Do not be a copycat

[Scentapy]

Can't say for sure if this was a copycat or not... but today as I was browsing Etsy, I clicked on a pic because I thought it was the soapmaker that is always catching my eye on Etsy.... but it wasn't. SAME packaging (except the name)... SAME "look" (very natural, rustic look w/ earthy colors), SAME picture layouts (very distinct "setup"), SAME offerings... etc.

It irritated me. It irritated me enough to want to write here about it.

It is one thing to see some soap and say "I'd love to try that!" But it is quite another to copy the branding of another business. Grr....annoying.

Ok. That's it.

Maybe it wasn't even a copycat....

 

[IrishLass]

Maybe it wasn't even a copycat....

Very possible to be either/or. It's always hard to tell. Afterall, when one thinks about it, there's only a limited amount of practical ways a person can think of to design, wrap and label a bar of soap. Chances are good that ideas often get repeated/recycled without any prior knowledge from one soaper to the next since not much is new under the sun, as the old adage goes.

I don't often peek into the gallery, but on the few occassions that I do, I've seen many soaps that look just like mine (or maybe the other soaper would look at mine and think it looks just like theirs :wink: ).

IrishLass

 

[Scentapy]

Yes, I do agree that there is only a limited way to package & there is bound to be very similar packaging but it was more than that...both shops have a few different ways of packing their different sizes/ shapes of soap & both shops did it exactly the same...it was the way the soaps were arranged for photos (very distinct), etc. Everything about it was like a mirror image. I don't know....it was definetly suspect. I just felt like venting is all.

 

[Hazel]

Vent away. I know what you mean. I've seen almost identical looking pics - same style, same color, same scent, same set up. I can't say that the one person duplicated the other person's but it does make me wonder.

However, IrishLass is correct that it is hard to come up with completely original ideas for packaging and style, etc. Well, except for her, because she's completely original and unique.

On the other hand, if you think it's suspect then you might be right.

 

[Mystic-B]

this is a different way to start off my posting here, but I had a reason to chime in. I have a friend on Etsy who was shut down because some other seller saw her items and INSISTED she copied.. she reported the shop and she got shut down until she could prove herself which was sad.. She had to submit photos through the entire process of her handmaking her items. Her example was a hand-dyed recycled tee shirt yarn. How many variations of pastel tie-dye do they really think there is? If the other seller had only asked her and not reported it could have been avoided. I too though, have seen some soap makers that seem like they are copying the props and even descriptions of other listings... seems to me if you really want to be an etsy success, you'd want to be DIFFERENT, not the same as others? ~shrug~

 

[Kohalatic]

An idea: Not copycat but copyleft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft

copyright implies scarcity
copyleft implies abundance
copycat implies ?