Monday, May 19, 2008

Scraplift?

Recently on the forum, people have been asking me if they can scraplift my layout.. i'm alright with it as long as you acknowledge that you scraplifted it..:)
But just the other day i saw someone who did a layout so similar to mine.. and i wonder, if that is a scraplift or it is just similar.. it did get to me a bit... especially when the person used it for a challenge and won... but i guess it's not worth getting upset about..
Oh well, like what my friends and i have been talking about quite often.. it's quite hard to tell if someone scraplifted another person's work.. Sometimes we just unconsciously do it without realising it... I might have done that too.. hope i didn't offend anyone.. :)

6 comments:

Chowchow said...

It is definitely something to be upset about Felicia. I wouldn't like it too if someone so blatantly uses my designs but think of it this way - it won a challenge. That means you are jolly good too.

I agree with you like I do try to share tech in another forum which I run. But ppl are not willing to credit you for something they have learnt. I guess thats the way it is here and we just have to accept it. No point getting upset anymore cos we are the ones who are unhappy - very detrimental to health.

To me - you are one of the original acts that we see in the Asian region and thats a tough act to follow. I can't do half the things that you so - so pls consider it a compliment when they scraplift your work!!! babe - you are their idol!!! Thats why they scraplift the way they do!! Hope this makes you feel better.

Sue Lui said...

Hi Felicia, I can understand completely how you feel. The same thoughts have been going through my mind recently. I've had a couple of my layouts scraplifted almost completely but the person flat out denies it. I have nothing against scraplifting. We all get ideas from one another and that's how we learn and improve, but to refuse to admit it and to claim the layout as an original...? And yes, to enter those layouts in contests... I don't know whether to feel flattered that my layouts were so appealing they were copied exactly, or to feel sorry for this person.

Anyway, I love your layouts Felicia. They're always original and different and that's what sets you apart from the crowd. :)

..feli.. said...

Hi felicia, sometimes stuff like that do happen. but don't discredit the possibility of a coincidence.

Sometimes I have ideas brewing in my mind. and when i surf the net or forums i saw that what i had in my mind had already been done by other people. imagine if i didn't surf the net and actually know that it has already been done. i would do the idea and people will think that i scraplift without crediting the originator!

One example. I had the idea of using hollow circles made up of chipboard as a border to a page without any cardstock backing. this was in response to merdrey's chipboard challenge (Remember the challenge?) but i didn't get down to doing it. and a few days ago, on the net (can't remember where) i saw a layout which has the exact same concept as my layout would have been if i got down to doing it. so sometimes coincidence can happen.

but of course there are people who did blatantly use other people's idea and refuse to acknowledge it. and oh.. and that's rather crappy. especially if you know that person as your friend.

and i have to agree with the rest that you are indeed one of the most original scrapper i know so far.

that being said, if any of my layouts resembles any layout other people did or you did, anybody is welcome to ask me about it :)

ok i'm being long-winded.

hope you are feeling better already.

Pandachu said...

I must agree with Mich, I would find it quite hard to scraplift ur work as u do have lots of orginality and creativity. However, for something to be scraplifted, it must have inspired so be happy for that and take it positively :)

Adib said...

I think there's always an issue of ownership when it comes to creative ideas. Is it lifting ideas? Or is it taking inspiration? Who came up with an idea first? And who can claim that he/she is the first one to think of it? Nothing can truly be proved.

Having said that, I believe at the end of the day, it all comes to integrity and pride in your craft. I hope to all the scrappers who truly respect other people's ideas and believe in the craft of what you are doing, stay true to the creative ideals. Do what you believe in. Long live creativity and originality! :)

lialuvsblythes said...

Aww dearie!

I so know how you feel! I think all scrappers do. I get as frustrated as you, yes it does get to me, and it's quite demotivating sometimes - especially when the blatant lifter gets credit for your design, ideas or techniques.

I won't call myself an expert at any style or technique but I've had friends who took my layering and clustering techniques, 'improved' on them, and I guess went out to the world with them, and calls it their own. And yes, they do get credit for 'their work'. It got to me. But what to do?

As I said, I can't and won't call myself an expert at anything. So, it's having to live with the fact that people can steal your ideas, and also with stomach ulcers - cos it eats you up when you really can't do anything about it.

I don't like it, but that's the fact. The alternative is to show your work at every forum and gallery there is out there - just to put your 'copyright stamp' out. But seriously, who actually has the time to do that? Does anybody actually WANTS to do that?

Anyway, I'm being more longwinded than feli, but I'm really sorry you have to go through this. You're not alone dearie. :) *hugs*