Just so you know, I have no collaboration with the company Billabong for any of these designs. Happened to come across these shirts in some apparel magazine, and totally random. So, WHO do you think they were inspired by?
Filed under: Art Candy, fashion, off topic, original art | Tagged: billabong, copycat, copyright infringement, intellectual property, jeweled trees, natasha wescoat, rip off, tree art
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Are you able to do something legally? I sure hope so because as soon as I saw those photos above, I could see your work and I’ve only been visiting your blog for the last month or so.
I’d be checking out copyright lawyers if I were you…..
Sorry the hear. Oh, and it’s not “If” but “When.” Argh.
I wouldn’t worry too much about this….your paintings have a different look than this. The designs on the shirts have more the look of Klimt’s Tree of Life with the way the swirls are.
Ehh…these aren’t EVEN as good as your designs. They do nothing for me. No flair. No color. Nada. Nothin’. Their trees are just swirlier, but it’s your ‘floating leaves’ that make it YOU. I guess they thought just anyone could make a swirly tree. Billabong needs to know, though. They are a cool company. Tell them you could do WAY better!
Gustav Klimt.
This may be an unpopular view, but, I don’t think they ripped you off. I’ve seen curly cew trees many places before I ever heard of you or saw your art. In fact, I used to doodle a similar design for all my trees in my art when I was a child. That was well before you were even born, are you going to accuse me of ripping you off, too?
Their’s is a simple design on a shirt. Your trees are very complicated. No comparison. I do agree that your work is much better as art, though.
i have to say i agree with sarah and bev. but surely you know curly swirly art has been around since way before you were born?
You’re kidding right? Since when do you think you invented swirls in painting? Whether it be trees, people or what… I’ve seen your type of paintings on the covers of trendy art magazines since before you started painting this style. Who’s copying who? Seriously, it’s getting to your head.
Pride before the fall…
Yep, swirly designs has been around for the longest time. My friend and I have been doodling swirls like yours eversince school. We even vandalised our art table by injecting swirl doodles all over. It’s the most common design in my asian country. Almost everyone would have seen or doodled it before if they took art as a subject. And that t-shirt design - I’ve seen something similar printed on those cheap tank tops. They sold for less than $20 like 5 years ago. I still think your art is beautiful but tree swirls are definitely not something new.