

It's possible, but I doubt Jerri would have posted the question if she
thought her friend lurked here. On the other hand, it's always possible,
and if she is reading the thread, she can see what everyone thinks about
this issue and it might help her decide what to do.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Um, if this person is a lampwork artist, is there possibly a chance that
she
could lurk here? And see this thread?

~Candace~ your local hemp goddess