When is something no longer considered a 'knock off' to you?

[Distorbiant]

How apparently or unapparent does an item have to be from its predecessor to 'deserve' it's own identity?

How many design aspects can a designer copy from another without crossing ethical boundaries?


Is it a matter of time? Is there an expiration date on ethical artistic exclusivity?

Or is it a matter of quantity? If ten thousand companies make jeans, suddenly the fact that they're all rooted in Levi's original creation isn't so important anymore.

Is it a matter of being an iconic design?

Or is it simply a matter of creating an item just as good as the predecessor, if not better.

I am interested in your thoughts.

 

[Parker]

I think elapsed time is a factor. If a designer does someting similar to his/her contemporary it can be seen as stealing, but if enough time passes, the new design is simply "referencing" or "paying homage" to an older design.