The Copycat Syndrome - please read!

It seems we have this discussion time and time again in this forum, because people either don't pay attention the first time around, or the lessons aren't learned deep enough.

The Internet is a funny thing. On the one hand, it gives us all access to absolutely everything there is to know about the world. On the other hand, it seemingly allows people to behave differently than they would in real life, in front of a real person. We all hide behind our online personas and do things that we tell ourselves our real self would never do.

In this forum, this kind of hypocrisy is translated through our artworks, our creative signatures. We all take time out of our real lives, our jobs, our marriages, to sit on a computer and create something unique to us for other people to see, use and appreciate. And yet we all, at any one point in our online lives, have been exposed to plagiarism.

What is plagiarism, in your eyes? The dictionary defines it thus:

pla-gia-rism

[pley-juh-riz-uh m, -jee-uh-riz]

-noun

1. The unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.

2. Something used and represented in this manner.

Have a close look at the language – key words that pop out are "unauthorized", "close imitation" "representation…as one's own original work".

Let me explain something that I think a lot of people overlook – the internet, as brilliant as it is, does NOT erase the laws of copyright and plagiarism. Things that are on the internet ARE copyrighted and legally so, to the people who created them. You cannot copy and paste, crop, imitate someone else's work to pass it off as your own – LEGALLY. Yes, you may get away with it in the short term, but it's only a short time until some enterprising blogger whose work you stole will find out and make you pay – Google Monica Gaudio and see last year's Cooks Source Scandal, and how she fought for her rights. Now, I'm not suggesting that members in this forum should start suing each other over copyright issues – what I am saying is that everyone, everyone bar none who uses the internet is bound by the laws of copyright and those who abuse these laws are guilty of plagiarism. Fact.

Now, you must be wondering why I am going on and on about these definitions, and the straight answer is that despite our collective intelligence, people on this forum often "forget" to abide by not only the laws of the internet but also the rules of this forum.

The rules of this forum clearly state – do not copy or imitate another person's work without credit or acknowledgement. Do not crop other people's artwork to create textures, avatars, mini-signatures, brushes etc etc. Why is this so hard for people to follow?

I am a writer, and a keen sig-maker, so I understand completely the frustrations of people whose work is a heavy "inspiration" to others, or a downright theft. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but I doubt that Charles Caleb Colton has ever spent any time on our forum 😆. Here, and increasingly in the real world as well, imitation is sheer laziness, and theft.

I often browse the forum and other people's galleries to enjoy and appreciate the creative work that everyone here is capable of. Sometimes I see, within these threads, pages and pages of people venting their anger about this issue; accusing an unnamed Person A copying the styles of Person B, and everyone chiming in to say "yes, I saw this too and immediately thought they were copying you". Funny how so many people see so much wrong happening and not a single one of them comes to me with proof. Instead they hide behind these threads and grumble that the mods do nothing.

Guys, this is a two-way street. I only have the one pair of eyes and I can't be everywhere. Mimi, Anu and Mitesh are not around, so at the moment it is only me here. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong – how am I to know which thread is the one that someone else is being disparaged in? Ignoring something wrong is as bad as doing something wrong. And all this cloak-and-dagger secrecy of "I know who you're talking about but I won't say it, instead I'll PM you about it" doesn't help anyone. It's like a game of Chinese Whispers that only produces negativity.

Nor is it fair for the "victim" (I use the word loosely) to have to just live with the people copying their work. I cannot promise to be around all the time – but I can and do promise that I will read each and every PM sent to me, and I will act upon them as best, and fairly, as I can. But I can't do that if you don't send me the PM in the first place.

So, I guess it's time once again to reinforce these rules that we seem to enforce every six months or so. I don't like giving people warnings – I'm honest about that as I believe that everyone has a freedom of speech and a creative license at their disposals. I'll also allow that since we all use so many of the same resources, it is natural enough that sometimes, even unintentionally, our work may remind someone of theirs, and they make take offence at you not offering them "credit" regardless of whether you actually meant to copy them or not. There is a fine line that we tread here, but there is a line, and I am happy to be the one responsible for treading it. And if I have to spell this out for you all, I will.

1.

It is NOT okay to copy someone else's work exactly

2.

It is NOT okay to crop someone else's work and use it as a texture, avatar, brush or anything else you come up with

3.

It is NOT okay to imitate someone else's work to the extent that people start confusing your work as the other person's.

4.

It is NOT okay to be "over inspired" by someone, to the extent that every new creative move of theirs is matched by you.

5.

It is NOT okay to use peoples' sigs, avatars, textures, brushes, tools or any other resources therein without their EXPRESS permission

Have I missed anything? Feel free to suggest some "rules" that you think are important to remember😳.

The flip side to all this is that sometimes people can get oversensitive and assume that others are copying them when in fact they are not. As I said, we all use the same resources so often it is merely coincidence that two things turn out to be the same. And I think, when an issue is too small to be an issue, when it is just the matter of a brush, or a colour scheme or a type of text, sometimes we have to let things go. We have to give the benefit of the doubt and not automatically assume that people are deliberately targeting us. So another "rule" that I might suggest is for people to practice a little tolerance – not in the cases of the big things, naturally. Just not to let every molehill become a mountain.

This forum is one of the most creative forums in the whole of IF and it is a shame to mar that creativity with these repeated frustrations. Personally, I don't quite get the allure of copying someone else's work – knowing that your work is only being appreciated because you copied someone else sort of ruins any satisfaction of making that signature😕.

The most important "rule" that I can think of is this – talk to me. Tell me when you think something wrong is happening. Bug me; bore me to tears with your thousands of emails of complaints😆. I won't mind – that's what I'm here for. But you can't choose not to tell me anything and then complain that nothing ever changes.

So, the ball is now in your court – tell me or don't tell me; ignore it or don't ignore it. Copy, or don't copy. Now, it is your actions that matter.

Be original, because to be original is to be creative.

And here's a happy thought to leave with you - just because I don't like giving out warnings doesn't mean that I won't.😉

🤗🤗🤗

i mean if i think a siggy looks like some one else i give credit.. and it snot like meant to bee ..

and i never thought someone made stuff like myne..

but i have seen other people with these problems

and i have to say you can see that if someoen tries to imitate other stuff.. or even worse COPYY ITT!!..

but sometimess it doesnt look same and peopel say it does

i mean like if you use a font and someoen else uses that font as well.... you cant say he is copying you or imitating ya stuff and all.. i mean fonts cant be copied!!.. i mean everyoen can download them

honestly, copyin is very common now at IF :( thats why alot of ppl left becus of this :(

people think if I m inspired by some sigg maker then I can copy them. NOOO! getting inspired is good but getting TOO overly inspired is NOT GOOD :( I stil see my styles copying all around IF! :( its very sad to see that. & Mods SHOULD seriously do something about. TAKE some serious action becus copycaters don't LISTEN when you TELL THEM ONCE :( they keep doing it ESPECIALLY when the styles ARE EASY TO COPY ;( Its just depressing how even people who are new to sigg making copy your styles.

I even see people who have been making siggs for like a year or so now ALSO COPY :( its like cmon! be unique and create your own style so ppl will know you for what you are and make :)

If anyone copies from now on, mods should take some ACTION! like..ACTION ACTION! now just talk it out over PM.

Sometimes, even talking over PM does not WORK! :(

I try to keep my stuff pretty less level, just so I cannot myself copy myself:)

I wish the copying stuff. It's better to be extraordinary the right way, then the wrong way.