My Blue Nose Friend - The Company Who Stole My Idea

[pyrusspiketor97]

*le sigh* Who agrees with me, Carte Blanche had an awesome idea with My Blue Nose Friends, but the fact is, there most recent designs were from ordinary people back in March, I know this because I drew up all there designs and submitted the copyrighted images to Carte Blanche to see what they thought, they ignored me. Recently they have bought all of those designs out, stealing peoples designs... illegally! Now, I know they were other peoples ideas, but as the designer I should be getting 1/2 of there profit and credit, aswell as been asked for permission to use them.... Ive had zilch. Feathers was originally my OC, well that plan went down the drain the day they announced they were bringing him out. He's got the same name, same species, same layout, same colour, I even made him a limited eddition, with the sparkly parts in the same place! I found this extremley unfair.... and when I contacted them... they said it was just a mere coincidence, yet all the designs back in March have been bought out exsactly the same recently!

Now I know what your thinking, "I dont care, get over it!" But what if a company stole one of your best ideas and were making money off it? Wouldnt you be annoyed? Everytime my mums friend comes over and mentions buying that peacock for her daughter, I feel my heart ripping in two, knowing Im a unknown artist, desiging a internationally rare toy, and not even getting a free one, and now I cant get one anywhere either!

Would you like to see proof? Now, its pretty old and hard to see, but it is coloured in the exsact same way as my profile picture ('there design') http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1745295203885&set=o.153719971330742&type=1&theater

Now you have a option here, just carry on since it is nothing to do with you, or you realise what it feels like to have your art stolen and so kindley 'sign' this petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-carte-blanche-stealing-designs/

[Raz.]

Did they have a contract you had to sign or something that states that you have full ownership of said designs AND that you would get part of the profits?

If you didn't then I don't think you can do much at all. Even if it appears to be theft.

[pyrusspiketor97]

Did they have a contract you had to sign or something that states that you have full ownership of said designs AND that you would get part of the profits?

If you didn't then I don't think you can do much at all. Even if it appears to be theft.

Nope I didn't, they completley ignored me when I tryed showing them the designs. The only thing I can appear to do is sue, yet I can't because I am too young. Recently (I sent the complaint a week ago), though, I've had a random message from them saying they've forwarded it to there legal department so they know I made them, I think there just trying to weasel there way out of it because they think I can sue them.

[SilverTW]

Ohh that's rude!

[Raz.]

I don't think you can sue if there was no contract.

Sure it's wrong they took your things. But I doubt there's little you can do because there wasn't a contract. Which means nothing was breached.

In the real world, it's not as easy as "reporting to staff".

[pyrusspiketor97]

I don't think you can sue if there was no contract.

Sure it's wrong they took your things. But I doubt there's little you can do because there wasn't a contract. Which means nothing was breached.

In the real world, it's not as easy as "reporting to staff".

I can sue, I have checked. They have stole a childs ideas without permission, its illegal if it a kid they have stole from, wether theres a contract or not. But im not that confident so i cant anyway

[Windance]

I don't think you can sue if there was no contract.

Sure it's wrong they took your things. But I doubt there's little you can do because there wasn't a contract. Which means nothing was breached.

In the real world, it's not as easy as "reporting to staff".

I can sue, I have checked. They have stole a childs ideas without permission, its illegal if it a kid they have stole from, wether theres a contract or not. But im not that confident so i cant anyway

    Not quite sure if I'm understanding, but I have copyrighted characters in the past, for safe measures due to the fact that some companies you work for WILL take anything you create while you work there, and claim it as theirs since you "developed" it while you worked there. I didn't quite understand if you said the characters were already copyrighted or not, but if they are, yes, you can sue. You have full rights to sue and they must take that character off their list. That, or they have to pay for the rights to that character, or pay to use that character. It is highly illegal to use copyrighted content for profit without the permission of the creator, and compensation of the creator.

     If your/your child's character was truly copyrighted under law, then yes, sue. Don't hesitate to sue those suckers for as much as you can get.

      If it was copyrighted as in just an oral contract (ex. "I made this character and its designs, everything about it was made solely by me,"), it would be much harder to prove, especially if they have now copyrighted the character under their name. You'd have to prove that you have the original concept, and the earlier dated work to show it was stolen, and have to explain why you were giving away the design without copyrighting/making a contract first. It's easy to steal unprotected work, and they can easily state that you worked for them, therefore anything not copyrighted is fair game.

[TealSkeletore]

If you're too young to sue why don't you get your parents or another adult to help you?