Sometimes I read about decorators who refuse to copy another decorator's design. I don't see what the big deal is as long as you don't take credit for the design. How is it different from going to a hair stylist with a picture of what you want or buying a fake Monet? I put my cake pictures up for people to see, and if they like it and want to make it, I don't care. It would bother me if I knew they said "oh, I designed it myself" when they should say "I saw a picture of it online and thought it was a good looking cake". Just wondering why some people won't do it.

I've done other peoples cakes over the years. BUT, I also ask consent to do it. In my case anyway, I always feel that if I'm going to do a cake that is another person's design, I should ask for consent first. I do agree with you thu. Sometimes you can't ask the person for consent, but you should give credit where credit is due.

They say that "IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY" and I think I would be very flattered if someone liked my design enough to want to copy it...but yes, as long as credit was given where it was due.

I was approached by a family member to "copy" a cake for her Grandson's 2nd birthday and I did a close job on it, but added a couple of my own added twists. But I definitely made sure to mention that it wasn't my original design, and unfortunately I didn't know whose design it actually was.

Some time more than 1 person can come up with the same design, so who can say "it is my design", I have spent the last couple of weeks researching how to make the sugar beer bottles nd thinking of making a "glass shoe" mold. I wanted to make a pillow cake with the glass slipper on top. Well just yesterday I saw a picture some one posted with that very design, so did they steal my design, or now when I make my cake did I stalhers because she happened to make hers first?????

I guess a lot of decorators would want to put their own creative stamp on it...not much fun just copying something exactly.

I see your point GGx1. I often have the same ideas that other people have already had, but that doesn't mean I'm stealing it if I do it. It's especially annoying when I think about business names if I ever get to open a cake business. I come up with a clever name, but as soon as I research it, sure enough 5 other people have already thought of it. It's kinda hard to come up with an original idea anyway. Everyone's designs are pretty much similar in some fashion. It's just that some people are better at executing the design than others, and maybe add their own little personal touch.

From my point of view, I'm an artist who's medium happens to be sugar and cake. If I wanted to copy cakes I'd work at Costco and do the same cake every day of the week and only vary the color of the buttercream roses and the name after "happy birthday". As an artist I charge big bucks to create someone's dream for them to place on the table. It's an edible piece of art. In wedding speak, I'm Vera Wang, not David's Bridal and am proud of being able to come up with something that's unique to only that bride or that birthday guy or girl. To copy someone else's work is to deny the recipient of their own personalized work of art that they know no one else in the world will ever have again.

I happily look at photos of the kind of cakes the bride/client likes and then I will design something that incorporates that idea for them into their own unique cake but I will not copy someone else's work.

ps..not fun copying someone else's work anyway...much better to create my own stuff.

Just my two cents

Cat

There is only so many ways to decorate a cake. All ideas have been used in one way or another at one time or another. To say one person's cake is an original is ridiculous IMO. If you search long enough, you will more than likely find some version of every cake made. It is cake, not a painting!

I think that Kerry Vincent even made a statement to this effect...people who take credit for something "new" out there, if research was done, they would find it has been done before them, it really isn't new.

This kind of reminds me when I heard a particular comedian stating that other comedians were stealing his jokes! After awhile most jokes sound pretty much the same perhaps with just a slightly different twist-still funny and original to an extent but nonetheless it was told before!

I was just thinking about this very topic yesterday! If someone found a cake design they just loved, am I going to tell them I'll do something "like" it but change it because of my own personal reasons? My decision was no, I would not. I would honor the request to make the cake they loved so much. I love opportunities to create new things, but that's my own personal creative thing. In the end, I make cakes for others so if I'm not making what they want, I'm only making what I want!