» Flattering? Or a pain in the arse? How do you feel when somone rips off your design? ~ The WURK Job & Career News Network.

Flattering? Or a pain in the arse? How do you feel when somone rips off your design?

By Barry Bell on April 25 2006

I know it’s not a straight rip as such, but I know they’ve lifted my code because most of the links point straight back to wurk.

Check it out. The first image here is a screengrab from the wurk hub site. The second is a screengrab from a WordpressMU install called Sokablog. Spot any similarities? Have you ever been ripped off? And if so, what did you do about it?

Contributor: Barry Bell

I'm a freelance writer and designer with over 10 years’ experience of creating award-winning recruitment and consumer marketing communications, together with a wide range of other creative marketing colateral. ... more »

WURK profile: http://WURK/profile/admin
Contributor website: http://barrybell.com

COMMENTS

By jim
April 26, 2006 2:20 am

It pisses me off when someone rips me off and I usually ask them to change it, take my content off, ie. stop ripping me off. Results will vary though… good luck.
By TDH
April 26, 2006 5:39 am

I think it’s best to be civil about it, but professional. In other words, tell them they’re breaking the law by stealing your work and demand they take it offline or change it beyond recognition – otherwise you’ll take legal action. It has worked for me in the past.

On a different note, I can’t see why one would want to rip of a design without altering it enough so that it feels like something you actually own and have made yourself. Talk about bad PR.
By Barry Bell
April 26, 2006 7:13 am

I’m not particularly worried – especially when you see that they’re doing a damned awful job of it anyway!
By Ankit M
April 26, 2006 8:07 am

Barry, I think you should send them an email, and demand removal of the stolen design. No point in letting them go, since they will steal more next time. maybe they are eyeing the content too.
By Martin
April 26, 2006 8:24 am

Yeah send them an email, but looking at it it’s so pathetic.

‘Latest Posts from around the sokablog’ – they all point back to you??? Can’t get more proof it’s a direct rip-off!

Maybe you can wait til they get some blogs going and then report them to Google if the put up some AdSense.

Other than that a nice email to Dani C. and Sunny C. of Sokway Network is in order.

BTW, Sunny C. is Sunny Chan – sunny24chan@gmail.com
By Barry Bell
April 26, 2006 8:32 am

Yep, good suggestions. Cheers, guys.

I’ll send ‘em a nice little email today.

B
By Tauquil
April 26, 2006 7:42 pm

Looks like your email did the trick.

I think you handled the situation very well. I’ve had people rip off elements of my design in the past and the first reaction is nearly always to rush in with all guns blazing. Often times that’s just not needed. Like you demonstrated a simple email will nearly always do the trick.

And I love the design by the way :)
By Barry Bell
April 26, 2006 8:28 pm

Hey Tauquil – the funny thing is that I didn’t even get round to emailing them. I’d like to think that they realised that what they were doing was a little too blatant, but they’re actually claiming that it was purely a design coincidence, right down to the 25 or so links that pointed back here.

Ack.

At least it’s down.
By Tauquil
April 26, 2006 8:48 pm

“Design coincidence”…riiight. They obviously put as much work into coming up with excuses as they do ripping off site designs.
By Barry Bell
April 26, 2006 8:57 pm

Heh, yep. Sounds like it to me.

B