Imagine my surprise when I went to check on one of the websites I created back in 2003 to find that the design credit and logo I place on each of my sites has been removed and replaced. Obviously the offending party here needs to replace my credit line pretty damn quick. Ubernet...you need to connect me NOW!
This type of behavior sails me! Not only when it happens to me but when it happens to anyone. I can not understand how a company calling themselves a "design" company could blatantly steal another designers work in such a manner. Do they not have enough creative talent to create their own unique brand of work? As artists and lovers of art I'm sure you can understand how copyright theft can feel like such an intense violation. Especially in light of the fact that I have written several notices and pasted them in my website with titles such as "Ethics" and "Design Policy - Copyright Usage" for all to see. My stance on copyright theft is pretty well stated.
Now here's the really amazing thing about this situation, besides it being such an absolute blatant theft of design. I host quite a few sites on my own server. I generally don't make it a practice to monitor all the sites I've created and hosted in the last 7 years mainly because I don't have the time to continually "check up" on everyone unless a problem occurs with the hosting or the domain name holder calls me for maintenance or such. Call me crazy but I USED TO BELIEVE in the honestly of people. So how did I find out about this theft? The owner of the domain name (who happens to be a professional photographer and should KNOW BETTER) called me to have me check up on an email problem he was having. This was when I called up the site and spotted that Ubernet was taking credit for my design. What incredible nerve! Or perhaps we should call it stupidity?
I've included the screen captures here in this post so that you all can see for yourself the original design by Dragonfly Blu and the current design which is stated as being the creation of Ubernet. Take a look at the larger images in the pop up window and see the logo/credit line change. Judge for yourself. Christ, the only thing they changed were the two front images and the credit line! Did they think I'd never know?
Clearly I'm going to have to write more about copyright laws and how they affect us all.
Design by Dragonfly Blu Design 2003:
Design by Ubernet 2005? Come on...
Shame for them, sad to read such things on your blog. Did you contact them?
Posted by: Igor | May 12, 2006 at 04:46 PM