Oh Copyright... How I Love Thee

On April 20, 2012

I had to put the smut down and step away from the heaving bosoms for a while and crawl back into the wonderful world of wire. And, though I’m loathe to pry myself from the pages of poorly written fiction (“Fifty Shades of Grey”, anyone?) one of these days soon I’ll work on the next Year of Jewelry theme “Double Duty: Wearing it Two Ways” (which was actually my contributed theme, so now I have to do it). Until then, here’s a new ring, and a boatload of whining! But ring first.  This simple little nutcracker was my first intentionally masculine style. And, yeah, I think it’s too girly, which is why it’s now on my own pretty little finger. I fear I might hurt its feelings if I sold it, and we wouldn’t want to do that, now would we? It gave me some ideas for a more masculine approach, though, while the logistics of it remain fuzzy. I’m convinced, however, this gorgeous bottle of Winter Blues Blueberry Pinot Noir (courtesy of the fantabulous Washington Street Wine House here in New Baltimore) will help.

I’m not a lush! Don’t judge! So what if I like a bottle or five at 9am. I’m under a lot of pressure!

Ahem. I figured I’d oxidize it as soon as my new Liver of Sulfur gel arrives, which will go a long way towards creating a unisex appeal. I tried more angular movements, but it just wasn’t working. The weaves morphed and look sloppy. But, I have ideas, dangerously innovative ideas that I’ll wait until someone else perfects and then I’ll cry and do sad face at my husband who will buy me things and rub my feet and then I wont mind so much that I’m lazy.

And on to the whining. Bleh.

So here I was today, all content with my coffee and smut… oh wait… I was supposed to have stepped away from that, wasn’t I? Okay, so my coffee and, we’ll say, housework. Yeah. Housework. And I was perusing my haunts for wire wrapped inspiration when, wouldn’t you know it, I stumbled across what I believed to be a fabulous working of my Swirl Ring Tutorial. Beautiful new weave was used, but same basic design. I clicked to comment and compliment the artist on their choice of weaves and innovation in utilizing my tutorial only to discover their was no mention of me or my work. In fact, the artist claimed to have stumbled upon the design themselves, though a link to my design was nestled lovingly amongst their favorites. And not only wasn’t I mentioned, but the artist was accepting requests for a tutorial of the process.

Insert frowny face here.

Now, it’s not that I think the artist purchased my tutorial with a blatant or malicious intent to undermine my business, but I have to admit I was a little miffed. I think there might have even been some foot-stomping and “but why” business going on, and I couldn’t help it! Honestly. It’s a knee-jerk reaction. The whole fleeting episode brought to mind the concept of “reverse engineering” or some such nonsense, elegantly referred to as the “technology of reinvention” by intellectuals, though still defined as theft by some, or laziness by others. And, I’ll admit, I’ve rarely held a temporary state of laziness against a person. I quite like it myself, in fact, from time to time. But there is a line, an (albeit vague) line which still permeates in a concrete world of ethical and immoral actions and consequences.

Then I realized, so what? Who cares. It happens. People see designs and use them. Sometimes maliciously, sometimes accidentally or coincidentally. I’ve since learned to use it as an opportunity to push myself towards heights I might have otherwise left untended, pushed myself towards designs that are fresh and new and original, and let go of this burgeoning need to be the “first”.

A tip of the hat would is great, don’t get me wrong. A heart-warming plunge into a creative pool of artists who share and grow and share again until everyone is pushing upwards to the surface of individuality. The internet is a vast universe unto itself, and I can’t police it alone. In fact, it’s something for which I’ve no desire to do at all, believing it undermines the heart of a creative world by placing upon it a structure of animosity and ugly suspicion. I don’t know a genuinely creative person alive who wishes to surround themselves with that kind of self-destructive bubble. I know I don’t.

Now don’t mistake my desire for a universal growth with a willingness to overlook plagiarism for profit. Plagiarism for the sake of laziness and un-originality is distasteful enough, I think, but profit is a motivation which teeters dangerously close to the edge. You know, that edge housing forty million pigeons all deficating on your roof. Yeah. That one.

And this bemoaning of mine really isn’t about copyright at all, because what I know of copyright is limited to the banally childish “gimme gimme, it’s mine“, which is an argument, I’m sure, frequently dismissed in a court of law. Without a purchased copyright license, in the electronic age, well…. there’s your creek and I broke your paddle, so neener neener neener.

I suppose what it boils down to is an inherent responsibility in each of us to take one small action against the persuasive world of reverse engineering, lazy creativity or malicious infringement and say “Hey, you know what, I don’t want to be that person” and then push towards the surface of our own individuality. It’s a struggle which belongs to us each.

And paranoia too. There’s always that.

I’ve chosen to skip paranoia, largely due to a fantastic community of artists within which resides an inspirational desire to call… you… out….in one of those nice I’m-smiling-but-I’m really-thinking-you’re-a-horrible-misguided-creature kind of way. Thank you, lovely ladies and gentlemen! You’ve kept me in check. You’ve kept each other in check. And staying accountable is where it’s at.

Now that bottle of wine is calling my name. And the smut…. I mean housework, was just getting good. So back to it!

Happy weaving and good night!