Feelings about copying others work?...

Sharon my cake club leader has only ever asked permission of a decorator if she knew who did the cake. She never publishes her cakes…no FB page. Keeps them in her IPad. Only seen by brides at a consult. Once your cake is on the web…technically, it’s public domain. I’ve never directly copied a cake, but changed the design to make it mine. If you change the colour, change up the embellishments…etc, it’s a different cake.

So true! Something always changes with the final design. I really enjoy just doing wedding cakes now that my daughter had taken over all the other cakes that the bakery does. In the past couple years or so I’ve been online and learning so many new techniques and having a blast!

I often get cake pics sent to me from clients asking for the same. I gently dissuade them from this and always explain why…
1. its someone else’s hard work and idea concept and feel its an unspoken courtesy not to copy… but yes June, one in the public domain you cannot control use of it…. like Walt Disney too. Look at Frozen Cakes for instance.
2. I so far have successfully persuaded the client to move for something that has a similar “look” but is bespoke to them so its original.
3. if the cake is to be copied and its been a tutorial then go for it… but mention where you got it from… also agree with June in asking the person who did the original cake (if you know who it is) if you can use her design.
this is an endless debate but if unsure.. turn the tables… how would you feel if your cake was copied? :)

I agree with most of what Calli has said. A bit of courtesy in any industry, can go a long way… I get the impression a lot of caker’s don’t mind, if you ask first, and give credit for the design after.
As a person with a law degree though, I believe people should be aware of copyright that can be attached to brands/characters.
Here is a link to an article by CakeBoss…
http://www.cakeboss.com/Cake-Stuff/Articles/Copyrighted-Cakes

Thanks for link Jullez… Wil check it out… Yes, courtesy goes a long way!!!

All great points!

Being a hobbyist, I’d be flattered if someone copied my work…hee hee. But as I said, I’ve never directly 100% copied a design. Took elements, changed things up. I bet most decorators don’t know that a Canadian, Susan Trianos, invented the billow weave technique for cakes. It was so new, and different when it came out. Her dummy cake she displayed for the 1st time with the technique at a large cake show was stolen by a competitor. Then a decorator bought her DVD, and proceeded to put out her own version with a free tutorial on the “how to” on YouTube. You being a lawyer Julez can understand Susan’s angst. Once that YouTube video came out…it just bled. It was everywhere even tho it was copyrighted. We had a tutorial at my cake club, but our leader, out of courtesy, still asked Susan’s permission to teach us her technique. So, this is one of the reasons I don’t copy, and try to give credit where credit is due.
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June, I am sure Susan would have loved someone taking the time to acknowledge her invention and technique, when others had forgotten.
Gold star to your club leader…. I think I would like her!

Yes you would Julez. She fiercely believes you DO NOT copy……and you should ask permission if your going to. Trouble is Julez, as you know, there’s a plethora of cakes on the web, Pinterest, etc., etc. Most with no accreditation of the decorator/designer. So in respect for them, as I said…I take elements and make it my own. :o)

As a hobbyist, I would probably be flattered if someone copied my work too… I would much prefer that, to those that just download your images…then upload them to their own page.
For any business that has taken time to create a unique design, with view to future sales, I can understand if they feel “ripped off” by someone copying their design.