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14 Responses
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Edokoa
Open letter to Engineyard:
Dear Engineyard, I think you owe me an explanation.
Yesterday I was giving a talk at Up-Front Berlin (it was my birthday and we had cake and all, it was nice) and, afterwards, one of the assistants pointed me out via Twitter that he had spotted an illustration that was "really similar" to the Unhosted logo.
I checked it out waiting to find some kind of Avatar style illustration involving a floating island. But, to my surprise, it was "really similar". It was so similar that I'd say it's the same Unhosted illustration (flipped) and redrawn with some subtle differences.
I'm going to be honest with you. Simply switching the windmill for a ferris wheel, exchanging the pagoda for a town and making the mountains slightly bigger (Hey! Thanks anyway for adding even my own logo to the mountain!) don't qualify it as "something new", especially when the shape of the island is exactly the same and even the hanging ivy is there.
I'm not angry at all with this, as plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery. I simply find it sad. I find sad that you (or the designer you hired) ripped off the illustration I made (as a donation) for an Open Source project (which by the way is pretty cool), I also find sad that you (or the designer involved) has chosen the "easy way" instead of taking the chance of creating something new (what I think is what we all came to do here in the end).
I'll put it this way so you can understand what I feel instead of anger. Not many people knew it until now, but all of my designs hold inside a special moment in my life (either good or bad). I don't know if it's normal, but is the way it works for me and it's the "fuel" of my creativity.
If you asked me about this illustration (the concept, the image, everything...) I could tell the exact moment when it came to my mind. I was in Madrid drifting into sleep while holding the person I loved and the image came into my mind as clear as you see it here now. I don't know if this is relevant for you, but I think there's a fucking beautiful story behind this logo.
Now... What can you say about your illustration?
Sad.
(check attachment for more details)
You can check the illustration here http://www.engineyard.com/
7 months ago
Pro
Matt Hamm
Although similar, agreed. I dont think it has enough similarities for you to legitimately claim IP infringement.
I went through a similar process with IP infringement earlier this year, which I was successful with. Can't post the details of that I'm afraid.
7 months ago
Pro
Edokoa
Thanks! I'm not going to claim IP infringment. But I don't agree that it's not similar enough. I mean. Even the same ivy is there.
You can almost overlap both of them.
Even people I know said that it was "more in my style" than my own illustration.
As I said I'm not angry with this, in fact, me and one of my friends working in Unhosted had a good laugh yesterday night with this, I only find it sad (on their side).
7 months ago
The idea is very simillar. Some wiseman said:
"Good artist copy, great artist steal"
That's mean you have a great works, that makes other artist copied your work.
7 months ago
Pro
Regina Casaleggio
I don't know Edokoa - I've seen a lot of similar type of floating specs of earth illustrations. I don't think they set out to copy your work.
Your work is great by the way :)
7 months ago
Pro
Edokoa
Thank you
Yeah, In my talk yesterday I explained how, when I uploaded the first version, there was someone pointing out that was similar to Gorillaz's "Feeling Good Inc" video.
Yesterday I explained why I didn't copy in anyway this (I don't even know if I had seen that video) and explained how I came to the same conclusion. And where all the elements come from.
You can create floating island, god forgive me if I try to say that now I hold the copyrights of the idea (anyway James cameron would hold them, and he took the idea from Roger Dean, who painted the Yes album covers...) but one thing is the concept (floating island) and another different thing is the execution and elements present, which I'd say is more than close to mine. (Same shape, same ivys, same tree, the balloon, the ferriswheel/windmill, mountains... etc)
Not mentioning that both, Unhosted and Engineyard are projects that deal with "cloud computing".
7 months ago
Pro
Edokoa
By the way, the influences in my illustration are the games Flashback / Another World and Skies of Arcadia. The tree comes from Brian May's album cover for "Another World" mixed with a SoftFacade Bonsai icon, the pagoda at Nara and Mt.Fuji. The balloon comes from an old illustration of mine (I like colored balloons). The windmill idea comes from another game (I don't remember if it was Blue Dragon or Zelda...)
7 months ago
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jonathan olsen
I totally agree with Edokoa. He got everything from Edokoa, no doubt. Hate people that actually have some what of talent making illustrations but go down some levels and steal other peoples ideas and concepts due to lack of creativity and/or inspiration.
7 months ago
Pro
Regina Casaleggio
I totally see why you'd be upset. You are a very good at what you do and I'de say don't waste your energy on it. Spend the time making more awesome stuff.
7 months ago
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Milosz Klimek
This is lovely.
7 months ago
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Caleb Royce Lummer
@Edokoa good for you. call it out. its for sure way too similar to be coincidence.
7 months ago
Hi Edokoa,
I made this design for the EY homepage, and I as soon as I heard that you were felt ripped off I wanted to contact you and explain. First, I love your work soooo much! It's so creative, gorgeous, and striking. I'm not an illustrator, at all - a graphic designer, at best - and your inspiration and creative process sounds truly wonderful.
I also wanted to make a "floating island" type graphic for our website, a concept based on depicting a stable island in clouds, with a colorful fair or city on top. When compiling islands and inspiration, I used dozens of floating island cities and cartoons for inspiration, such as Avatar scenes, the Gorillaz music video El Manana, Friends With You cuteness/insanity, some stock illustrations of islands, fairs, and parks, the Never Ending Story Ivory Tower, and Adventure Time. I saw your work in Dribbble, and completely loved it! I attempted to make my own thing, with all of this in mind.
However! When I look at your and ours side by side, I do think ours looks way too derivative! I didn't mean to be such a biter, I think that your design must have just been stuck in my head due to it's awesomeness.
I always knew that the EY website hero graphic island that I did is just a temporary thing - and will be updated, quite soon. I know that they have a designer (with illustration skills to boot) working on it!
I really hate the thought of you feeling sad and ripped off, and would like to make amends (if possible).
With tons of respect and very sincerely,
Jessica
7 months ago
Pro
Edokoa
Hi Jessica!
The truth is that I don't know what to say. I wanted to know the story behind the illustration and I didn't expect that it would have been made by another dribbble user (and the most amazing thing is that I was already following you).
Some people told me that it also looked in my style, and it makes sense now that I see that we have the same influences (japanese kawaii characters, Friends With You...)
I think that, to certain extent, it's normal that, when you begin doing something (illustration, music, whatever...), most of your work is really based in other people's work (all my first designs and style were purely based in The Designers Republic). It's part of the learning process and it's needful, as it allows you to get to know the tools and techniques that will allow you to develop your own style. Lots of people will advice you to copy other pieces (normally for personal use) because of this.
It was mostly shocking for me finding that, not only the general concept, but the elements and composition were so similar. And as I said, I'm not angry at all. I was not planning on taking any legal action or asking EY to take the illustration down. I was only curious of how this could've happened and wanted to have an explanation.
I really thank you for you kind words about my work and, knowing that you did it because you really liked the illustration, and knowing the story behind, somehow changes my perception. I was thinking that it had been made by some kind of "mercenary" who was hired and then told: "Hey! We want this same illustration for our header! Redraw it for us!" (I know this kind of stories and I think they're really "sad")
I also know that everyone has influences and sometimes they show off more and sometimes less (brain can't create from the void). But, be careful, as one thing is technique and another thing is concept. And when you get really close to other people in both of them you can have problems.
In the end it's OK with me, and we are OK ;)
I'd like to tell you one more thing anyway, as it is what shocked me the most in your message. If you love illustration, then stick on it, and do it on and on until you can't hold a pen or you don't know what you're doing with your layers anymore. Never think that you are not an illustrator, as the worst thing you can do is thinking that you can't do it or you are not good in it. You are only what you want to be, and every step you take, will take you in that direction.
I only can tell you that seven years ago I was coding PHP and ActionScript in a small company. Surely I could do some "design things" but I'd never have thought that I could get to make a living out of it as I was "really bad" and all the people around were always telling me: "You're not a designer! You're a coder! We only want to hire you for coding jobs!".
So, stick on it and believe in what you do. And never apologise for what you do. I think that, anyway, the style of the illustration (and other illustrations that you have) is pretty cool.
I wish you the best.
Javi
7 months ago
Hi Javi,
You have me in awe of your kindness and understanding. I am so relieved to hear that we are okay. Thank you for the great advice and insight, I will definitely take it to heart.
I'm still sorry to have caused you trouble! I assure you that such a thing won't ever happen again.
I'm sure that I'll continue to be a fan of yours forever. You are so talented, and so overwhelmingly rad.
Pounds of love and appreciation!
Jessica
7 months ago