The Origami Forum

What is the consensus here on selling models someone else designed? Is it legal? Is it ethical? What about displaying them at an art gallery? Someone else designed the model but you folded it. Of course we all add our own interpretation to a design, but essentially someone else created it. I saw someone selling models designed by a prominent origami artist, and I was confused as to what the law and ethics on this are. Your opinions, please.

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The topic's been up before so lets continue the conversation there.

Thanks to you both. I did not know if it was bad form to dig up a topic that was over a year old. I just wanted some current opinions.

i believe (personal opinion) the reason you can't sell origami designed by someone else but folded by you is because you made a replica of it (like making a copy of a video), but like you can watch that copy video legally, you should be able to display that origami

notefolds wrote:Thanks to you both. I did not know if it was bad form to dig up a topic that was over a year old. I just wanted some current opinions.

It's cool, just helps out with consolidating things for search results.

I have no problem with displaying other people's works but in the case that credit is given to the designer, like with a display card and whatnot. But selling is only fine if you have the designer's permission (or if someone refuses to not pay you for what you wanted to be a simple gift).

Yes I agree with you on the displaying of pieces, first giving credit to the designer, then yourself as folder.

What can be done about those who do sell others creations? I just feel like its wrong because the seller is misusing the creator's hard work. Everyone who has created models know how hard it is to do so. Then for someone else to come along and take that hard work for granted so they can profit from it . . . well I think it would discourage people from wanting to share diagrams and crease patterns.

notefolds wrote:What can be done about those who do sell others creations?

Brute force. Violence isn't the answer but it's always a good start.



Really, there's nothing that can be done on a large scale, each individual case would have to be dealt with at a time, which isn't very convenient. I haven't ran into anyone who sells other people's work but I guess if I thought the case were serious enough I'd contact both artists so they could work it out.

In this day and age, with the prevalence of the Internet and the large number of origami designers online, it's so easy to just ask first.

Well, if I would drive on the underground just finishing a model and someone would ask me to sell it to him to an amount of money that seems right to me, I would do so no matter who the author is. I would most likely tell him who the author is, but I don't see why I shouldn't give it to him if he is willing to pay. Unfortunately this case doesn't ever happen...

Haha, yea, it's one thing to deliberately sell them but for some reason it doesn't feel wrong if someone insists on buying it. But I guess you could always donate any money or put it to some other higher use. That couldn't make the orignial author angry, hah. IF this case EVER occurs...

Well, as I keep saying, and as no one seems to understand, it's a matter of respect. And, since it looks like my efforts here are falling on deaf ears, and respect is clearly not here, it's time for me to say see you all later. Ciao.

I didn't really get the impression people here aren't giving respect, we just weren't really discussing it (I'm pretty sure we went there in the other threads)...

So the big rule is, if we are asked by someone to sell another designer's model to them, we shouldn't refuse to make it but refuse any monetary return, except in the case we've recieved the designer's consent.

However, what if you're in a situation where you aren't by a computer and someone you're probably not going to see again really wants to pay you for someone else's design (i've been here before). I really didn't want the guy's money and told him that, but he insisted on giving me money ($2), but I don't feel like I disrespected the designer. I had no intention of selling it, just giving it away. I had to either take his money or have to take it back from him, to his disappointment. This situation is what I had in mind earlier, sorry for the confusion.

Well, I already did ask and get permission for a project that in the end didn't take place for different reasons. And I am well aware how much work the creation of a model and drawing diagrams for it is. But I think it is a difference to sell a single model somewhere to someone who saw you folding it and asked for or if you get an order, maybe from a business company. If it isn't your model you should always try to give credit also if the person probably will forget the moment you tell her.

I'm guilty of selling other's models, however many of them I do put lots of my own variation into. Not to mention that many of the creators don't speak English and/or I can't find their email address. I know to be honest, I wouldn't care if someone was folding and selling my models. I'd just be glad someone liked my model enough that they thought it was sell-able