I'm extremely flattered whenever anyone asks for instructions on duplicating one of my cakes!! I'm just a hobby decorator and I've found Cake Central to be an enormous source of inspiration. There is sooooo much talent here! I use parts of designs and even have totally copied designs. In particular, I duplicated one of Tonedna's gorgeous cakes as my entry in a local cake show where I live. I pm'd her in advance and asked her permission and she was so gracious to give her blessing. When I was fortunate enough to win Best of Show for my division with her design, she was just as excited as I was!!! So, YES, I think it is a great compliment to copy a cake's design!!!

I just copied someone elseâs design here on CC for a pirate cake last week â I fell in love with the clean and expressive, yet very easy to achieve look. Didnât ask, but posted a comment on her cake that I inteneded to use her design, and then gave credit for the original under my pic. Hope the decorator wouldnât mind!

I am not yet at the point to have my designs copied, but Iâm hoping that when I get there I 'd be ok with it, unless people blatantly claim them as their own.

When I post my pics, I just hope that someone would find ideas from the cakes I have done. I look at the galleries all the time and am inspired by different parts of different cakes all the time.

I really do feel if you don't want other to use your ideas then you shouldn't post the pics.

Of course, it's nice if they ask or if they give credit, but if not it's no big deal to me. Life is too short to worry about stuff like that.

I think it's a wondeful compliment!!! If I don't want my cakes copied than I shouldn't share the pictures Gee, wish someone would copy my few cakes.LOL

Love CC!!!!
Connie

Its very flattering to have someone wanting to copy a cake of mine and or ask how I did something...that's why I post my pictures mostly, and I have always felt free to copy someone else's...sometimes I ask, that's mostly because I'm also asking how they created something, most the time I fumble threw the gallery's of a topic I'm wanting to create and use a collective idea from several cakes to create one of my own....I feel if anyone didnt want their cakes copied then CC isn't the place to make thier cakes public note....so if ya see something you like in my gallery copy away and if ya need and tips ask me, cause I'll be more than happy to share em with ya

I agree with the rest. I think it is a huge compliment. You know how it is when you are making the actual cake and you have been with it for however many hours you kind of feel that it doesn't look as good as you thought it was going to, then someone asks for the directions b/c it is so wonderful. I have a smile on my face for the rest of the week. I am more than happy to help out. Especially if they do make it and someone asks where did you get that idea and they say I did. Just another nod my way.

To me is a huge compliment!...It gets even better when they involve you in the process and ask you questions. I know people come with their own ideas from a design yet is nice to know that you have become part of their inspiration..
I have people all the time asking me questions about how I do this or that...I love to answer all of them. Its makes me feel good to share the little I know..And the best part..there is still so much to learn out there!
Edna

It is a total compliment. If you don't want anyone to make a copy of your cake do not put it on the web. Someone is bound to make the cake you created if it is pretty. It is flattering.

Even if you don't post the pictures for other decorators to see, clients will still take picture and they will eventually get around. IMO, there is just no way to stop people from copying your cakes. That said, I don't really think any cake idea is truly unique and VERY few people can claim to have come up with a specific cake design.

June

Flattered, honored, filled with contentment should anyone find something inspiring or helpful from any picture of mine. I never expected anyone to ask permission to duplicate something I've done. I never thought to ask permission either until someone voiced their thoughts on the matter.

I try to remember the picture(s) that inspired something I've "borrowed" and give them props for it.

Too, there are times when I have an idea. I research to see if it's been done so I can better comprehend its' final outcome or possible disasters to avoid...

[quote="indydebi"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhansen13

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandisBaked

I've had several people ask how I did something so that they could replicate it... Of course! Glad to help! The only thing I asked was to see the finished design. To date, no one has ever followed through and sent me a pic or a link.

Makes me so sad.

Ok, so I just peeked at your pics, and just an FYI...if I was to ever attempt to copy one of your cakes....you be the FIRST to see it! Fortunetly ( Unfortunetly ) I know my limits....so that won't be anytime soon!

I've also seen Brandi's work and I'd NEVER show her a cake I made that I copied from her ... I'd be too embarrassed!

"See how I can make your beautiful cake look like total crap!?"
/quote]


You crack me up!!! I have managed to do this may times!!!

I am not yet at the "being copied" stage of my cake decorating...but BOY d oI love looking at everyone else's ideas and relishing the thought of someday getting to try them out! I would, of course, be flattered by any imitations.
PS - Edna, I just went through your album and I am floored by the beauty and ingenuity of design!
Thank you all for sharing your prolific talents!

It is very flattering when someone copies or duplicates something you have done. I am always happy to share & answer anyones questions. It is a major compliment. I love CC & think that the very fact that we share so much makes it a great place to be.

Perfect example of a butchered job...

My fairy(closer to nymph-troll) using superstar's gorgeous fairy as my inspiration...did I dare give her credit in my description???? lol...even I don't know the answer to that one...lemme check. for real.

oops...sorry, superstar...I didn't mention it in my description...but I did tell you, right?

LOL, yes you did all4cake & I think you did a good job. I enjoyed our communication. Indydebi, your work is fabulous, you couldn't make anything that looked like crap.

This website is really great for inspiration. My pink & green thumbnail is basically a copy of a cake I found on here - - - sure there are changes from the original & I gave person credit in my description when i posted the pic. I use this one because it was my first stacked cake that I was proud of & I made it for my niece - which makes it even more special to me

"imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
Like i've read others say on her, what a flattering thing it would be if someone wanted to copy one of my original cakes - - --
I just don't have a lot of those yet.

oh common!..nobody's work in here is a piece of crap...is a work of art in progress...
Edna

The reason most of us are addicted to CC is because it is such a great source of information and inspiration. The whole idea of this site is to allow decorators to share ideas, techniques and experiences.

I was just asked. I was so excited that I could hardly type my answer! lol. The only thing thing I think all of would ask and hope for is for someone to put it on their website claiming it is theirs. Does that make sense? And if you would win a million dollars or something!!! LOL!!!

Copy away!!!!

Lu

So, what IF the cake you have seen and then copied is not the "Original" but is a cake that has been copied by someone who didn't get "permission"?? AND then, You Thank the person who created the COPY cake (because you didnât know it was a COPY) and the ORIGINAL creator sees this and then bites the head off of the copier or YOU for that matter? OR...GET THIS, what if you REALLY think that the cake you are creating is YOUR ORIGINAL DESIGN?? I mean, I get inspiration from everything around me! From an invitation, a famed designer, a print on a card, a pillow at Target or Macy's....am I supposed to ASK all those people for "Permission too??" In other words, Donât post here if you don't want to chance someone copying your work. We all have are LEVELS of creativeness from very creative to the Not-So-Much creative at all! I will never post pictures here because I would be PISSED off if someone got mad at me because they THINK I copied their oh-so precious work and didn't "Thank them" or ask permission? That's just my opinion on it all. When I first stumbled onto this site I thought to myself, WOW...these folk are so nice and helpful! Until I started seeing posts like this and ones with folk getting upset about someone not acknowledging them. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There is nothing new under the sun people...Trust me, it is possible that someone somewhere has created YOUR cake (or something very close to it) in their kitchen and has never laid an eye on your CREATION. I would bet my life on it!

Milissasmom,

I guess I missed something---I have read all four pages and I didn't see where anyone was getting crappy about this subject. I believe everyone was stating how flattered they would be? And having a good time giving opinions on how fun it would be.

From what I can tell, the only one getting crappy is you!

Did I miss something? I didn't read anyone biting anyone's head off!

Lu

oh.kay.

personally, am still learning this whole decorating thing. it's really fun and i love looking at the pictures in the gallery. if i am at a level where i can copy a cake i will definitely let the original creator know. i hope i'd make them proud.

I agree somewhat with melissasmom. A lot of times the cakes I have created and not posted have been replicated by someone else and it came out of my head. It doesn't bother me because decorating is a form of art. Artists get their inspiration from everywhere. I love cc and from time to time I will post my older pictures from when I started decorating and someone will post it's alright or be specific about how it looks and how it could have looked better and sometimes I don't even get comments. I try not to let it bother me. I am very passionate about what I do and I don't get why it's such a big deal. Imho, criticism is everywhere and thats how we learn but some comments are taken out of context. (Please noone take this personal) I too have read posts in the past about someone being upset that a replica has been posted and they feel offended. I have seen websites that post other peoples pictures and that I can understand. Because it is your picture. If someone copied my cakes I just say great job and thank you for the compliment. If I don't want it copied I would not post it on a public website. Shoot I wouldn't save it on my computer either. We are all adults and we look at our cakes as our babies but not everyone is going to understand that. Yeah it would be nice to ask for permission but with some of our schedules that is the last thing on our minds. Aren't we all copying anyway. Someone learned how to make buttercream flowers long before we did. We started doing shaped cakes long before duff was on tv and I bet now everyone thinks we copied his idea. (i love duff) I'm sure he wasn't the first culinary student that used shop tools. People are expanding their minds and being creative everywhere. Sharing ideas is a wonderful thing. ( I haven't shared my pics because I am going to put up a website and even then someone will copy them) If anyone asks for advice I always answer because I was once there and there is nothing worse than not having a clue how to start. We have all been there. So that's my answer. Sorry so long. Keep on caking!!!

Well, on a forum with this many wonderful ladies, someone is bound to have PMS at any given time...

It seems to me that everyone is being very nice in this thread (you want a nasty one, go look at the Loophole post in the cake decorating business section)

As far as copying goes, I don't do it. I will learn how to do something that other people have done...the fondant bow, making pearls, something like that...and I will use it, but I don't look at someone's cake and try to recreate it exactly. Mostly it's because I have so many more ideas than I have reasons to bake a cake, so I want to try my own ideas.

But...if anyone ever wanted to copy something of mine, I'd be delighted. There's an art website that I post my cakes on too, and I've had people there ask me for detailed instructions on how to do something I've done. It's always fun to imagine someone using one of my ideas.