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It is also worthwhile to remember that we, as card makers, do not hold the copyright on the images we use...whether a digi stamp, a rubber or clear stamp, or designer paper.
The most we could even attempt to claim a copyright on is our layout. And then it would be very difficult to prove that our layout is original...that no one has ever used that layout ever before.
ETA...Great points, Dina!
Good thoughts , Diane. And in Canada, I wonder how the copyright rules work? Tis all a mystery to me!;)
I can't remember where I've seen anything, so if I accidently CASE someone, it is an accident! :p
I have noticed that lots of cards and creations look very similar, unless it was an exact copy, I wouldn't be sure. Perhaps just a polite private message would be appropriate, to ask them to give you credit. Sometimes, people do things not realizing it's a no no. Iv'e had people bring my attention to things if I've made a mistake, and I don't take it personally.
Last edited by hoptownracer1; 01-03-2012 at 10:20 PM..
Knowingly copying or making an "inspired" card from something you've seen is not wrong if credit is given. If you don't remember where you found the idea, stating that you've seen it somewhere and you'd love to know where at least is an attempt to find the original AND admit that it isn't your own original idea.
I have done both (given credit where it was due and said I couldn't remember). I tend to forget to "favorite." I try to remember and I do go through those favorites when I think I've seen what I'm doing somewhere, but I do not always remember.
I also have found other cards out there that looked a LOT like mine in my quest to do all the card sketches. Obviously I didn't copy them but when using sketches, it's only reasonable to assume that sometimes people will have similar inspirations!
I have even seen a friend blasted for having the audacity to have the same idea for using bling on a stamp in the same way that someone else had done. When looking at the stamp, it seemed to SCREAM "bling it here" but no, she was a horrible idea thief for daring to see the same idea in that stamp. People can think too highly of themselves at times.
I do have a new list started on my computer now-- people not to favorite or peruse their gallery. This way, if I happen to make something they consider very similar, it's 100% purely coincidence.
No. I'm right about a work being copyrighted when it's created.
Here is a link to FAQ on the U.S. Copyright Office: U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright in General (FAQ)
It says, "Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device."
Registration of the copyright is optional, but will be necessary if you wish to file a lawsuit in a U.S. court. This also is stated in the same FAQ link above.
I do agree that proving the work is yours will be very difficult. Winning any type of monetary compensation will be even harder. I believe a few years back I read that the owner must claim a loss of income before any compensation is awarded.
You are 100% correct on this...I have done extensive reading on this subject. However... does the original poster really want to be that nasty? Is he/she going to lawyer up and sue everyone who CASE's her cards? Does she have tens of thousands of dollars to do so? I mean, is it ruining her reputation as a card maker? Is it taking income away from her? ......gimme a break!
kinda what i was thinking. very different from someone stealing someone's work and making a living off of it. or say - image swapping or digi stamp sharing - both of which i am very against yet is fully supported right here on scs. far more damaging to the creator's source of income than the damage done when someone case's someone else's card.
This was my first question as well; is the original poster making money off her ideas and cards and did the supposed "thief" make money as well and therefore take money away from the original poster by using her ideas??
If not, it seems like this is a mountain being made out of a mole hill IMO. Getting ideas from each other is one big reason most of us are out here. And I agree with all the posters who said it's polite, best etc...to credit the person you are CASEing....I will even provide a link to the original. Only once or twice have I posted a card made from a sample I have in my house that I got so long ago from someone else I don't remember who it was. I will then mention it is still I CASE, but that it's from my stash and I don't know who gave it to me.
Bottom line, I don't try and take credit for an idea that isn't mine. I certainly wouldn't CASE something I had in my favorites gallery and submit it for publication or to a contest. I have never submitted anything anyway; I don't have enough confidence in my work for that.
To anyone who is upset by the original poster's comments and is thinking of quitting SCS or not sharing your stuff in the gallery anymore I say please don't let "one bad apple spoil the whole bunch". Most of us out here love sharing our ideas with each other and I find that most of us are usually polite, and generous with credit and praise.
Ok I am struggling with this one I will be honest.
if the image is purchased then it's not the card makers copyright, if they used designer paper its not the card makers copyright, if they used embossing folders, embleshments, diecuts...its not the card makers copyright.
I will confess I went and looked at the original posters gallery and blog, they make lovely cards...but IN MY OPINION, they are no different to hundreds if not thousands of other lovely cards on this great website and on the internet........I didn't see anything that was like whoa! never seen that before, thats original, and this not meant at a slight or a complaint its my observation........so I am struggling to see what the drama is about?
Is it about manners, if so, yes if one card maker CASES or gets inspired by another card maker they should acknowledge them, but I am sorry you are not going to get to me to ask permission to allow me to use my craft material to make a card that resembles in anyway your work - when it is use of a layout used thousand of times by others, using products I purchased lawfully.
Do I need to ask permission cause I happen to use a popular stamp, matted and layered and placed to one side with a bow? There would be a list of thousands I would be sending 'permission' requests to before I made it!
And who is to say who made the card first? I often load cards up on to my blog months after I made it, due to time contraints.
This topic comes up often and it always goes the same direction. Personally I think we crafters have let our egos swell too much, so much so that we think our creations are unique or a cut above the rest. In reality the cards are all starting to look the same. There are four corners to a card and a limit of what layouts you can do and how you play with your embelishments. Nevermind that we're all buying from the same sources so copying is bound to happen unintentionally.
Personally I case, and I'm embarassed to say that I've forgotten to give credit on a few. Mostly I will either mention the name but I have sometimes forgotten and said that instead. Having said that, I've been cased exactly with no credit. If the person acts like she's the one that came up with the card, I roll my eyes and move on. If it's a new stamper I simply smile, feel flattered and move on. Now if the same stamper was recreating all my cards to a T and selling them or getting published I might raise a stink. But the odd uncredited case isn't going to change things for me, even if I was selling my work.
I really don't want or need anyone to get my permission to case a card, and I wonder if a "no" would stop anyone, lol. :P As someone already mentioned, SCS and other similar sites actually encourage casing, so if a person prefers that their creations not be cased, they should perhaps keep their creations off of public websites but rather create a password protected site. I know of a few people that do that and they don't have to worry about it!
I have a thought that many of you will recognize when you stop and really think about it. We all have a twin in another skin. I have a friend that I have never met but we have sent cards to each other for years. We met through another friend who has since gone and have been long distance friends ever since. More often than not our cards cross the country at the same time without any reason for a card. Just a thinking of you type of thing. We often end up making cards so similar that you would think that we had mailed the cards to ourselves. Same type of stamp, same color combos, same ribbons. We always marvel that we have the same creative instinct at the same time. Neither of us post photos, blog or visit blogs regularly, nor do we visit card galleries especially the extensive one here at SCS (she's not even a member here), we discuss work and kids when we email. The mind is an amazing place with lots of ideas tumbling about so who knows how many folks out there are using an idea that you thought was exclusively yours?
I honestly don't even see the point in this. This is not the first time this issue has cropped up, nor will it be the last and it is just silly. I always wonder what people think they have done that has never been done before?
Amen and ain't that the truth!!
__________________ Suzanne "Wear fabulous underwear even if you are the only person that is going to see it"
This topic comes up often and it always goes the same direction. Personally I think we crafters have let our egos swell too much, so much so that we think our creations are unique or a cut above the rest. In reality the cards are all starting to look the same. There are four corners to a card and a limit of what layouts you can do and how you play with your embelishments. Nevermind that we're all buying from the same sources so copying is bound to happen unintentionally.
Personally I case, and I'm embarassed to say that I've forgotten to give credit on a few. Mostly I will either mention the name but I have sometimes forgotten and said that instead. Having said that, I've been cased exactly with no credit. If the person acts like she's the one that came up with the card, I roll my eyes and move on. If it's a new stamper I simply smile, feel flattered and move on. Now if the same stamper was recreating all my cards to a T and selling them or getting published I might raise a stink. But the odd uncredited case isn't going to change things for me, even if I was selling my work.
I really don't want or need anyone to get my permission to case a card, and I wonder if a "no" would stop anyone, lol. :P As someone already mentioned, SCS and other similar sites actually encourage casing, so if a person prefers that their creations not be cased, they should perhaps keep their creations off of public websites but rather create a password protected site. I know of a few people that do that and they don't have to worry about it!
You are so right about the swelled egos. Some more than others.
__________________ Suzanne "Wear fabulous underwear even if you are the only person that is going to see it"
I do CASE and when I can I give credit. If I use a sketch I try to keep track of where I found it, for example.
I do think that after a while things DO start to look the same... as another poster mentioned, there's only so much space on a card between the 4 corners. You can only cut and layer paper/images so many ways.
Quote:
I do have a new list started on my computer now-- people not to favorite or peruse their gallery. This way, if I happen to make something they consider very similar, it's 100% purely coincidence.
I wasn't going to chim in but I am. If you have a problem with someone CASEing your card then don't post it anywhere on the internet. That way you don't have to worry about someone using your idea with the same stamps and supplies that we all have. I frequently make a card for someone who isn't even on splitcoast or knows it exists. They are thrilled that I took the time to make them a card, they don't look at me and say "Oh I am sure you CASEd this so please take it back."
I call copyright dibs on all CIRCLE cards! No corners for mine! :mrgreen:
(ok, back to debate...just wanted to inject some cheesiness into a hot topic :rolleyes
You could make millions off your copyright, lol! :cool: and then I'm going to take you to court to get my share, and since there are no originals anymore a few hundred thousand stampers might ask for their share as well...
Place a watermark on your card stating you dont want to be cased. Or a comment like "for your eyes only" type of thing.
But with all the wonderful creations found here, magazines, blogs, books, etc I could subliminally tuck something away in my brain and not consciously think of it for quite sometime. Then make a card - but I wouldn't never say any of them are a original never thought of idea.
Heck after 30 years I still realize things my ex husband lied about that didnt come up til something reminds me!
Place a watermark on your card stating you dont want to be cased. Or a comment like "for your eyes only" type of thing.
Bonnie
But I wonder if that watermark really does anything other than prevent someone from taking your exact photo of your project to claim as their own.
Even if your work is has a copyright, I think it would be really hard to prove that your work was indeed copied. We see tons of cards that are very similar but how could you prove who created it, and like a few have already mentioned, they created a card (not a case) only to find out someone else had made almost the identical card (also not a case). Unless you have a truly unique style of cardmaking I don't see anyone having much ground to stand on.
But I wonder if that watermark really does anything other than prevent someone from taking your exact photo of your project to claim as their own.
Even if your work is has a copyright, I think it would be really hard to prove that your work was indeed copied. We see tons of cards that are very similar but how could you prove who created it, and like a few have already mentioned, they created a card (not a case) only to find out someone else had made almost the identical card (also not a case). Unless you have a truly unique style of cardmaking I don't see anyone having much ground to stand on.
I think watermaking prevents someone for using the picture, but it might also make people shy away from CASEing the card since they think they might get in trouble.
I will say that I took a look at the OP cards and I feel like I have seen them a million times before and there is nothing really unique that I would feel like the "copyright card" needed to be pulled out. For all we know the CASE may not even be exact (and when I say exact I mean, everything including the supplies being the same).
If the OP is that concerned about the copyright of her cards then may she needs to spend the money to have the copyright registered and start taking people to court when they CASE them without permission.
That all being said I think the whole thing is silly and really wouldn't be a second thought for me unless this was my source of income and people were taking that away from me.
A few years ago - 2007 - I submitted 6 cards to 'Stamper's Sampler'. All were accepted!! I received 3 free magazines with the cards in them.
I actually prayed that someone would like them so much that they would copy them. I had fun doing them. I stretched my brain. And, I know they were not originals. Because I took abit of this and a little of that. Snagged a colour combo or two. And used a couple of folds from SCS.
Isn't what this is all about? Sharing, enjoying, commenting.....
I do not copy colour for colour, stamp for stamp, ribbon for ribbon. I don't think most of us do.
Have fun. Enjoy. Appreciate all that wonderful talent we see on SCS.
Here, here! This is exactly the type of thing I do...I have even tried to truely copy a layout and STILL didn't turn out exactly the same! lol! I usually end up with a hodge-podge of ideas from several different cards/locations that don't look anything like my original inspiration. :rolleyes:
I CASE sometimes. Recently I made almost an exact copy of a card I saw in Papercrafts. I make NO apologies about it. I don't try to pass it off as my original idea, but I do it.
I'm gonna keep doing it when I want to. I feel like I'm not violating any goodwill.
I hope no one stops doing what they love. I think we should just enjoy the craft.
__________________ My BlogMy GalleryAll dog's feet smell like Fritos. I know you don't believe me, go check... See, I told you so.
I am a hobbyist demo, and I freely acknowledge that I have no natural creativity at all. I do put pictures of the cards I recreate on my facebook page so that I have a log of everything that I make. If anyone tells me how creative I am, I let them know that I am not at all creative and I have to look for ideas online. I'm sorry but I'm not going to worry about putting some sort of credit on my facebook. No one that I am friends are stampers or cardmakers. I don't sell my cards. I send them to people who are sick, have lost a loved one, or as gifts. I do not post my cards on here or SU or pinterest. I don't have workshops.
I looked at the work of the OP and that is nothing I would CASE anyway, as it is just not the type of card I like (not that it's not lovely, it's just not the type of card that appeals to me). I think if you are on a website that talks about CASEing and you put your cards on here for the world to see, what do you expect?
If I had a blog then I would make every attempt to give credit where credit is due, and maybe that is what the op is referring to.
Last edited by UnderstandBlue; 01-06-2012 at 06:27 AM..
Reason: SPR violation.
***? THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A COMMUNITY WHERE WE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND SHARE OUR LOVE OF THIS HOBBY AND SOMEHOW THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WHO HAS TO CREATE DRAMA, GET OVER IT AND BE THRILLED THAT SOMEONE THOUGHT YOUR WORK WAS WORTHY OF RECREATING. THIS SUBJECT IS A DEAD HORSE DON'T WE HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO, LIKE MAKE CARDS OR SCRAPBOOK!!!!
My comments may have violated SCS terms. I've tried to relate my post to the behavior and not the person, but that is very hard to separate...or at least it was for me. I've tried to think about how to address this and express my feeling without seeming insulting to the op. If I did, it wasn't intentions. Nor do I mean to insult anyone when I CASE on a website that openly encourages CASEing.
I never heard of "CASE" until I came here. Seems like expected behavior if you share at SCS. There have been many threads here about whether you create your own design or always CASE or somewhere in between and I was surprised to find the majority in a poll with quite a few responders are practically 100% CASEers.
The only thing I'd have a hard time with is an exact CASE that is submitted for publication or a contest. I think. I haven't thought about it that much.
And I would have to say that for every card I've seen that said it was a CASE, and then I went to look at the original ..... I found that the CASE made dramatic improvements!
I would venture to guess that most people don't think of CASE as actually "copying" every exact detail. But if you do, maybe the "share everything" part could include referencing the inspiring piece. That'd be nice. But kind of like favoriting without a comment, I don't think it should be a requirement.
If it was that important to me that my work not be CASE'd then I wouldn't share it publicly. Although personally, if I saw a card that had a note in the description saying, "I prefer you not CASE this card," I'd respect that. But here on SCS. . . I don't think you'd see that qualifier too often.
(Has anyone else noticed that controversial threads take place around a major holiday?)
(Has anyone else noticed that controversial threads take place around a major holiday?)
I noticed that too! I think many people are tired, stressed, over worked and maybe more sensitive than normal at this time of year. Very recently we had a thread about people feeling slighted because of so few comments in their gallery and another on how many recipients of cards don't appreciate all the work involved in making them
I think if someone is making an exact copy of a card to submit for a challenge or publication that is wrong. If they are copying it to learn or give to their family or friends that is fine with me .
The very first card I made I COPIED exactly to "learn" how to do this. I never posted it nor implied it was my idea. It took me ages to finish that card, but I learned so much. I learned to stamp an image before I die cut it or the image would not be centered. I learned you can scorch the paper while heat embossing if care is not used. I leaned to attach a brad or ribbon band BEFORE I attached the assembly to the base card. I learned to use the tip of a craft knife to pick up pearls to put on a card or they stick to your fingers and land where they are not wanted.
And isn't this what this site is all about? Helping people with ideas and to learn!
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
Watermarking your cards is one way to ensure that your identity travels with the card if it is faved or saved or used otherwise for future inspiration, and will also discourage others from using your original picture for their own personal gain. It doesn't keep people from using your card as inspiration for their own card, but it might remind them where they got it if they refer back to it as they work.
And may I add that it's also very handy to the person who copied AND wants to give due credit? I rarely post a card, but when I do, it's usually an idea I got from someone else. Only, by the time I post, I often can neither remember from whom or where I found the original (be it blog, gallery, whatever). I appreciate the watermarks b/c they help me give credit where it's due.
And may I add that it's also very handy to the person who copied AND wants to give due credit? I rarely post a card, but when I do, it's usually an idea I got from someone else. Only, by the time I post, I often can neither remember from whom or where I found the original (be it blog, gallery, whatever). I appreciate the watermarks b/c they help me give credit where it's due.
I agree that it's helpful to have that info in the watermark. Whenever I save something from a blog to a folder on my computer, I rename the pic with the name of the blog or artist. That way I can find the source again and link back to it. I personally haven't watermarked any of my own photos (I've had a blog for more than four years), so who knows if there are rogue versions out there? =) Ah well, if there are, there are - can't waste time worrying about it...
Regardless of rule or regulations, common courtesy applies. I often CASE someone or am inspired by someone. Only a few times could I not find the name of the person to credit. My observation is that there are some people who profess to be uncreative and almost everything they create is a copy of some sort. That's not a problem, but I see them say they couldn't possibly remember who they copied from, even though it is an exact duplicate of the original. Maybe they can't understand how it feels when your original concept is copied without any sort of credit. For those who say there are no original ideas left, I could point you to a dozen people on SCS who amaze me regularly with fresh ideas. So, let's all keep creating and do our best to give credit where it's due in this fresh & bright new year. We are here to inspire each other.
I can actually see how you could be unable to find it. The other day, I scanned a card I'd Cased. But I didn't upload it into my gallery yet, because I want to upload it later in the month.
I *almost* deleted it from my favorites because I'd done my CASEing. Then I went - OH WAIT! You better leave it til you upload it so you can reference it. If I had deleted it, I'm not sure I could have found it again.
I do think if you post something on the internet, you should expect it to be copied. I think it's wrong if someone steals the actual image to promote a business, and I've heard of that happening. Not good. But to make a card that looks like another one? I thought that's what the galleries were for - to inspire me! And yes there have been threads in the past about cards that were very very close and neither had cased. It really can happen.
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
And may I add that it's also very handy to the person who copied AND wants to give due credit? I rarely post a card, but when I do, it's usually an idea I got from someone else. Only, by the time I post, I often can neither remember from whom or where I found the original (be it blog, gallery, whatever). I appreciate the watermarks b/c they help me give credit where it's due.
This it a great idea! I often case and try to remember to credit. But mostly I peruse. If something inspires I just start working. If I started saving the watermarked images I'd have it all there!
I have this card. This card inspired me. I don't think most would think they are a copy, but most could see a similarity. I changed the theme, the focal, the orientation of the ribbon, the color scheme and didn't even use the same manufacturers' product. Where is the line? If anything I saw her card as a sketch. But I was happy to find it!
I also want to say that I get the blog feed of one of SU's "big" demos. She had a card one her blog that looked 95% like one I did 4 years ago. (The other 5% was much improved.) Never in my mind did it occur to me that she is trolling the really old, and at that point, very inactive galleries looking for ideas. All I thought was that all crafting cycles. Styles become popular and then ebb.
I never liked the Copy And Steal Everything definition of CASE - I think 'steal' does have a very negative vibe! Copy And Share Everything sounds so much better.
I just thought I'd chime in with the definition of CASE that I prefer - Copy And Selectively Edit - 'cos I like to change a little something and add my own touch to a CASEd card. I always give credit when I do CASE, I think that's the courteous thing to do.
I love my card making hobby, the getting inky, the gorgeous products, different techniques, making a card specifically for someone to reflect their likes, interests or personality etc. etc. But one of the best things about the hobby for me is the SHARING. I love that so many people are willing to share. So maybe some people are not happy to share - that's absolutely fine too. Fortunately, there are enough folks out there who do share to keep me inspired and inky - and long may that continue!
Keep sharing folks - and be courteous. For me that covers it!
Interesting thread. I think that CASEing is really flattering. When it first happened to me (probably the last time too!) I thought the CASEd card was a million times better than my own. So then I felt a bit cross & rubbish. But then I span it around - if SHE could improve my card by so much, so could I, if I stopped looking at it as the pinaccle of my achievement but as a stepping stone instead. It was also really good to get someone else's input into my card without having to ask for it, or to spend hours drafting posts to attempt to avoid offence.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I think CASEing is ace - it's inspiring, motivating and flattering. And it's free!
__________________ Bexx Pyne - Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator My SU! Site My Blog
Interesting thread. I think that CASEing is really flattering. When it first happened to me (probably the last time too!) I thought the CASEd card was a million times better than my own. So then I felt a bit cross & rubbish. But then I span it around - if SHE could improve my card by so much, so could I, if I stopped looking at it as the pinaccle of my achievement but as a stepping stone instead. It was also really good to get someone else's input into my card without having to ask for it, or to spend hours drafting posts to attempt to avoid offence.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I think CASEing is ace - it's inspiring, motivating and flattering. And it's free!
That's a great story!! What a terrific attitude... maybe you'll start a new trend: "Please CASE my card!!"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stampinwrose
. . . . . .And yes there have been threads in the past about cards that were very very close and neither had cased. It really can happen.
I couldn't agree more - and I bet it happens more often than we think. And I also really don't like people complaining if you don't reference someone who happens to use a specific technique all the time. Oh my. That's so absurd. You know, how some folks have a "signature" style or a certain thing that they do with just about every card? Just because they chose it as a hallmark of their work or b/c they love it or are good at it, it doesn't mean that everyone else is beholden to them. Yeah... I don't like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fubsyruth
..... Copy and selectively edit....
I really like that description too - I've never completely copied a card. The one that I came closest to was like following a trail of breadcrumbs when I wanted to say who I CASEd it from. Her description led to someone else's, which led to someone else's... I think at least three times! I had looked at all of them before I did mine so I think I chose the one mine was closest too - but it wasn't the same as any of them.
I was in a swap once and forgot to sign my cards. Everyone assumed that they were another gal's because it was her "style" I didnt case in fact I wasnt even familiar with the other gal but it did show that several people may have the same style of designing their cards.
Regardless of rule or regulations, common courtesy applies. I often CASE someone or am inspired by someone. Only a few times could I not find the name of the person to credit. My observation is that there are some people who profess to be uncreative and almost everything they create is a copy of some sort. That's not a problem, but I see them say they couldn't possibly remember who they copied from, even though it is an exact duplicate of the original. Maybe they can't understand how it feels when your original concept is copied without any sort of credit. For those who say there are no original ideas left, I could point you to a dozen people on SCS who amaze me regularly with fresh ideas. So, let's all keep creating and do our best to give credit where it's due in this fresh & bright new year. We are here to inspire each other.
I don't usually put my two cents in but I'll put in at least one. Like the person who said why do people posting tell you everything that was used to make the card if they didn't want you to CASE(which when I first found this site meant "Copy And Share with Everyone"). Well ladies I CASE alot, (ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER POSTED ONLINE AN EXACT REPLICA AND/OR TOOK CREDIT) and shared with my older relatives who like me believe there's nothing like getting a little something in the mail to brighten your day, and for OWH for our service men and women. I have gotten the courage to do some challenges and hope to do more in the future. Well I guess like the other voice of reason said if you don't want it CASE'd dont post it. I love this ste w/ all the GREAT ideas and spicy comments.
Just came across this article in my Google Reader, and thought it appropriate to link up here, since it discusses copyright: Simple thoughts about fair use. I follow Seth's blog faithfully - the man is brilliant!
Just came across this article in my Google Reader, and thought it appropriate to link up here, since it discusses copyright: Simple thoughts about fair use. I follow Seth's blog faithfully - the man is brilliant!
Good article Sue! As a former educator I had to learn a good deal about copyright laws especially in graduate school. We not only had to be cognizant of the laws but follow them as well.
It sounds as thought most of the posters in this thread are getting inspiration from others' work - using parts of their ideas, changing it some - using their own ideas as well. This is fine. What is NOT fine is to exactly copy everything (colors, papers, size, shape etc.) and submit for publication in a magazine or contest. Most of you are not doing that. So don't worry.
Is it okay to copy exactly and make a card just to give to your Mom? That's where it gets kind of grey. In my interpretation of fair use it would be okay.... like Mom is going to report you to the copyright police? Then there is the whole burden of proof and who would take a person to court over a card idea?
bottom Line:
if you COPY EXACTLY someone's card idea, do NOT submit it to a magazine for publishing or enter in a contest.
If you post it on your blog, just give them credit for the idea , after asking them of course.
and then I'm going to take you to court to get my share, and since there are no originals anymore a few hundred thousand stampers might ask for their share as well... 
