I've posted a similar thread on reddit, however some users don't cross-pollinate.
My question is where is the line when "style-biting" or "copycapping" is concerned?
I have searched on the forums and have found a few discussions on this, however they mostly dealt with the Bro Caps situation, and this is somewhat different as the Bro Caps were directly being copied it seems.
Currently, on mass drop there is a keycap drop going on for a CNC aluminum keycap of a kittens paw. Many are expressing their distaste for the cap claiming it is plagiarizing, using that term very loosely, KeyKollective's meowcap paw print cap. The anti-Z0M0 party (I think that's the creator's name) is saying that the design is not discernible enough from KK's design so massdrop is endorsing copycapping.
The other side, which I don't have a moniker for, is saying that KK doesn't can't have a monopoly on something as common as a cat's paw.
So my question is where is the line? Is it subject matter? Or style? If two people both made dragons, both were Chinese styled, but were different sculpts; would one be considered copying the other (supposing one had done one prior to the other.)? Hypothetically, how would that be seen?
Right now, there aren't very many Artisans making key caps. So it's somewhat easy to find your own niche, however with an increase in popularity and as frequently as new Artisans are cropping up (Maybe 1 new Artisan maker/1-2 weeks recently.) the space for originality is going to decrease. On top of that, what's cool is cool. And what isn't won't be made.
I get that direct copies are taboo, but how much of that genre of subject matter does that artisan (by community proxy mostly, or even personally) claim or reserve for their own works?
How much of that landscape would've changed and had different arguments had K3(sp?) made dinobot head caps instead of straight copies? Would that then be style biting?
What are your thoughts? I'm not looking for debates or the beating of animals equine in features. I'm looking for thoughts. I'm going to admit that I have a vested interest in this topic, as I am currently sculpting keys. With that said, the community is the audience for artisans, if they don't have your back no one will.