See and Raise you Tony, Design Ownership

[watershed]

I'll give you 2 examples;

Chihuly Macchia series. I use this because most of you have seen one or more. These are the frilly nested bowls with a pebbled color finish and wraps. Almost any proficient glassblower can make these pieces. Not quite simple, but not very very hard.

For this I have an answer. I have no idea where copyright comes in, or what Chihuly thinks about it. But if I see one on a table for sale, I know that the blower is trying to make $$. Sometimes you need to make $$ to pay for your blow time. If that's ALL you make, I think you have no imagination and can't think for yourself. Not someone I want to hang with.

COuld Chihuly say STOP THAT STUFF? Maybe if he wanted to spend all his time in court. Maybe he's flattered. Maybe he know they aren't any competition. Don't know him never met.

Trickier example. A while ago someone posted about Glass Pavers. I have thought of this as a nice, shop supporting while I do real work, thing. Also I found a website that shows basic glass pavers, squares, squares with holes, textured squares.

Now what do I do? I thought of it, before I saw other's work. But it's a fairly easy idea to come up with. Do I have to pay "royalties" to make square pavers? Do I only have to pay if they have square holes? No Pavers for anyone since someone did them first?

I would hope that the first guys would be saying "cool, loved the way you made that work for you", but should I be worried about " Are you Greg, here's your subpeona" ?

Food for thought

Greg

[Ron Coleman]

Ok Greg, take a look around you and what do you see. Cars for example, a few years ago someone added a back seat to a pickup truck and a third door, the next year the competition had the same thing. Then someone added a second door, and another company added a BIG back seat. Someone came out with a van and so did the competition, and then the first guy came out with the mini van and so did the next guy.

That's the game of free enterprise and competition. You make one and I'll make one a little bigger, you make one a little faster and I'll be back next year with one that will be faster still.

Just look at all the consumer products available, tooth brushs, electric fry pans, TV sets, radios, lawnmowers. If they have a common function they have a common look in most cases. But each one has features that make it a little different from the others.

Small variations in a design make it unique. Nobody owns square glass pavers, just like nobody owns the rights to make square ceramic floor tile.

The key is constant change in a product line to keep on top.

Ron

[David Williams]

The key is constant change in a product line to keep on top.

Ron[/quote]

That's very true. It would be nice to relax once in a while though.

[Ron Coleman]

That's very true. It would be nice to relax once in a while though.

Life in the fast lane. Either lead, follow, or get out of the way.

[Paul Tarlow]

To protect a glass paver one would need a patent.

Art can be -- and often is -- copywrited. Copywrites protect the form of expression.

- Paul