O.K.・・・今回の話は厄介だ・・・
まあ、事の始まりはこうだ。
約三ヶ月前、今年初めて東京へ戻って来た時には、仕事をできる場所がなかった事もあり、時間が沢山あった・・・とはいっても一ヶ月以内に、まともな場所を見つけるという課題があったのだが・・・それはさておき、原宿の行きつけの店で購入したパンツの裾直しが終わるのを待っている間、時間をつぶしていた時の事だ・・・３０分程あったので、近くの店を覗いて最近のトレンドや面白い事がないかどうかをチェックする事にした。そして明治通りにある有名ショップ、ROYAL FLASHに入ってみた。８０年代後半のL.A.のロックスターが好みそうな・・・それにハイエンドなデザイナー・アイテムをミックスしたような感じの、派手な格好が嫌いなら避けた方が無難なセレクトショップだ。
店内でROARの商品が並ぶコーナーでTシャツに目を通していると「GUN」が目に入った・・・まあ、デザイナー同士、あり得ないくらい他人と同じアイディアが浮かぶ事もあるだろう、と自分自身に言い聞かせようとしたのだが・・・３秒後にはその考えは消えていた・・・それは何故か？
それは、まぎれもなく自分のオリジナルの「GUN」だったからだ。
数年前にクライエントであり友人でもあったホシノの為に描いたものだ。俺はそこまでバカじゃない。
許可無しにデザインを複製した事に対し、企業を非難する事がかなり深刻な問題だという事は認識している。しかし、このような事は人の想像以上にまかり通っている・・・オーナー、またはCEOは自分のチームがとった行動に対する責任を持つべきだが、その規模によってはメンバー全員の行動を把握するのが難しい。そこに問題がある・・・また「デザイナー達」にイラスト、絵、ロゴ、デザインを「参考資料」と称して盗む事を助長しているオーナーもいる・・・デザインのスキルはもとより、創造性、他のクリエイターへの敬意、最低限の常識まで欠けた世間知らずのアマチュア・デザイナー・・・このような無責任な行動がチーム全体のイメージに与える影響さえ考えられないデザイナーに対しての責任を放棄しているオーナーもいる。
以前にも同じ事が起きた。俺のデザインがプリントされた安っぽいTシャツを友人が海外で見つけて購入して来た。その時は初めての事で、そのシチュエーション自体が可笑しく思えた。しかし、それが本格的な本物の高級ブランドの製品となると話は違ってくる。自分の創ったものが巧みに「違うけど同じ」値段の高いTシャツ（US200ドル以上もする）にされていたとは・・・
製品をリリースする時には基本的なルールがある。Tシャツであろうと車であろうと、その製品は購入したいと思わせるほど力強いものでなければならない・・・そのTシャツが何枚売れたのかは知らないが、ROARの販売チームが展示会の際にどういった売り文句で「GUN」のTシャツを顧客やバイヤーに販売したのか聞いてみたいものだ・・・
もし何か間違った事をするなら、別のルールがある。それは捕まらないよう賢く立ち振る舞わなければならないという事だ・・・
Ok…this is going to be a tough one…
The story goes like this:
Around 3 months ago when I arrived in Tokyo for the first time this year I had a lot of free time due to the fact that I had no place to work…the plan was to look for and find a decent place within 1 month…anyways , one day I was in harajuku killing time while I waited for an adjustment to made on my trousers at the place I always go to for that kind of thing…since I had about 30 minutes I decided to just look at stores near by to see what was happening and if someone was doing anything interesting.
So I walk in ROYAL FLASH a famous store on meiji-dori , I would say that their selection would probably please an L.A. ROCK STAR from the late 80’s…mixed with some high end designer items , if you’re the type that doesn’t like to call attention you shouldn’t shop here.
So as I looked through t-shirts on the corner with the ROAR stuff I saw the guns…at first you try to tell yourself that things like this do happen and it is possible that people come up with amazingly similar ideas by chance…well, after 3 seconds I knew that wasn’t the case here…do you know why?
Because I drew the original gun myself a few years ago for my friend and client Hoshina…and I’m not stupid.
I understand that it is a serious accusation to blame a company for copying a design without permission yet something that happens more than people imagine…the owner or c.e.o. must be held responsible for the actions of his team and sometimes depending on the size of the group he cannot know what everyone is doing ,so that’s the problem here…some owners actually encourage the “designers” to steal illustrations,drawings,logos,designs,etc calling that “reference material”…and some must not be held responsible for a amateur and naïve designer lack of respect for others , criativity and plain common sense….not to mention designing skills…and what an irresponsible action like this can do to the image of the whole team.
It has happened before , a friend saw and bought a very cheap t-shirt overseas with a design of mine on it , it was the first time and I thought the situation was funny , but when you see something that you have created being manipulated to look “different but the same” on a overpriced t-shirt (more than us$200 so you know) produced by a company that shows itself as a serious , genuine and expansive brand the story changes…
The basic rule behind releasing a product be it a t-shirt or a car is the thought that that product is strong enough to sell…I don’t know how many t-shirts were sold but I would love to listen to the ROAR sales team at their show explaning to it’s costumers and distributors why they should buy the gun’s t-shirt…
The other rule is that if you’re going to do something wrong make sure you’re clever enough not to get cought….
this kind of pirate stuff ( I even don’t define it as “bootleg” ) is nothing more than crap.
» Comment by Toxy Stiffer — May 29, 2007 @ 8:37 am
It happend the same to me!!!!
They took it direct from a postcard I designed for LTW years ago.
And the customer was wearing this t-shirt with my design on it with
some kitsh letters around!!!!
astral justice will happen
Jondix Mahashakti - Holytrauma.com
» Comment by Jondix — May 29, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
unfortunately we can see this in every places that any kind of art is present
» Comment by oct — May 29, 2007 @ 9:24 pm
I’m sorry, but that’s why I don’t put any of my music on the internet. It’s not copy-righted. Somebody broke into my ex’s Tahoe and stole a bunch of his uncopyrighted music on CD’s. He had to run and get it done but really, I thought it was too late…then again, maybe not. Man it sucks to have someone makin money off of something you created… or just the fact that they stole it. Well, the way one friend of mine put it that’s in the rapping business- it must mean your stuff is good, if somebody else had to copy it!
» Comment by Danielle — May 30, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Naughty, naughty!
You must have felt sick.
Call me a hypocrite, but it is not like they were selling a fake Mickey Mouse t-shirt and doing the Disney Corporation out of a few dollars. To steal from a one-man show and then have the gall to charge the earth for it is revolting. Even if it happens all the time.
» Comment by Alicia — May 31, 2007 @ 2:00 am
How about you turn this negative situation into a positive? Contact ROAR and ask them if they would like to BUY any more of your designs. Once you have agreed the basic terms of agreement you can then work out between you how much they owe you for the use of the GUN design.
I had one of my photos stolen by a magazine. Like you I was very angry but it seems it was a genuine mistake. The company genuinely thought they had purchased a license to use my image. However, as I was able to establish that they like my work, I agreed terms with them for future image use and they have since commissioned me to do more for them. We now have an ongoing contract which would never have existed had the “mistake” not happened in the first place.
Spread good karma and everybody wins! (^_^)
» Comment by The Cygnet — May 31, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
em primeiro lugar, seus trampos sao duca…
outra coisa, esse trampo da arma, eh um bordado?! po, muito style
fora parabenizar por tudo que tem aqui, pela trajetoria, a pergunta eh:
ta no Brasil?!
se tiver, onde eh teu studio?!
rs.
ok.
ateh mais…
e seu site ta no meu favoritos
luz.
falo, kafeh
» Comment by kafeja — May 31, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
Don’t you think that it is positive thing that people now can see how ROAR produces their product?
take positve reaction to negative action causes negative conclusion if you think about “negative or positive” stuff.
× − = −
− × − =
also you can not do business with unfaithful people unless you are unfaithful person.
In good karma, everybody wins except losers (^_^)
» Comment by Toxy Stiffer — June 2, 2007 @ 12:02 am
realmente… lamentável! é de ficar muito p. mesmo, mas acho que o Cygnet tem razão…
e (desculpa) dei risada com o comment 7! Hello…
força Jun!
beijo,
Ana
» Comment by ana baravelli — June 2, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
…o mais engraçado é que o desenho em questão estava latente nos pensamentos desse ano, virando até uma peça. Um lance de sinergia talvez…
Bom, nessas horas você pode encarar isso de duas maneiras, e independente de qual você escolher, uma coisa é certa:
o bordado ficou feio pra cacete!
anyway, I agree with ‘Cygnet’ saying ‘…Spread good karma and everybody wins!’
mas ainda assim, faça um print bem bacana, coloque numa moldura bem legal, assine e mande de presente pra store…
abráx,
mk.
» Comment by paulo gambale — June 3, 2007 @ 1:47 am
What Goes Around… Comes Around.
Caminha pra frente e boa sorte!!!!
beijos
C.
» Comment by Carla — June 3, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
That Sucks. Im all for taking down the machines of industry and sticking it to corporations who rip people off, but to plaugerise the work of any gifted individual without permission is not cool.
Seek advice dude, it wouldnt hurt.
» Comment by Adrian — June 5, 2007 @ 4:41 am
Am I being blind? These don’t look like exact copies of your flash… they’re guns done “tribal”, sure - but they’re not facsimilies, are they?
» Comment by Mike — June 8, 2007 @ 10:53 am
Jun,
Estive umas semanas fora, so li agora.
Nao tenho nem palavras pra dizer o que senti ao ler. Nao consigo entender essa total falta de respeito. Espero que isso nao te faça perder as esperanças em outra”s” pessoa”s” com caráter, dignidade e respeito.
Chin up e bola pra frente.
Espero agora esteja tudo bem.
Beijos
» Comment by Paloma Lara — June 12, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
はじめまして ジュンさん。
むかしっからＬＵＺのファンのものです。
僕も、街でジュンさんのＦＡＫＥ44を見かけましたが、
やっぱり本物にはかないません。
これからも最高の作品をお願いいたします。
» Comment by CONY — July 6, 2007 @ 1:06 pm