Ok maybe not "you" specifically, but my question is this - I've used the idea of many cakes on here and made them. Some exact and some customized by me. Is it inappropriate to use the idea of someones cake to make yourself? For instance, many of us have tried turkey cakes - it's not a new idea so there's nobody to really thank or give credit to - but what about other cakes like the baby basket with blanket and such?? I don't remember who did it first but it's adorable!! Should we ask to use someone's idea or is it free will considering we're all posting our pictures for the others here to see?

Hmmmm... I certainly hope I never offended anyone by using their cake idea!! I know when I was in Toba Garrett's class, she said that for example when people come to her with a Colette Peters cake, she never copies anyone else's design, but will make something that has the "spirit" of another decorator's cake. Granted many of us are not published authors or huge decorators like them, but we're cake people none the less!

P.S. I'm sure there will be diagreements with this topic, let's keep it nice!!

I feel it's fine to use someone's idea, but you should thank them or give them credit for the inspiration

I think its just fine to copy someones cake, and although its nice to give credit where credit is due, but frankly i don't think its always possible. My feelings on the subject is if you don't want your cakes copied then don't put them out on the net.

Now stealing pictures and putting them on your site would be a whole other ball game.

I'm not so creative that I can make every single solitary cake that I do a one-of-a-kind original. Somebody, somewhere has already thought it, made it, done it. I mean, how many "original" ways can you wrap a ribbon around a cake?

(I've seen websites where the decorator states "no two cakes ever alike". How do you tell a bride "I dont' care if that's the cake you want ... *I've* already done something like that so you'll have to pick something else?")

However .... I've been inspired by a number of cakes on here (one comes to mind is my "Beatles ... Help!" cake for my daughter). And yes, I credited the person whose cake I had seen in the gallery.

Yes, we all have been inspired by the wonderful cake ideas here on CC. And if I can't remember of who actually did the inspiration cake, I will at least acknowledge where the idea came from.

I can only hope my cakes would inspire or want to be copied, so of course I have no problem with it, LOL.

I ran across this somewhere on the internet recently, and think it is pretty accurate:

'Originality is the fine art of remembering what you see but forgetting where you saw it.'

Unfortunately I don't remember where I found it. LOL

I say use any cake of mine you want even if you want to duplicate it exactly just don't be postin' my pictures of cakes I've done as your own. It ain't necessary to thank me or give me credit for the inspiration. I believe that if you can duplicate someone else's cake you got skillz and that all by itself is enough to brag about....and you got every right and reason to post a picture of it without thanking me for the idea or design....it'd be similar to me thanking Sony for the design of the tv that I just duplicated in cake...JMO

I'm very thankful for the fact that we have a place to come to that everyone is so willing to share their ideas... their creations... their talent...

I feel TOTALLY blessed to be among everyone here... I'm not very creative at all... but if I see something, most of the time I can replicate it (with my own twist)... and to be honest... I try real hard to remember every person's cake I use as a template... but there are times I simply forget where the idea came from... but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful or acknowledge...

The one thing that does tend to get my feathers ruffled is when I'm updating my website... like yesterday... I was updating and I saw where someone had linked to my website from another website... well, I clicked on that url address and was shocked to see that someone had taken my cake and called it their own... I am still unsure how to handle that situation.... I don't know whether to let it go un-noticed... or do I send that person an email and ask them to remove my cake from her gallery....

I was just really shocked....

I'm so glad that the replies are for the sharing and giving credit! That was the basic impression of the etiquette I got from my first visits to CC. I usually end up saying that my ideas are from CC, since they're usually a blend. I figure that most people do post to share their ceativity and ideas. And like PP, I would be thrilled with anyone copying my designs and I'm already estatic that I was asked for templates of some things I've done

Edited to delete duplicate post.

I agree completely with using others for inspiration... giving credit (if able) for where the inspiration came from.... If I want to copy a cake fairly closely, I've always pm'd the decorator of the cake I saw and asked permission. A few times, they have sort of laughed/chuckled at me and said 'of course you can copy it, that's why I posted it"... but I just feel better asking first, if it's the only cake I'm using for inspiration.

JMO

I have plenty of people come to me asking if they can use one of my designs.. Is an honor to be asked. It feels great when someone actually takes the time to ask. But even if they dont do that, I agree, if you post a cake and you use someone else design as your inspiration...go ahead..thank them, make them feel good. Now if you dont know where you got the idea from..well..it happens
And like someone said..some designs are so widely done..you never know who was the original one. Those are the difficult ones..but I guess everyone already recognize that.
Edna

I made an "Old Woman in the shoe" cake. I was sure it was original. I looked in the gallery on CC and couldn't find one and hadn't seen one anywhere else.

Then guess what? I came across one of Debbie Brown's older books and there it was! " The Old Woman In the Shoe" I wasn't so original after all!!! Makes me wonder - had I seen it a long time ago and forgotten or did we both just have a similar idea?

I get lots of inspiration from this site. I try always to give credit and thanks for the idea! I would be flattered for anyone to like one of my ideas enough to want to make a similar cake!

I get most of my inspiration from CC, and I always thank the CC'er who inspired me. I try to take the time to PM, asking for permission if it is a blunt copy, but occasionally I forget.

I always get asked if my cakes are my own ideas and I am honest, saying that I take what the client asked for, come up with a style (whether round, square, topsy, etc.), and then hunt down pics for more inspiration.

I do it because I want the best and I know that the BEST is only found here at CC!

Yeah most people on here are great about it. I have copied a few cakes by inspiration and copied a few straight, and I have only had 1 problem. Before I joined I had saved a pic onto my computer so I had no idea who did it ect. After I copied the cake (it had stringwork and cornelli, both which were new for me so i did it as a practice cake) I put up the pic proudly. I ended up getting a PM a while later asking if I used xx's cake for inspiration. I said yes, thank you and thought nothing more about it. About a month later there was a really SNARKY comment posted on my pic about how my cake was like xx's but HERS had this and HERS had that ect. I ended up finding out it was her sis and she was pissed that I didn't credit her. She removed the comment but since then I won't post a cake pic that is a copy of anothers cake without emailing that person first. Like it was said in another post today...short fuses. LOL.

I like to come up with "original" ideas, but that isn't always possible. So many of my cake ideas have been inspired by the great cakes on here. I, personally, don't like to copy someone's cake exactly, I like to tweak it a little to make it more of my own. But, hey, that's just me. If I do something inspired by someone else, I always like to give kudos to that person if possible. I did a flower pot cake and gave credit for the idea to the person who did a remake of the original, and it was really a nice pat on the back when she emailed me and complimented my version.

I get a lot of inspiration from CC. when I was new I would not remember all the time where I got the picture I would print the picture and then I could not find the source again.

Now I do a screen print and make sure the name of the cc's is on the picture so now I can say thank you properly. Did that on my indy hat, wip and snake cake from calebsmom45. Thanks again for the inspiration and the comments.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. There have been so many treads on this - people seing a picture in a magazine and making it happen.
I did this for a friend recently not my best work, but the kids loved it. Kung Fu Panda. inspired by one of the Movie Posters. Pu making a kick on top of a mountain. I think it worked out ok. My second head was the best. I am just starting out at fondant figures.

Good Luck.

My personal opinion is that it's just common courtesy to ask the person whose cake inspired you if you may use their design whenever possible and, of course, giving them credit when posting a photo of your version.

I tend to even do this with recipes. I've been forunate enough to have never had someone say no to me and I hope that I've 'done 'em proud' by my work and acknowledgement to them. I just don't want to assume that everyone has an "open door policy" of having all their posted photos there for anyone who sees them to copy them.

I have pm'd for permission of exact copies and have never been turned down. I make sure I give credit when I add them to my gallery. I have also had the honor of being asked if they could copy one of my cakes or been asked for directions for one of my cakes. I also will give a blanket thank you if I use lots of ideas from pics using my theme or character. This is such a giving and sharing site I would be lost without it for inspiration.