Online retailer Wiggle has promised to hold a full investigation after it was accused of plagiarism by Anna Glowinski, founder of the women’s cycle clothing brand, Ana Nichoola, an accusation that prompted strong criticism of the business on social media.
In a post to Facebook on Friday evening, Glowinski spoke of being “angry” and “heartbroken” after seeing a product for sale on Wiggle that she believes is a copy of one of her designs that she had previously shown the retailer.
The product for sale on Wiggle has been produced by the retailer’s in-house clothing brand dhb’s Blok range. There's a picture of it above. The men's ersion is currently one of the best-selling men's dhb items on Wiggle.
Glowinski has regularly used stars as a motif in her designs for Ana Nicoola. Here’s one, which we reviewed on road.cc in May 2012.
In her Facebook post, Glowinski, who also tweeted a link to it, said: “18months ago @wiggle bike shop came to my design studio/office and we spent a couple of hours looking at my designs with a view to buy. A year later we talked about a collaboration. The talks went quiet and they brought out their own version. Angry? Yes! Heartbroken? More than I knew was possible! Powerful? Nope.”
The post was widely shared and retweeted, with dozens of comments made in support of Glowinski, some calling for a boycott of Wiggle.
Some pointed out that the star motif itself perhaps owes something to the US national champion's jersey. While those tend to be uniform in size whereas the Ana Nichoola ones vary, some may recall this jersey worn by the United States team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, sported here by Alexi Lalas.
The online retailer responded with a statement which it tweeted at 6.35pm on Sunday evening, saying:
Anna Glowinski made us aware by email at 23:12 on Friday that she believes Wiggle has plagiarised a design from her range of women’s cycling clothing she showed us in 2013.
The Wiggle colleague Anna e-mailed was on annual leave, though we did pick it up and respond to her at 17:32 on Saturday.
We confirmed that we are taking her claim very seriously and will be investigating fully on Monday. In the meantime Anna had shared her claim and frustration on Social media. We at Wiggle would like to make it clear that we work to the highest ethical standards. If a designer has indeed used Anna’s designs and passed them off as their own then we will be taking full disciplinary action and ensuring that Anna benefits from the design royalties. We too would be upset, if this is indeed what has happened. We will provide an update at 17:00 on Monday. The Wiggle Team.
In a follow-up on Saturday morning to her initial post, Glowinski said: “Wow! It's been really heartening to wake up to such support! Thanks so much! Not sure what I am going to do yet as can't afford a lawyer etc etc blah blah. I'm reading all your comments and hopefully I will hear from wiggle this weekend?! Please keep sharing. Thank you thank you!”
Later the same day, she wrote: “I literally cannot believe the support from the cycling community! I know I am not the first person to ever put stars on something, but to come into my office and then bring out a replica is not design overlap or inspiration. In my opinion it is copying. I don't have copyright on this and not really sure my next move. I guess I will wait until Monday when everyone is back in work and go from there. Will report back. I really appreciate the support and feeling from the people in our community! Thank you!”
Facebook user Alsion Critchley wrote of the Wiggle garment: “I saw this jersey yesterday and instantly thought 'Anna won't be happy about that.' Stars print is definitely associated with her.”
Last year, the government’s Intellectual Property Office said that it planned to make the deliberate copying of a design a criminal offence.
According to a May 2013 article in Design Week, the proposed legislation is aimed at protecting small businesses and independent designers.
72 thoughts on “Wiggle to investigate plagiarism claim in Ana Nichoola Star-gate row”
It’s a bloody awful design no
It’s a bloody awful design no matter who came up with it.
Where is Anna based? In the
Where is Anna based? In the UK she would hold Design right to it by default ( https://www.gov.uk/design-right) unless she is an employee although it would seem that for 2d designs like hers it does need registering for full protection. As for lawyers I know at least one UK based no-win no-fee IP lawyer (goes with territory as a photographer).
As an aside the Gov’s IPO can trumpet all it likes but unless it gives its legislation teeth such claims of criminalising design right infringements is as hapless as those for copyright.
IHphoto wrote:Where is Anna
The 6-pointed star, as utilised in these examples, is just a generic shape or ‘element’ in designer-speak. The use of the stars is quite different in each design too. Anna’s design has randomly-sized stars with irregular spacing all over the jersey. In contrast the Dhb design has regularly-spaced stars, reducing in size in a pattern downwards, only on the upper part of the jersey.
There is not the remotest possibility of a successful claim against Wiggle here IMO. (I’m also a photographer btw, specialising in stock imagery, so have a keen interest in copyright protection).
Agree with you this is a load
Agree with you this is a load of
Unfortunately she isn’t alone
Unfortunately she isn’t alone in this sort of underhanded behaviour. Rip Off Britain on BBC earlier this month talked about Primark doing the same to an independent T-shirt printing designer. http://www.teeandtoast.com/news/primarkleaveourteesalone
Stars are stars, the loons
Stars are stars, the loons calling for a boycott without hearing the full story are a tad naive.
So it means you cant produce
So it means you cant produce anything that has stars on it ? What a load of crap.
stumps wrote:So it means you
Yes, that is a load of crap. The article says the jersey is one “that she believes is a copy of one of her designs that she had previously shown the retailer”, which likely means it’s a close likeness of one that she’s not actually selling and which you and I haven’t seen. It certainly doesn’t mean that “you cant [sic] produce anything that has stars on it”.
Anyway, Wiggle’s statement doesn’t read well. When they’ve already, as a company, had discussions with Nichoola, they would be well aware of her designs; both those on the market and the ones that were shown to them. They seem to suggest that either their designers are free to visit other designers on Wiggle’s behalf without feeding back any information and then get a jersey to mass production and point of sale without anyone else in the company being remotely aware of what it looks like, or that they’re going to scapegoat someone. I can’t believe the first is remotely true, and the latter would be hugely disappointing.
Anyway, I’m just a bloke in a chair typing opinions. Meh. Although I do (currently) spend a fair bit of cash at Wiggle.
Yep. Designs aren’t similar.
Yep. Designs aren’t similar. Stars are not copy writed. Smells like a desperate attempt for publicity straight from the cynical business handbook.
Joe, If we are indeed
Joe, If we are indeed comparing those two (and not some design we haven’t seen; I think you’d be right in your ascertion. It all depends as lawyers often say!
What an absolute crock, as
What an absolute crock, as far as I can see it is a cycling jersey with some stars. Glowinski is basically dripping about nothing. I am pretty sure she sold her clothing company some time last year and now pretends she has a job in cycling. This may have been inspired by her jersey but it certainly is not a copy. Attention seeking and publicity hungry girl with no argument.
Apparently, it seems, most of
Apparently, it seems, most of the cycling press have the wrong design. A person called Phillip Glowinski, related I guess, has posted this one:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100522069726910&set=p.10100522069726910&type=1&theater
Certainly more similar, in that they are long sleeve and dark.
A lot of the social media responses are to ripping off her designs (plural) whereas it seems she only claims that a singular design was ripped off.
With that context it would seem appropriate to say that this is Wiggle’s long sleeve collection. Stars are only one of the designs. Without knowing anything, if you’re designing a range and you’ve done the spots, and squares then there’s really only one appropriate shape left. Though you could use diamonds I guess.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-aw14/jerseys-tops/
Surprised the americans
Surprised the americans haven’t sued for use of their flag! :/
…and then we all come full
…and then we all come full circle…(remember Rapha and TORM)…seems being ‘inspired’ is not enough…so if Rapha can ‘persuade’ TORM to significantly change their design, then surely the same must be said about this Wiggle/Glowinski issue…??
As designers we have a
As designers we have a limited palette of tools to use. Stars, lines, circles, etc. It’s the configuration that makes it individual. Same as music. Everyone uses, drum, guitar, lyrics. Their use alone isn’t plagiarism. That’s ludicrous. But their use in recognisable ENOUGH patterns is. And that’s the problem. What is ENOUGH? A designer pays the bills by their addition if a little originality. But is it original enough? That’s the hard part. Especially because its interpretive.
Interesting that she uses the
Interesting that she uses the word “replica.” That design I posted to is not a replica. At the best/worst it is, indeed, inspired by or a design overlap.
Opinion:
Whilst the 5 pointed
Opinion:
Whilst the 5 pointed star might not be unique, and the arrangement of those stars is slightly different, this Wiggle jersey looks like it could have been influenced by the original design in which case might be possible to claim the Wiggle jersey is a derivative work.
Commentary:
One of the biggest lies ever sold is that artists and designers come up unique ideas. They don’t. They are massively influenced – often subconsciously – by what they experience in daily life. Just watch this Derren Brown clip if you want to see some professional creative folk in action.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YQXe1CokWqQ
Have to agree the Wiggle
Have to agree the Wiggle design bears similarities to a recent USA National Championship jersey even if the use of a different colour scheme and mostly the varying sizes of stars makes it slightly similar to Anna Glowinski’s.
DHB also do one that is inspired by the Union Jack. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-blok-jack-jockey-short-sleeve-jersey/
wut?
http://cdn.mos.musicrada
wut?
http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/artist-news/black-sabbath/black-sabbath-original-lineup-corbis-630-80.jpg
I’d be surprised if not
I’d be surprised if not amazed if the use of stars alone would get wiggle into any legal hot water, as a few others have said looks like a non started.
both are using a stars, but needs more than that to be honest, to be plagiarism, none of the stared tops be that wiggle’s or Glowinski’s look much more than cycling jerseys with stars on. beyond that they are standard cycling tops.
now that doesn’t mean that wiggle where not heavly influenced, but equally they may not have been.
So there’s a long sleeve dark
So there’s a long sleeve dark jersey with variable sized stars off one shoulder and down the arm, and a short sleeve jersey with variable sized stars all over.
And there’s a dhb jersey with regular sized stars on the top half.
So the question remains whether there is a design that we haven’t seen that bears significantly more resemblance. If I were the social-media-happy Ms Glowinski that’s the first thing I would have put out a picture of, as evidence… so is it fair to ask why she hasn’t done that?
I think what might be getting
I think what might be getting people get annoyed in this instance is that Wiggle visit to her studio. If they did visit her, with the intention of buying her designs, but then came up with their own similar designs, it’s absolutely a bit cheap and a bit nasty. But then, that’s kind of what DHB are all about (though they have been trying to go up-market lately with gold editions and whatnot — this kind of thing won’t help them with that).
Anyway, they should probably try and come to an agreement with her and patch this over, because they don’t want to be the bad guys.
As for the wannabe-design-critics here posting about how awful they are, I’ve seen far worse designs out there (male and female), and I suspect these could actually look pretty good in real life.
adrianoconnor wrote:I think
Design, singular. The one with stars on. Wiggle have a range, with spots, squares, stars and the Union Jack.
Whilst this Anna chap may be
Whilst this Anna chap may be a designer, she’s clearly got eyesight issues as the 2 jerseys look nothing alike! Does she cry plagiarism to anybody with stars tattooed on them, for example?! Storm in a teacup made up by somebody seeking a bit of attention. NEXT!
Iamnot Wiggins wrote:Whilst
No, she is claiming plagiarism due to a company who had gone to her office for meetings, spent hours looking at her designs with a view to using them and then released a jersey that is similar.
Wiggle know exactly who Anna Glowinski is and they know about her Anna Nicoola brand, I very much doubt she is doing this just for a bit of attention. Anna regularly rides at races and events and has featured on ITVs Cycle Show.
I’m failing to see why people are getting on her case and being dicks about it.
Iamnot Wiggins wrote:Whilst
No. You need to compare the design of the DHB jersey to the design ideas which Anna showed Wiggle in her office. We haven’t seen the latter. The one shown in the story is an example of hers that is currently on sale which road.cc put on the story.
cat1commuter wrote:Iamnot
Yeah, we have. It’s linked to in my post, she’s wearing it on her facebook page today. It’s this one:
https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/s526x296/10659136_1492097681063790_4205133792482268425_n.jpg?oh=0dd02cc88e066550f48df6312082bc2f&oe=54E97575
bendertherobot wrote:Yeah, we
Blimey. That seems to have even less in common with the dhb jersey than the one in the article.
bendertherobot
Yeah, we have. It’s linked to in my post, she’s wearing it on her facebook page today. It’s this one:
https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/s526x296/10659136_1492097681063790_4205133792482268425_n.jpg?oh=0dd02cc88e066550f48df6312082bc2f&oe=54E97575— Iamnot Wiggins
Granted, they are both black & both feature stars but had I of seen Anna’s design prior to seeing the Wiggle one, there is no way I’d have thought “Wiggle have ripped that off”.
I am a well trained
I am a well trained intellectual property lawyer with years of experience in this field and in my legal opinion i think Wiggle have been proper dicks in this matter.
I rest my case Your Honour
Does this designer give free
Does this designer give free haribo?
how ridiculous, this
how ridiculous, this ‘designer’ hasn’t got a trademark on using stars, so surely she hasn’t got a leg to stand on
Karbon Kev wrote:this
Can I ask why you felt it necessary to place ‘ around the word designer?
Are you trying to suggest she isn’t a designer? Because when I do a search on this very site I get a few pages of results, mainly reviews of Anna’s gear.
http://road.cc/search/node/ana%20nichoola
Perhaps you can point us all in the direction of Road.cc’s reviews of Karbon Kev gear?
Similar but not the same,
Similar but not the same, much like apple accusing Samsung of design copying . Eventually it will settle down there is no case to answer
‘Struggling designer gets
‘Struggling designer gets free publicity’ is a more realistic headline here.
Look how much free publicity is going around!
glynr36 wrote:’Struggling
Again, I’m struggling to see why people are being dicks about this?
She’s isn’t really a struggling designer is she? All her Ana Nichoola work has been very well received and sold well, as was her Repack MTB gear.
Wiggle approached her to use her skills as a designer.
She races with Mule Bar Sigma Sports.
She’s a TV presenter.
She’s written for several cycling magazines.
She was listed as one of the top 50 most influential people in cycling by Bike Biz.
It’s a bit distasteful that people are so keen to be so dismissive of her and her work, writing her off as some ‘silly little girl’ or something. Anna Glowinski is cool as fuck in my view, and is probably more clued up about bikes and has more talent than a lot of those making snide pot shots put together.
Seriously, you don’t even have to look very far to find out more about Anna, even if you just used the search function on this site you would find articles about her and her work.
http://road.cc/content/news/132528-bmx-star-liam-phillips-wins-inaugural-parkour-ride
So many bloody idiots on this
So many bloody idiots on this site. If you read the article, you will see that the issue here is NOT with a current product that Anna released, either the one she is wearing in the facebook post nor the one linked in this article.
It is one that she was working on and showed Wiggle as an example of her work when they were discussing doing a deal for her to design some clothing for them.
Once you understand that we don’t know what the design she showed them looked like, then you understand where she is coming from. Until you understand that, stupid assed comments will be regarded as such…..
Gkam84 wrote:So many bloody
have you told her brother he has the wrong one?
https://www.facebook.com/wiggle
“Philip Glowinski You’re comparing the wrong flipping jerseys…”
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/p75x225/1527062_10100522069726910_3406186851604768939_n.jpg?oh=5a45f6663733a35d1ae9f64140545ea7&oe=54DF8886&__gda__=1425317984_752c64df4eb893da824946f318b44931
Of course, she has the power to show us what the design is. To put it beyond any doubt so that all sides can make up their own opinion. We don’t have a right to it, of course, other than the Court of social media has already been assembled. I do hope that Wiggle send my shoes today though even if they are very busy.
bendertherobot wrote:Gkam84
have you told her brother he has the wrong one?
https://www.facebook.com/wiggle
“Philip Glowinski You’re comparing the wrong flipping jerseys…”
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/p75x225/1527062_10100522069726910_3406186851604768939_n.jpg?oh=5a45f6663733a35d1ae9f64140545ea7&oe=54DF8886&__gda__=1425317984_752c64df4eb893da824946f318b44931
Of course, she has the power to show us what the design is. To put it beyond any doubt so that all sides can make up their own opinion. We don’t have a right to it, of course, other than the Court of social media has already been assembled. I do hope that Wiggle send my shoes today though even if they are very busy.— Gkam84
I’ve just spoken with Anna, thankfully she is ignoring any comments here and other places that have published the story.
The two designs she was speaking with Wiggle about were the Winter Star jersey and Snow Cat jacket, both of which I have attached here.
Take the design of these and put them together, move the stars around a little and you’ve got what Wiggle have “come up” with.
I will put a direct quote from my conversation
Why has ‘everyone’ taken a
Why has ‘everyone’ taken a total dislike to this particular woman?
If she feels she has been wronged then that is her perogative, surely?
Whilst not everyone may like the manner in which this issue came to light, online media Facebook/Twitter, etc – she believes she is justified in that her “intellectual property” has been swiped or her trust in a larger company has been met with abuse on their part.
There seems to be many derogatory comments against this individual ranging from ‘struggling designer’, calling her ‘a chap’, ‘pretends she has a job in cycling’…and some posts by ‘members with single digit post counts’ (Trolling??Wiggle staff??..who knows) – I’d be pissed off too if something happened to me in a similar vein. I’d not expect to be met with character slurs or assassinations due to that fact…
No you probably cannot copyright stars, about as much as you can copyright a coloured band on your left jersey sleeve or chest – I’d imagine… or the use of a French word such as Roubaix. I didn’t see the minnow in either of those cases being met with such vitriol…
The _Kaner wrote:Why has
People lurrrrrve dem free Haribo!
That snow cat jacket looks
That snow cat jacket looks cool. Anna should release mens versions!
Go glow!
notfastenough wrote:That snow
Isn’t it. I like her star one as well. And the wiggle one. And their spotty ones.
Not as much as my Castelli ones though 😀
Aww, I’m conflicted now.
notfastenough wrote:That snow
Doesn’t it? It would accentuate your breasts beautifully.
.
.
I have to go with Wiggle on
I have to go with Wiggle on this one…
In the US, designers must be
In the US, designers must be very careful how much of a portfolio they show to a retailer or collaborator. I have talked with top-tier designers who have had to halt sales meetings similar to what was described here when they felt the clothing brand had someone in the meeting taking notes (mental or otherwise) on the designer’s work for the express purpose of copying.
As a intellectual property lawyer, I can tell you that in the US there is very little legal recourse for this kind of a scenario. The social media route that Ana took is one of the best options here.
Anna Glowinski is a brilliant
Anna Glowinski is a brilliant designer and no one was doing women’s cycle wear like her Ana Nichoola range. In my opinion it was innovative in its designs and has proven very popular amongst female riders looking for something that’s not the usual ‘women like pink’ stuff! I can certainly see why people would want to cash in on that.
Just realised I’m wearing said Ana Nichoola Star jersey in my profile pic…
Can someone walk me through
Can someone walk me through the logic of being on Wiggle’s side on this one please?
Anna Glowinski was producing women’s cyclewear for a few years.
It featured a hell of a lot of stars. Jerseys with stars, jackets with stars, tights with stars, gloves with stars, stars, stars and more fucking stars.
The Ana Nichoola brand became quite well known to many people in cycling (except to readers of this website it seems) and they even managed to get their star smattered cycling gear stocked in stores, including Harrod’s. You know, that underground and alternative gaff in Knightsbridge. 8}
Whilst her star based designs are attracting plenty of attention Wiggle think to themselves “We like the cut of Anna’s jib, we should get her to design some gear for us, we could probably turn a decent little profit on it”. Nothing wrong there, business is business and neither Wiggle or Anna are some sort of ‘Cyclistes sans Frontieres’ types, they all want to make a living.
Wiggle rock up to Anna’s office/studio and look at Anna’s work, and I’m going to go out on a limb here, I’d imagine there was a lot of star based designs. Given that Wiggle knew what Anna’s work was like before they approached her I doubt very much that they would have been surprised to see stars featured. They’d probably have been more surprised if there were no stars.
The promise of working together and collaborating on designs goes cold and quiet, again fair enough, business is business and perhaps Wiggle decided they weren’t so keen on using Anna’s star based designs and wanted to go down a different route for their women’s jersey and opted instead for the radically different jersey which features, rather surprisingly, a bunch of stars similar to the ones that first attracted Wiggle to Anna’s work.
And somehow Anna is the one in the wrong?
I feel like I’m not getting the joke.
farrell wrote:Can someone
I’m not, but there’s an increasing use of social media, particularly the cycling ones I read, to present something as the entire story. Our roles should be to question what we read to ascertain whether the information is as it should be. Personally, many of the recent reports about convictions (or lack thereof) have omitted information which, for me, is important.
I can understand why Anna may
I can understand why Anna may feel miffed, but from my perspective I see the following…
– A star covered jersey
– A jersey with a split design, plain on top, horizontal stripes below.
Now, if I look at those designs and say… no, they’re not quite what I’m looking for… I like the idea of stars, I like the idea of a split design (horizontal stripes)… it would be great if they could some way be combined.
If I then went away and combine the two concepts into a new design, is that still Anna’s design, or is this new design mine?
I’m guessing in an ideal world you’d say Anna, can you somehow combine these two designs for us please? But with in-house designers, and this being business, you’re probably not going to…
In summary, I see it like this.
Wiggle go to look at some designs… those designs are not quite right, but they do help them identify what they do want… they then go off and design what they want.
I do not see this as plagiarism.
Let’s be frank, Wiggle have
Let’s be frank, Wiggle have only fairly recently started doing anything remotely ‘different’ with their clothing ranges. Cycling clothing as a whole tends to be more of the same stuff, with minor tweaks, and this years’ colour, over and over. Then Anna comes along and starts doing some fairly distinctive stuff. I think Annas kit is about as recognisable as all the Cath Kidston stuff that my wife loves – precisely because it’s a little different to the norm. So why would Wiggles’ offering look so damn similar?
Well, a pretty comprehensive
Well, a pretty comprehensive response from Wiggle there.
I think both designs are a
I think both designs are a rip off othe ’76 (or it might have been ’80) Team USA jersey.
Can we expect USA Cycling to sue them both?
Depressing that people can’t
Depressing that people can’t see past cheap prices, Haribo and marketing to realise what dicks Wiggle are being here. I’m not sure how many times it needs to be pointed out that it’s not just a matter of two tops with stars on. I can’t work out if these people are just a bit dim or just like siding with the bigger name.
Even more depressing is that these people don’t know who Anna is, despite her being far and away one of the coolest people in cycling and dismiss her so easily.
It’s a shame, it really is. Hooray for millionaires and venture capitalism! Boo to the awesome, cycling loving, small businesswoman! Feed me haribo and loss leaders!
ajmarshal1 wrote:Depressing
Have you read their response regarding their audit trail?
bendertherobot wrote:
Have
Yep, corporate dickweaseling.
ajmarshal1
Yep, corporate dickweaseling.— bendertherobot
Or, possibly, the truth? That’s rather the point to this exercise, isn’t it. Hard facts? If their version is true why should they apologise?
Of course, there may be a rebuttal coming. Wiggle are screwed if their audit trail is not water tight. I’m sure this isn’t the end of it.
bendertherobot
Yep, corporate dickweaseling.— ajmarshal1
Or, possibly, the truth? That’s rather the point to this exercise, isn’t it. Hard facts? If their version is true why should they apologise?
Of course, there may be a rebuttal coming. Wiggle are screwed if their audit trail is not water tight. I’m sure this isn’t the end of it.— bendertherobot
In my line of work I’m occasionally required to provide an absolutely detailed timeline of events, for root cause analysis etc. Wiggle’s response – and, notably, the statement that no-one in the dhb design team had any knowledge of anything sourced from Ms Glowinski – is as categorical as you could ever get.
Multiple sized and multi-coloured stars, ‘randomly’ all over a jersey. Same-sized and same-coloured stars arranged in rows over the top of a jersey. These are not the same things.
I’m sorry, but I hope Ms Glowinski will enjoy her publicity.
Gizmo_ wrote:Wiggle’s
Telling. They also state that their design team hadn’t had sight of any of Anna’s designs. Cycle clothing designers had never seen any of her designs? I find that statement extraordinarily hard to believe. There is absolutely no way they don’t study the market. In that women’s cycling clothing market Ana Nichoola is very well known.
Still, Wiggle will carry on raking it in, I won’t be buying from them ever again though.
ajmarshal1 wrote:Cycle
That’s not quite what they said. And surely the same applies to Ana Nichoola- are you saying AG had never seen a jersey design with stars on before she designed hers? Because there are plenty about.
I can sort of see why she might be upset but a lot of the vitriol on here seems to be based on the assumption that the actual rights and wrongs don’t matter as much as the opportunity to give a shoeing to a heartless corporate giant on behalf of a feisty, in-it-for-the-love-of-it independent.
ajmarshal1 wrote:Depressing
If she was a small business woman, tree huggin, cycle loving free spirt why did your goddess of design sell her business and them go beggin the corporate nasty business Wiggle for a job?
Leodis wrote:ajmarshal1
If she was a small business woman, tree huggin, cycle loving free spirt why did your goddess of design sell her business and them go beggin the corporate nasty business Wiggle for a job?— ajmarshal1
What she does is up to her, I’m not going to answer for her. Suffice to say she’s no ‘unknown’.
Replace Wiggle with Specialized or Rapha and we’d have seen this go down a whole different path.
ajmarshal1 wrote:
Replace
Don’t be silly, stars are far too brash for Rapha. 😀
Regardless of who or what
Regardless of who or what either the designer or the company that supposedly copied them is/ are…
The designer will need to prove that their design is original and copyrighted. I can say as a matter of fact that the stars on a cycling jersey design is an old idea; I once had a Motorola USA champion’s jersey in the 1990s (which I think was a Lance Armstrong jersey but never mind).
Anyhoo, the other fact of the matter is that, in clothing design, copying is rampant. I know a designer in Australia who regularly gets trips around the world to buy sample clothes she can take back to design for her company in Oz.
I’m sympathetic to the designer in this case, but there isn’t much she can do really. Her design isn’t original, and neither is Wiggle’s. Unless Wiggle have copied her design exactly then there is no case for them to answer.
I hear Alpha Centauri may be
I hear Alpha Centauri may be suing them both…
After reading Wiggles
After reading Wiggles response the designer obviously is using the Wiggle name and social media for attention for herself.
Leodis wrote:After reading
The thing is, she doesn’t need it. She’s doing alright as it is.
Seems like a nobody
Seems like a nobody ‘designer’ desperate for exposure deciding that a publicity stunt at Wiggles expense is the way to go.
Like WTF! Has this nobody suddenly decided that she owns the copyright to any cycling clothing with stars on it?
Love her no doubt doe eyed “Oh but I can’t afford lawyers” social media plea.
Bishop wrote:Seems like a
Personally I don’t really think she’s got a case here but that doesn’t mean she’s just a publicity seeker. She is a designer, and she’s not exactly a nobody. Why are you in such a hurry to cast her in such a negative light?
Many of the comments to this
Many of the comments to this story have a strong whiff of sexism about them. It is unpleasant.
It seems faintly implausible
It seems faintly implausible that designers working in a company which had had so much contact with another designer who was quite well known anyway, were completely unaware of her designs and yet produced something so clearly, erm, shall we say ‘inspired’ by those other designs. It may not look exactly like a specific anna nichoola jersey but it does look like an anna nichoola jersey. I don’t know what the copyright issues around it are but it looks like a rip-off nevertheless.