I'm kind of impartial on this subject. However, if someone were to take one of my custom designs, I would prefer that they ask.. or at least let me know. It's not like it can be prevented, but it's only courteous. And manners are a huge deal in my book.

I have seen an argument between flattery and anger at the person/user who copied that same design, and I think that it depends upon the person's viewpoint or how they handle the situation. Will the creator of the custom think of it badly(stolen design) or nicely(flattered because they liked it)?<br /> <br /> And yes, I think it's just a design. Nothing wrong with it or anyone copying Kasha's or Melbourne's designs, and yes, <b>in my own personal opinion</b> this is stealing, but <b>for the whole society in general, is this right or wrong?</b> I think this question is a vital one.

I wasn't taking about the copyright part of that. Wysper also said you can not own a recipe that others can not use, where as yes- you can, it's just a matter of keeping it secret. (like having the option of hiding marking order/percentage or something like that)<br /> <br /> I should have specified that, sorry :)

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Uh... anyone can make any design they like, and the whole "copying" problem eludes me. Why worry about it, as long as you have the dog you want? Are we supposed to try and find out who else might or might not have a specific design?

Mahou, that recipe is kept under lock and key because you can not copyright a recipe. People who know the recipe sign a contract that if they ever tell ANYONE they can be sued etc because of that.

That's not entirely true, Wysper. What about the secret recipe most major fast food chains own? Such as KFC. They have a secret ingredient for their chicken, so secret that the original recipe is kept under lock and key using a computer with all sorts of checks and such. Sure, you can find out perhaps what goes into it, but you don't know how much of it. So that'd be like being able to see the marking on dogs, but not the percentages.<br /> <br /> I still feel like it's wrong, but it's not a matter of moderation. It's simply a matter of conscious.

I wouldn't really care if someone decided to use my idea for clothing. It's just <i>clothes</i>. I'd probably be a little flattered.<br /> <br /> And I don't like the idea of secret recipes, either. I think wonderful foods should be shared with the world, not secreted away to be shared with only a select few people.<br /> <br /> I <i>don't</i> like people ripping on character designs, if that's any consolation. Characters that are your intellectual property and took real imagination, care, and time to create. <br /> <br /> But you can go overboard with that, too. If you have a blue wolf character, you can't go around raging on every single other person with a blue wolf as an OC.<br /> <br /> Ala dogs <i>absolutely do not</i> fall into this, however. And before someone says it, if you base your OC on an Ala dog, you can't do anything if someone makes a custom or breeds a dog just like it. You're basing your OC design on markings available to everyone who is registered to Alacrity.<br /> <br /> And that's enough of my complete and utter tangent.

Okay so if your grandmother made these amazing pies and had her 'secret family recipe' would you really like for everyone to take it and claim it as their own?<br /> But you'd be more then happy to work with them to create their own version of the pie, or let them eat it right?<br /> <br /> Same with a custom. They are special, sure we love to share them and sell their puppies and let people use glitch percentages and the like, but taking isn't appreciated.<br /> <br />

I have to say that this is kind of like recipes.<br /> <br /> You can NOT copyright or own a recipe that no one else is allowed to use. <br /> <br /> It boils down to the same thing, really. *shrugs*<br /> <br />

Yeah.. Even though the design is the property of Ala and could be made by anyone, if I'm the first user to put the markings in that order with those opacities, I feel as if I created that particular design. I understand I can't do anything to stop anyone from copying "my" design, but I would be very sad if they did. I took the time to create the design the way I wanted it to look, and someone comes along, likes it, and just takes it? It's not really a friendly thing to do. <br /> <br /> It's like if I used a store-bought pattern and fabric to sew a beautiful dress in real life. As I'm showing it off to someone, someone else comes along, says "Hey, that's nice!" and takes it. I put all the work into it using someone else's pattern and materials to make something unique for me (after all, the pattern and fabric can be used by anyone, but I chose to use that particular fabric with that particular pattern because I hadn't seen it done before), but it was still <i>mine</i>, and the other person liked it and took it without doing any of the necessary work to deserve it. That might be a bad example, but do you see what I'm saying?

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