12 June 2006
Recently a friend got in touch to let us know that a UK web site was ripping off one of our designs. He was right, it was very obviously and quite badly done. My reactions were, in this order:- slight annoyance that it had happened
- disappointment that it was implemented in such a half-arsed way
This isn't the first occasion this has happened to us, and in a sense it is not our problem. As an agency we cede ownership of sites to our clients, so they would make any decision about going after copy-cats. However as I looked through the site I began to get more perturbed.
1) They had a copyright notice at the bottom of the page.
2) They were selling a web-based service similar to those we provide.
and finally the line that put me over the edge...
3) "If you do not have a web site, or you wish to replace an existing site, ********* can create a professional Internet presence that is easy to use and search engine friendly."
I think you'll agree that this is taking the piss.
I should say that I have no problem with people downloading our code and pulling it apart. This is how we have learned to develop our skills over the past eight years. You see something you like, pick it apart, and use it to do your own thing. (That last part is a big difference).
Coda:
So anyway, this is where we are with it. Our client has contacted the company involved. They have fully and swiftly apologised for the error, and promised to a) investigate and b) take the design offline by the end of this week.
That seems about as decent a response as we could expect in the circumstances. I am toying with the idea of offering our services :-)
Posted by Nick Warren at 8:42 AM
