Fraudulent Activity - bead seller copied text from my website

Yeah, I don't think I would even try to prove the lampwork... but the misrepresenting silver stuff, that's flat out illegal.

-Kalera

Kandice hasn't accused him of copying her lampwork, but I believe he has. The lime green and black cubes are just a little too close to her "Michelle" set (i.e. identical but for the craftsmanship) to not look suspicious under the circumstances.

I not only think he copied the design, I also think he's having the copies made overseas so he can sell them cheap as his own work... or the work of his "friend", Austin Hamilton. Which I bet is the name of the company he has them imported under.

Doesn't Canada have laws to protect their artisans? Seems to me that I read something about that. I still don't know how it could be proven, unless you lived in the area and could track down the importer.

-Kalera

Wow - interesting idea. :) It doesn't worry me too much - just makes it more of a motivation to continue to improve my craftsmanship.

It would see hard to make square black beads with lime squiggles and flowers and say he was copying, even if it was very similar to hers and even if he was, because the lime on black (with squiggles and daisies) can be found so commonly. Putting them on a square bead would just be an extension of what exists.

Tina

Right. Which is why I am not worried about it too much. It's a common design. Most of my designs are made up of common techniques, so I don't worry too much about anyone copying the designs, as long as they don't take a set and copy it bead for bead and then offer it in the same venue.

Oh, yeah - and clearly against ebay policy, too. They are pretty strict about metal and gemstone identification.

Yeah, I did that and got a few jewelry makers who have obviously bought the beads on eBay.

-Kalera

The thing I have a problem here isn't actually the copying... for one thing, that set is SO last year! (LOL!)

The one thing that really bugs me here is the misrepresentation of imported goods as artisan-made. If he WAS making them himself (and he might be, in which case I just feel sorry for him) I wouldn't een care. But what he's doing is passing off mass-produced imports as artisan work, and ripping off consumers... mostly designers, who then sell the beads in upper-end artisan jewelry, unknowingly perpetuating the lie. It's bad for the entire industry.

-Kalera

Oh, I totally agree. Personally, I think you're right about the idea of him having them made for him from designs he is giving to people overseas or wherever. He might be taking the designs from lampworkers here. This is just a theory though. The duplicates look handmade, but there are so many of them that they must be being mass produced. Either that or he doesn't have much imagination. You'd think after making them over and over, he would get better at it, or get bored!

Exactly!!

Tina

"Kandice Seeber" wrote ...

Well, yeah, plus he couldn't make a living to speak of, selling those beads for about a buck apiece. The only way for that to be profitable is if he's paying someone fifty cents apiece for them...someone in China, I'm guessing.

-Kalera