Plagiarism

[Deleted member 82231]

I am on a design course, and I have noticed that 2 student's had designs that looked familiar, aka too familiar. plagiarism.

1 was an exact copy of a design from a very famous designer a few seasons back, and another was copied from a classmate.

I don't want to be a narc, but it makes me really mad that they will be graded on a stolen design...and the designs are good, but they are false!

What should I do?

 

[SanDiego]

I think that people will eventually hang themselves. You cant copy creativity and you cant fake style. It will come out eventually if they dont have any creativity or style. The think about fashion is when there is a trend people tend to jump on it and make very similar things. Dont think that your instructor is naive. They probably spotted the familiarity also but just didnt say anything, it could be a one time fluke. If not it will come out in the end who is really original and who is a copycat.
I wouldnt say anything if I were you, I would let them dig their own grave. if they are design students then they will find out that what goes around comes around.

 

[futuredesigner82]

I didn't think that plagiarism was a big deal in this industry. Maybe I was wrong about that.

 

[jeffrey0806]

In all honesty, I can understand why this would be dissapointing to see, but you have to realize that this happens everywhere. Most major companies like Forever 21, Zara, H&M, ABS, knock off high end fashion or major fashion companies and bring the cost down so that it can be more accessible to the public.

I

 

[sakina]

although it's not exactly honest being in a class setting but honestly, I wouldn't do anything because if the continue to do this it will come to haunt them. although chain stores do 'knock off' designer clothing, i don't think she will get very far in her career just copying others work.

 

[FC5]

this happens everywhere...

That doesn't make it acceptable. In the case of mainstream brands infringing the copyright of other designers we are starting to see legal action being taken.

 

[tangiblelove]

Gosh thats just horrible. People need to respect themselves and other people's fashion vision.

 

[JohnPaulMiller]

That doesn't make it acceptable. In the case of mainstream brands infringing the copyright of other designers we are starting to see legal action being taken.

While I despise a DEAD knockoff... the legal actions being taken aren't exactly comforting to me either.

We all swim in the same sea of culture, and we all see thousands of images every day... which mix and jumble in our heads and then come out in our designs. I have seen things I designed 2 years ago hit the street verbatim, and I mean VERBATIM. Funny thing is... I know they weren't knockoffs because I never produced the garments!!

But let's say I had produced some and now, oops! The GAP had done something identical at around the same time. Now they sue me (as well as the designer of other one I saw on the street). Were they knockoffs?

The net result of such lawsuits will be that ONLY the megacorps can afford to design, as only they can afford the risk of lawsuit, therefore, all the little designers will only have one choice... to go to work for the megacorps or get out of the business.

Now I'm not saying the megacorps are bad. But they certainly are NOT enough! Imagine a world with ONLY McDonalds and Applebees because NOBODY else can afford to create meals for fear of being sued. Bon appetite.

Anyone in design should seriously go read Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig. it's available free online. Use google to find it.

 

[Lena]

That doesn't make it acceptable.

thats so true..
i find it totally pathetic to see design students copy other people's work, its such a let down to their own talent, its as admitting being no talented at all and in total need to steal ideas, how sad..

pay no attention sprigged, those guys only hurt themselves in the long run.. if they need to copy in school, imagine how 'original' their work will be when they go out in 'the real world'

its better to create your own idea, even if its 'bad' or 'ordinary' or just a piece of fabric wrapped around the body, than copy someone else's work..

coppying is a total sell out as if openly admiting running dry on ideas (which can be exeptionally alarming if it happens in a fashion course), sad

 

[SiennaInLondon]

Karma JohnPaulMiller. Sometimes it is better to look at the alternative perspective of something. It often gets more rational results.

 

[Deleted member 82231]

I decided to do nothing. The funny thing is I said to one girl I loved her design, it's sooo (designer name). She said nothing. A couple of weeks later on style.com, guess what I see.

I am against the "design copyright" thing in congress....TBH, everyone is inspired by something, be it nature, history, whatever. But there is inspiration, and there are exact line for line copies.

 

[Ianastar]

I have to agree with the general consensus here............that's not acceptable.

But these people will learn later on, that they dont have the creativity that it takes, and that will show in their work.

In the fashion industry there is a lot of people doing stuff that is "inspired" from something else, or someone else. But it's not an outright ripoff of exact copy.

It does happen alot in the industry, it's obvious to see that, but it does not make it acceptable.

I am currently reading a great book called The Fake Factor that is all about knock offs and infringment on what is called Intellectual Property (someone's ideas etc that become a product)

The book talks about this very well, with H&M and Gap and Top Shop etc doing looks that are basically knockoffs of designer products we see on the runways. Although they are not complete replicas, there is some of that "inspiration" there.

There is a fine line in the fashion world it seems, about knockoffs, infringement on rights etc. This book talks about it in great detail. It's a good read to learn more about this. Pick it up!!

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

I was told by my fashion tutor that Zara often has a couple of lawsuits going each season concerning certain 'identical' items with runway fashion designers.

Plaigarism whilst you're a fashion student is pointless, you get nowhere, you don't develop...you've got to search to the very corners of your creativity sometimes to be able to meet a brief or specification, but it's definitely worth it in the end, it's a helluva lot more satisfying knowing you've worked for things...and in the end you're seriously only cheating yourself. When a design house comes to look through you're portfolio they know what they're looking at...and they're not easily fooled. We need fresh ideas out there, peoples own personalities coming out in their work, and that doesn't happen when it's copied. In my recent design work you could probably spot inspiration from my favourite designers...but none of it is a dead copy...just like you'd see certain inspiration from types of films or magazine shoots I've been inspired by.

Inspiration from class mates is brilliant by the way...and no we're not talking copying here. If any of you students have the chance to go home to work...or stay in your class and work alongside your fellow classmates...choose the latter. You can develop so much when you have lots of different styles of work going on around you, you pick up techniques from one and other and it's great for brainstorming if you have a creative block.

 

[Ianastar]

I was told by my fashion tutor that Zara often has a couple of lawsuits going each season concerning certain 'identical' items with runway fashion designers.

Plaigarism whilst you're a fashion student is pointless, you get nowhere, you don't develop...you've got to search to the very corners of your creativity sometimes to be able to meet a brief or specification, but it's definitely worth it in the end, it's a helluva lot more satisfying knowing you've worked for things...and in the end you're seriously only cheating yourself. When a design house comes to look through you're portfolio they know what they're looking at...and they're not easily fooled. We need fresh ideas out there, peoples own personalities coming out in their work, and that doesn't happen when it's copied. In my recent design work you could probably spot inspiration from my favourite designers...but none of it is a dead copy...just like you'd see certain inspiration from types of films or magazine shoots I've been inspired by.

Inspiration from class mates is brilliant by the way...and no we're not talking copying here. If any of you students have the chance to go home to work...or stay in your class and work alongside your fellow classmates...choose the latter. You can develop so much when you have lots of different styles of work going on around you, you pick up techniques from one and other and it's great for brainstorming if you have a creative block.

Great post!!^

I so agree.

It may be a fine line between "inspiration" and a complete knock off (depending on whose veiwing it), but there actually is a bit of a difference too.

 

[Lena]

karma for fff

 

[Scott]

Completely agree,FFF

I think copying is pretty pathetic. And for a student studying to become a fashion designer...that's even lower to me as this is the time where the students usually experiment to find their identities in fashion so they have this freedom unlike the real world. This is where talents are supposed to come up with their own ideas,spins and interpretations of things that are personal to them. How on earth does Mlle Chanel remain so highly regarded or YSL? Certainly not for copying other people. Certainly it happens in fashion but imo,they make the true essence of fashion look really bad and is purely out of disgusting marketeering. But then again,fashion is a capatlists world these days .

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Thanks guys

I just remember this used to be a thing that happened quite a bit in high school and even at a non-competetive level, so to speak, it still is just such an infuriating thing to have happen.