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"If you change X% of the design it's fair game"

Joe Diaz

Joe Diaz

New Member
How many of us have heard that one? Someone comes in with an image they found on google that they printed out and wants you to copy it. When you say no they usually follow that up with: "I heard that if you change at least 3 things about the design I can use it." Or "I heard that as long as you change 20% of the design then it becomes an original. It usually is a different number every time. :Big Laugh I know I'm not the only one that has heard that one before.

So the question is: How would you even measure the % of change in a design.

So if I were to copy the McDonalds logo where could I begin. I could change the color right? So hmmm... let's see.... Ok so on the color wheel the opposite of yellow would be violet right? So if I made it violet that would be a 100% change in color. Alright now we are getting somewhere. Then If I avoided the letters "m" "c" "d". Let's see... that would be about a henway... carry the one... divide that by piecost...

As hard as it can be to come up with an original idea, It would be much harder to come up with some sort of formula for proving that you changed a design by X%, as if that were even a rule in the first place.
 
Malkin

Malkin

New Member
These are the questions that plague me as well.

I also wonder at what age my daughter will be when they start to refuse to sell me alcohol because she's not "of age". (our state requires the clerk to check the ID of everyone in the group)
 
oldgoatroper

oldgoatroper

Roper of Goats. Old ones.
Joe Diaz said:
divide that by piecost...
Click to expand...

Did you mention pie?


Seriously though, when someone comes in blustering like that, it's always fun to bluster right back very matter-of-factly according to this formula.

"Yes, but that only applies if more than (100% - customer-claimed % change) of the original graphic is known to be sourced from the public domain."

Stops the dull ones dead in their mental tracks... :smile:
 
ucmj22

ucmj22

New Member
Malkin said:
These are the questions that plague me as well.

I also wonder at what age my daughter will be when they start to refuse to sell me alcohol because she's not "of age". (our state requires the clerk to check the ID of everyone in the group)
Click to expand...

This happened to me! They wouldn't let me buy alcohol when my brother (18 at the time) was with me. I asked them why they don't card my daughter and they said its at their discretion.
:thread
 
GoodPeopleFlags

GoodPeopleFlags

New Member
You have to change it enough so that if the owner or original designer sees your's, they won't know where you got it. At least that's the rule I go by. But of course, by the time you do that, it's not a copy... only inspiration.
 
showcase 66

showcase 66

New Member
I hate when people tell me that. Last week a lady I was talking to that works for a local event magazine tell me that all she has to do is change a couple things and then they can use it. She was telling me this as she is trying to get me to advertise in it.

Couldn't believe what she said. Talked to her boss later that day, just to tell him for one, she shouldn't be telling people that, and that is not correct. His reply was that is what his lawyer told him. He also said that they also email the owner of the image and if they do not reply within 7 days of the email, then they can use it without getting in trouble.

Okay. Not advertising in his publication.
 
GAC05

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Just tell them a 20% change in an existing graphic will cost them 20% more on top of your normal $300 hourly layout fee (3hr minimum).

wayne k
guam usa
 
bob

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
Only if it were true... You could easily modify 20% or 30% or almost whatever percent of a $100.00 bill and no one without optical gear could ever tell.
 
G

GypsyGraphics

New Member
there is NO percentage that you are allowed STEAL!
even to create derivative work, you must permission from the copyright owner of the original work.

i wonder... does a person who thinks they can do that, also think they could rob a bank... and explain to a judge how they only stole 80% of the banks money, and therefore aren't really guilt of robbery? :doh:
 
Joe Diaz

Joe Diaz

New Member
GypsyGraphics said:
there is NO percentage that you are allowed STEAL!
even to create derivative work, you must permission from the copyright owner of the original work.

i wonder... does a person who thinks they can do that, also think they could rob a bank... and explain to a judge how they only stole 80% of the banks money, and therefore aren't really guilt of robbery? :doh:
Click to expand...

I hear ya.:thumb:

At least with a bank you would have a much better chance of measuring that 80%. And that is what I was getting at. People that say "you just need to change X% of the design" need to stop and think about that statement for a second. If for some reason that were true, how would you even measure the % change of a design?
 
anotherdog

anotherdog

New Member
GypsyGraphics said:
there is NO percentage that you are allowed STEAL!
even to create derivative work, you must permission from the copyright owner of the original work.

i wonder... does a person who thinks they can do that, also think they could rob a bank... and explain to a judge how they only stole 80% of the banks money, and therefore aren't really guilt of robbery? :doh:
Click to expand...

:goodpost:

If you can see any of the original design, its a steal.
 
Marlene

Marlene

New Member
if I go into a store and rob them of 10% of their inventory, did I commit a crime or not as I didn't take all 100% of it? theft is theft no matter how much of it you take.
 
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