Copycat(alog)s

[Will Owen <nashwill@domain.elided>]

In V7, #1149, Ed Parise said:

"I should think the original producers of the catalog
would take it as a compliment that others found it so
well done that it is worthy of emulation. For
chrissakes---it's not like it's poetry or a porno
screenplay! It's---it's---its'---a CATALOG! Let's go
eat."

Speaking as a graphic designer of some years'
experience, I must say that Ed's attitude is shared by
many, including some of my former clients. What
they're not getting is the rather serious matter of
copyright, which by law resides with the creator of
any work unless said creator is an employee of the end
user, or has a written and signed work-for-hire
agreement. Of course, we don't know at this point
whether (Caribou) Ed's friend had permission to copy
that German catalog...but, assuming that he did, then
he has legal protection from having his work copied
without proper compensation, and the automatic right
to seek a legal remedy should that protection be
breached.

Alfa content? Well, we might remember how zealously
Alfa Romeo protects their logo, even to the point of
sending cease-and-desist letters to Alfa clubs that
make unauthorized use of it.

Will Owen
Nashville, TN
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