Profile for lunchboxbrain - Holy Threadless rip-off, Batman! 2nd Update: The Sound of Color Ripp Off

lunchboxbrain aka Andrew Gregory is a 30.23 year old boy, has been a member since June 27, 2006, has scored 23499 submissions, giving an average score of 2.65.

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May 26 '09 by lunchboxbrain

34 Comments

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Holy Threadless rip-off, Batman! 2nd Update: The Sound of Color Ripp Off

6/12 Update: Came across this rip of The Boy Fitz Hammond's The Sound of Color (via rumplo):

Fitz's original:

UPDATE: Okay, this is definitely a rip-off of my Boomerang type tee. Drop the hammer on this impostor tee, Threadless!

I was downright shocked when I saw this tee in Rumplo's weekly newsletter:

Threadless' original kicks ^this one in the gonads real hard.

Chipmnk on May 26 '09 at 11:38am

Hmm...

shimala on May 26 '09 at 11:39am

bogus

corey9 on May 26 '09 at 11:40am

oooh. i dunno. that one you found up there has a nice simplicity to it. similar thought, completely different execution.

garciagirl on May 26 '09 at 11:41am

Hmmmm....

staffell on May 26 '09 at 11:41am

I dunno man, I think the idea is different. Albeit very similar, but I doubt it's a rip off

ginetteginette on May 26 '09 at 11:44am

probably heavily influenced by ross' tee but i don't know if it can qualify as a rip really. i mean, i'd be disappointed if i had made the original and then had seen that new one but, what can you do, right?

Spam69 on May 26 '09 at 11:56am

It's probably harder to find A Threadless design that hasn't been ripped off recently. Dales squeeze design was copied recently. I suppose if it's a direct rip off Threadless can easily sue. If they just copy the idea and transform it slightly perhaps it isn't so clear cut.

lunchboxbrain on May 26 '09 at 12:05pm

Even if the execution is off a bit, Threadless' intellectual property has still been compromised in my opinion.

TheInfamousBaka on May 26 '09 at 12:07pm

I'm pretty sure the Threadless version was used for "inspiration" at least. The simplicity of the bike and design itself is pretty similar.

agrimony on May 26 '09 at 12:11pm

the Tless design is wayyy better imo.

kissmeimshitfaced on May 26 '09 at 12:12pm

I found one in a Swedish porno magazine a few months ago, I must put it up.

ginetteginette on May 26 '09 at 12:27pm

i don't think copyrights work that way.

lunchboxbrain on May 28 '09 at 11:18am

UPDATE: Okay, this is definitely a rip-off of my Boomerang type tee. Drop the hammer on this impostor tee, Threadless!

3 days later

Switz213 on May 31 '09 at 4:35pm

Wow. This is like my fave printed Slogan tee for awhile. Stop the rippers!

staffell on May 31 '09 at 4:37pm

did you see this?

SuperRyan on May 31 '09 at 4:38pm

Zazzle has a lot of stolen typetees too

staffell on May 31 '09 at 4:58pm

ahhh, zazzle is the scourge of humanity - i bet they sit there surfing the threadless blogs for ideas

Chengui on May 31 '09 at 5:00pm

I'm distracted by Ross' "Ross" helmet

SuperRyan on May 31 '09 at 5:05pm

Ross is boss

FRICKINAWESOME on May 31 '09 at 6:02pm

I dunno, i kinda dig the infinity symbol actually being the wheels, it coulda been done a bit nicer and more artistically, but i kinda like that one better and don't pick apart my soul for saying so!

As for the boomerang one, no words how awful that version is.

I saw the BRB one before Andrew's though i think...

taong tite on May 31 '09 at 8:31pm

BUSTED TEES came up with this shirt years ago.

also this one. it's all about the money, player. if it's a seller then it'll print. that simple. no more whining whatsoever!

and so now tell me who's making a come back... I'll answer that for y'all.

It's TAONG TITE... Bwahargh!

[+duracell-] on May 31 '09 at 8:38pm

^^copyrights, inspirations, and impersonations aside.. I thought scanning currency was illegal.

secular taco on May 31 '09 at 8:39pm

i think your looking for a connection when there may just be coincidence.

lunchboxbrain on Jun 01 '09 at 8:13am

I'm not sure when the BRB design was created but rest assured, it had no influence whatsoever on mine. That Cafepress shirt, however, is a direct rip of my type tee. No question about it.

staffell on Jun 01 '09 at 8:16am

i know the Boomerang BRB tee is old, I just posted it up :)

kaloyster on Jun 01 '09 at 8:40am

RATM - Year of tha Boomerang.mp3

6 days later

lunchboxbrain on Jun 07 '09 at 6:54pm

Just received a follow up email from CafePress that stated the following (in short - won't bother you with the entire email):

In this case, the user’s design you objected to does not copy your expression of the short phrase “Boomerangs: They’re making a come back”. Instead, the user merely includes the same short phrase which is not subject to copyright protection. For more information on the unavailability of copyright protection for short phrases, please see the U.S. Copyright Office’s circular on the subject available at http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ34.html.

Tikimasters on Jun 07 '09 at 9:05pm

^ That's bullshit.

SuperRyan on Jun 07 '09 at 9:11pm

I thought slogans were copyrighted to Threadless (?)

ginetteginette on Jun 08 '09 at 1:13am

i think the issue here is that slogan 'designs' can be copyrighted, but 'phrases' can't be.

ginetteginette on Jun 08 '09 at 1:18am

Q: can you copyright a phrase?

A:

The short answer to this question is no, you cannot copyright a phrase for the purpose of legal protection. Copyright laws primarily cover "original works of authorship" that are finalized in fixed form of expression. This can include fixed forms of unique ideas, compositions, plays, novels, song lyrics and so on, but they do not cover individual words, common ideas or short phrases. While the desire to copyright a phrase closely associated with a business or an artistic concept may be understandable, US federal copyright laws would not offer much in the way of enforceable protection.

... but it would be possible to trademark it, though that's a whole other thing.

Ross Brodie on Jun 09 '09 at 6:15am

i like your slogans they are very amusing

lunchboxbrain on Jun 09 '09 at 9:14pm

Thanks Ross!

2 days later

lunchboxbrain on Jun 12 '09 at 6:04am

6/12 Update: Came across this rip of The Boy Fitz Hammond's The Sound of Color (via rumplo):

Fitz's original:

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