Imitation- the best form of flattery

[Member_2114]

Mods, please feel free to remove if this post needs to be elsewhere!!

 

I make a number of reproduction crates, K Ration, C Ration etc, all are based on originals where possible.

 

http://www.wwiireenacting.co.uk/forum/view...150&t=69735

 

 

Would be interested on your views as I've now been the victim of three different people ripping off my reproductions of WW2 crates.

 

First - my coca-cola crate gets copied- exactly. I know because I've seen a copy of "mine"- I even had to double take, before I realised it was not one of mine. Mine was based on photos, therefore dimensions had to be guessed utilising modern bottles. So other than somebody measuring my copy, the chances of creating another coca-cola crate with the same markings and exactly the same size as mine are pretty slim.

 

Now I have identified two ebayers, one in France and one in the US selling C Ration crates the markings of which have been copied exactly from mine.

 

How do I know? Well I left a deliberate typo mistake on them, of the spelling of a certain city in Pennsylvania. I left it on, deciding it could potentially have been done on originals, etc etc.

 

I've emailed both ebayers, the one in France claimed that the exact letter that I chose to omit, was also missing on his original...yeah right!

 

The one in the US, I have not had a reply from as yet..I do have to say that in my opinion its pretty shameful that somebody in the US does not know the correct spelling of a certain big city, which is in the US!

 

Heres the ebay item..

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-WW2-C-Ration-Wood...=item1c1ae3c063

 

My questions-

 

Do I have the right to be cheesed off that some unscrupulous and lazy people are ripping off my work?

 

Should I feel flattered, that my work is obviously a source of reference for other people?

 

Do I have any rights, (particularly in relation to people copying "my" crates,markings with deliberate typos, or ?

 

Alternatively, do I have no claims- as my copies are based on items that were original supplied by the US Military 65+ years back?

 

To be honest, I dont mind people copying my work, but I would like a little credit!!

 

Whats your thoughts?

[Garandomatic]

Suck as though it might, if it is easy enough for them to copy, they will do it, and you'd run yourself ragged and broke fighting it, if you even could. Best you can hope fo is for us to buy from you out of loyalty. Doesn't mean you shouldn't be a little ticked, though.

 

I cast in aluminum via lost wax. Only thing that protected my hot rod art pieces was that the act of ripping me off would be so expensive that it'd hurt the profit margin, and making them would be costly too. I was fast, and did it all myself, anybody else would take twice as long. That being said, some outfit ripped off my most popular shifter knob to make a decal out of it... Skull wearing a supposed WWI German flight helmet, goggles up, busted lenses. Sticker copied it down to the missing teeth. Kinda grinds my gears, but unless I ever meet them so I can tell them what I think of their creativity, there isn't enough in it to get worked up.

[Jack's Son]

Without clear title to the design through "copy write" or "patent", you have no rights whatsoever.

All you can do is ask that you get a courtesy note at the bottom of the advertising page .........FAT CHANCE!!

[X_redcatcher]

ok,,let me get this, you make copies of crates from coca-cola,, you use there trade marks, to make money off of them, and now you saying that your mad cause someone copies them?? ok,,your crates 100% yours, trademark is not however, I am sure if you would make real big money off of them Coke would have a problem with that as well.

Everything thing gets copies now a days, unless you have a copyright on it, there is nothing you can do I am afraid.

 

And your right they should say its based on your crates, but thats not going to happen I am afraid.

[RobL]

Johnny, you make terrific crates.

 

No surprise people are using them as patterns.

 

And I understand your mixed reaction.

 

On one hand: its nice to know that your version of the crate is considered the "right version" to copy.

 

One the other hand: you'd think someone who goes to the effort of making a crate would put some energy into creating a slightly different version of that crate. There are a variety of accurate, WWII designs for C ration crates to choose from. So the copiers could have done just a bit of original research and offered the collecting community another welcome variation...rather than an inferior clone of yours...and thereby drawing a bit of ridicule upon themselves.

 

I know there are reproductions of camo uniforms made by some companies based upon reproductions from other companies. Its bizarre.

 

In creating my c-ration cans: I - like you - included a couple hidden counterfeit detectors. One example: I purposely switched the order of the list of ingredients on the front of the can. That way I can tell if a repro pdf label or repro can came from my version of the can rather than from an original. I did the same with my ammo, frag, bazooka, etc crates.

 

Not much you can do about the copies except shake your head. The GI crates were designed under government contract therefore they're in the public domain.

 

I'm pretty sure, however, that its a slightly different case with the Coke crates. Making Coke-logo marked products for commercial sale - even copies of 70 year old crates - may technically be - in the eyes of Coca Cola lawyers - an infringement of their trademark.

 

I doubt they'd ever care or do anything to stop the sale of such small quantities. But I wouldn't suggest setting up a vast WWII living history display and sales booth with mountains of Coke crates under the window of the Product Licensing department at Coke Headquarters in Atlanta.

 

Your Coke crates are superior.

 

And somehow I'll have to get me one of yours - one HONESTLY yours!

 

Rob L.

[General Apathy]

I saw the trend created by reproduction fifteen years ago one of the first items to be copied was the much desired paratooper M-42 jacket and pants, in the UK they were around £400, so another reproducer made some suits up and sold them for £375, and the next company sold them for £300 the trend was downwards.

 

The mold was set, reproduction at the end of a telephone available from a tailoring factory no limit on mumbers or outrageous fat sizes so how can you sell them, well by being cheaper than anyone who already has them.

 

So get some made up in China, or India, or Pakistan, quality is crap compared to originals, but with use of man made material, brass washed monkey metal steel ( inferior metal ) for the zips and snaps and hey presto four years ago a cheap reproduction M-42 set now down to £40 for the two pieces. ??????

 

How long before they pay you to take it away.

 

I just read another post here on the forum that you can now buy a reproduction M-1917 US bolo and scabbard for $99, so who will be next with a cheaper quality and selling them for $75. :think: :crying:

 

lewis

[Member_2114]

Thanks folk for all your comments. Obviously with my coke crate design I appreciate I have zero rights, other than promoting the company! But what annoys me is that somebody has just copied mine, exactly- size AND markings!

 

Fortunately I have a good timber yard that I have been going to for years- they cut and plan timber to the spec I ask for, so it amuses me when I see K Ration and C Ration crates made out of plywood!!! People cut corners (like copying me!), I dont! I weather my crates, never stain them, and I've even been asked if some were original, after they've undergone a few events and months of weathering!

 

Unfortunately if you google " C ration crate" images of my crates appaear via webshots, so its easy for people to see and copy...I'll have to address this, but I wish I didnt have to.

[DavidBliss]

I live in that big city in Pennsylvania.

 

As far as the exact same letter being omitted. Unlikely. We are the burgh with the H. But other burgs are spelled with the H omiited (ours was removed then readded in 1911 or 1912 - you can google it) but I get mail hand addressed with the H missing.

 

Clearly they are copies of your copies.

It a shame when people take the easy way out.

 

Good luck with getting them to admit it though.

[Member_2114]

I live in that big city in Pennsylvania.

 

As far as the exact same letter being omitted. Unlikely. We are the burgh with the H. But other burgs are spelled with the H omiited (ours was removed then readded in 1911 or 1912 - you can google it) but I get mail hand addressed with the H missing.

 

Clearly they are copies of your copies.

It a shame when people take the easy way out.

 

Good luck with getting them to admit it though.

 

 

Its sad that one of your own countrymen don't even know how to spell Pittsburg(h)! I wont hold my breath on getting any credit for the use of my work/art, though!

[willysmb44]

I'm pretty sure, however, that its a slightly different case with the Coke crates. Making Coke-logo marked products for commercial sale - even copies of 70 year old crates - may technically be - in the eyes of Coca Cola lawyers - an infringement of their trademark.

I doubt they'd ever care or do anything to stop the sale of such small quantities.

I wouldn't be too sure of that. A friend of mine is a international copyright attorney in Seattle and I asked him once about something similar to this, he told me that large companies DO have people who troll the internet looking for stuff like this. Chances are, Coke already know what you're doing and has a file on you somewhere. Someday, they might dandomly decide to come knocking.

Another friend of mine is with an 'enforcement' team that goes to people who infringe on a certain well-known cartoon character that has theme parks devoted to it. They take no freaking prosiners and if you don't do exactly what they say the moment they say it, there's a team of lawyers on speed dial with the paperwork already filled out with your name on it, ready to go. No kidding, he's told me stories about going after really small-time people...

[aacevedo]

I'm a 1/6th action figure collector and there was a guy who did something similar-he would copy other people's head sculpts of celebrities and sell them on Ebay-since the original sculptor obviously didn't have any rights to those likenesses, there wasn't much they could do. I guess that you just have to hope that your superior product speaks for itself

[swmdo]

What do people use these for?

[Sabrejet]

What do people use these for?

 

"Dressing" a bivouac site...loading up a truck/jeep...lashing to a tank etc. They're just like "theatrical props" which add authenticity to a re-created scenario.

[swmdo]

"Dressing" a bivouac site...loading up a truck/jeep...lashing to a tank etc. They're just like "theatrical props" which add authenticity to a re-created scenario.

Looks like a little niche market. I have seen the reproduction signs like bastogne 12 miles. Interesting.