Copycat, Copyright, or Coincidence Maker Beware

摘要

how often have you said or heard, "That looks just like ... (insert artist)'s work." The arts and crafts community is suffering from "copycat-ism" or more accurately, infringement of intellectual property and/ or copyright violation. It runs rampant in schools and universities, wholesale/retail shows, stores, galleries, hooks, and even award competitions. The issue is not new, but the Internet has both exacerbated the problem and provided a viable path for confronting it. For years, major craft shows have grappled with whether to admit copycats or imitators of an original artist or maker. Should a copycat be automatically disqualified? If the selection criteria mention anything along the lines of originality, creativity, or inventiveness (as it often does), then a copycat should be eliminated-no gray area here.