knock offs and cheaters!!!

knock off company

and our, hard earned over many years, Allen Designs Originals.

this company above was spotted by one of our European distributors at the Frankfurt show in Germany. they are blatantly copying us. makes me sick to my stomach. why people think they can just steal what isn't theirs. boggles my mind!

i knew this time was eventually going to come. we've had plenty of people over the years that have been "inspired" by our designs. one of them being an employee from a few years ago that had worked for me for over two years. she ended up quitting and telling us that her husband needed to learn how to support their family. little did i know, as we were throwing her a going away party and my children were crying at her leaving, that they were plotting to HIRE an artist and take everything she learned from me and my material sources and begin their own company making CLOCKS! i found out through one of my wonderful customers that her husband was down in CA trying to sell them clocks that looked a lot like mine.

i could hardly get off the couch for several days. devastated. hurt. angry. betrayed. kicking myself for not following my gut instinct and having her sign that non-compete!

i called to confront her. i wanted her to know that i knew what she was doing. that i hoped she thought about me and the fact that she was taking food out of my kid's mouths every time she made a clock. she instantly informed me that she was "doing nothing wrong" and that they had talked to a lawyer. Well, that right there says it all. Why talk to a lawyer if you don't have a guilty conscious? Maybe she wasn't doing anything "legally" wrong, just morally corrupt. 

but... funny thing is. this is what drove me to begin my adventures in China. i was already traveling over there designing a line for another company. up to this point i was very satisfied with having all our products made in the USA, and honestly quite proud of it. having my own and my employees livelihoods threatened pushed me past the fears and out of my comfort zone. and into a whole new world of opportunities. new price points, new materials and new friends in China.

i truly feel that God knew what it was going to take to get me over that hurdle. it was for my own good.

all that said. here we are at another crossroads. i wonder what's in store for us this time.

sorry. i just had to vent.
(and yes, we do have our attorney on it)

Comments

[Andrea Liddle]

sorry friend!! I remember the interest years ago! you are just that good Michelle!!! hope your attorneys get them! Hugs, A

[giggles]

Holy doodle, that is so nervy, they didn't even change them up much!! Yours are so much nicer. I'm often amazed at some of the junk that gets marketed, when there are so many great artists that have no idea how talented they are!

Hope you find some resolve with the other manufacturer. As for your employee, I certainly wouldn't want her kind of karma hanging over my head.

Thanks for sharing!
Giggles

[Lay Hoon]

So sorry to hear this.
However, you have your talent which will lead your business more long way.

[Shelly Massey]

I am SO sorry this is happening to you. I could go on and on about what a rotten person she is, but instead...

How can I/we help??!!

[Pam Stimpson]

Ugghhh! This is awful. But ... you have your talent and creative heart. Nothing worse than a friends betrayal. She obviously doesn't have talent or creativity, because she had to steal from yours. All her stuff should be marked with an L for loser. :)

[Tina Gilmore]

I'm really sorry this is happening to you too, it must be soul destroying when someone steals all your lovely ideas, 'giggles' is right, yours are much nicer. Do you have a UK distributor, i've not seen them anywhere here?

[Elizabeth Armstrong]

I am so sorry to hear this. I completely understand and sympathise. Having worked for myself for about 15 years now I understand how it can feel like a real invasion.
Never forget there is nothing like the original.

[Lelainia Lloyd]

I JUST posted about this sort of thing a couple days ago. I discovered someone helped themselves to my company/blog name. The name I have been PUBLISHED under! It's not near as big as what these people are doing to you, but it stings, just the same.

There's nothing cool about what they are doing and yet they don't seem to get that. All I can console myself with is that eventually, karma is going to jump up and bite them in the a**. I hope the guilt of being caught with their hand in the cookie jar eats them alive. SHAME ON THEM!!

I also love the sign that says "no taking photos" of their work. HA!

[Valentina]

Michelle, this make me so sick! I’m so sorry. I can’t believe people do things like that  I get sometimes emails from people saying they are “inspired” by my work, and they are just COPYING every single detail!
I really hope you can find the way to resolve this. You and your work are amazing… you know that!

BTW… I *LOVE*LOVE* your posts about the ArtFest! 

[annette]

wrong. so wrong. i truly hope, cheaters never win! got a lump in my throat for you! BAH!

[Brenis]

Oh Michelle :( That just makes me sick. There are sooo many people that don't have their own brain cells and constantly use other's. :( Legal shmegal - it's morally wrong, and I truly don't know how people like that sleep at night, or deal with their concience!?
Forgiveness... the only way YOU will be able to sleep and not grow bitter. Easier said than done tho. :( Keeping you lifted in prayer my friend.

[lindsay christ]

so horrible that people do this but i must say i think it is a bit funny they had the nerve to put a sign of no cameras or phone pics . they themselves copied and are now not wanting anyone to copy? or send you the pic! HA! they will get theirs.

[Jennifer]

I constantly wonder how people can sleep at night knowing that they are cheating -- especially when you are stealing from someones livelihood! You just have to believe that karma will come back to get them. In the mean time I hope your attorney is able to put a stop to this.

[Molly]

I would want to know who is manufacturing them. Some of these are pretty new. Is there a leak at your factory? They don't look as good quality but the designs are the same. Wow!

[Rebecca G.]

I am a very new follower of your blog, but I just adore your work. It makes me sick to see this kind of blatant stealing. I've seen it happen to others and I can't believe that people can live with themselves in doing such a thing. It is one thing to be "inspired" by a style and create something for your own pleasure, to keep for yourself, giving complete credit to the original creator. I have done this when learning new techniques, being very sure to give complete credit to the ARTIST, not to myself - and NEVER using someone else's style to profit for myself. It is a totally different thing to steal someone's creative genius for the soul purpose of monetary profit. I am so sorry that this has happened to you and I pray that you can get them to cease immediately!

[Baby Lux Design (Tyler)]

lame, lame, lame...and to see the picture of the knock offs even worse...how does that lady sleep at night? geez.

you're an amazing person...who believes in doing right, and for that my friend something good will always be at your crossroads...sometimes you just have to find it.

rest assured-this copycat will languish in bad karma at some point in the near future!

[Janne Robberstad]

There´s only one thing to say: this really sucks!
Oh, and sometimes, it´s a really good thing they invented lawyers!
I am proud of you handling this in such a mature way.
I´m on your side, my friend!

[eryn]

that really sucks. I'm sorry!

[Flassie]

So sorry Michelle to hear this.

That's why I stop putting up
good photos unless I wanted a
weed identified.

I had someone take a photo without
asking. One that I would eventually
sale. They lived in another country.

People have got their art stolen.
There is a lot of copycats out there
who sale art that looks simular to
others. Not as good but still they
are trying to sale it.

Hope everything goes smoothly for you.

God Bless You and Yours!!!

[kim]

Holy cow...you just said that you felt this coming. Where are they? I'll kick some butt!!!

[Karen Kearney]

Oh My, this is incredible.. couldn't she even change up the designs for cryin' out loud?? There is something fundamentally wrong with this person.. to take someones livelihood and blatantly steal..
you don't deserve this Michelle. Stand tall this will work out for you!

[Liz]

UGH!! That makes me sick!

[Tonya Gray]

That is insanely rude.
The amount of detail they went though is incredible; colors/feet positions.
Just imagine what it would be like to see them at a wholesale show you attend! Yowza!
And, double drat.
May your business continue to grow and prosper and be the all the more beautiful because these are your ideas being created.

[Jennie]

I can not believe the nerve !!!! How horrible. I'm so sorry...

[lulu]

UNBELIEVABLE!!! I am so sorry this happened to you, Michelle. Unfortunately this is what knock-offs are all about, but it is sickening that this person would so blatantly steal your ideas and try to steal your style. Your creative brilliance and originality truly shines in your pieces, though. Hopefully your lawyer'll get 'em!