What's your moral stance on copying someone's work?

[Silkfawn]

And by copying I don't mean taking general inspiration from the creator, but copying it exactly or with minor item replacements here and there.

I know copying someone's work and then posting it online without giving credit or claiming the idea as yours is wrong, but what if the copier doesn't post their DA or share pictures of their island online, so it's only theirs to enjoy, is it still wrong in your opinion?

Have you ever copied someone's work? Or have someone copied your work?

Discuss.

 

[Croconaw]

I don’t think it’s wrong unless you’re openly taking credit and or posting pictures claiming it was your idea. I think a lot of islands have taken inspiration from. It’s easy to copy about 99% and change that one thing to make it uniquely yours. Does that make it not copying? I don’t honestly think so. It’s basically an exact copy, and you putting one item in there yourself doesn’t make it yours. We draw different amounts of inspiration, but if it’s over 50%, I’d say it qualifies as a copy.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

I don't like copying others' ideas, because it feels unoriginal and unearned. I take inspiration from others a lot (like flower bed colors, park/beach ideas, etc) but I would never copy what someone else has done.

 

[daringred_]

pretty confident my stance is going to be the minority, but i'll give it anyway.

i've copied people's work. my butterfly garden and outdoor gardening space are almost item-for-item replicas of decor i've seen posted on instagram. pretty much everything else on my island is 100% my own work, apart from my park which was inspired by multiple different versions i've seen. my island is for my eyes only. my DA isn't posted anywhere, i rarely have visitors other than my girlfriend and sister, and i don't post pictures of it online. i'm certainly not going around claiming those areas were my ideas, and if i was posting photos, it either a) wouldn't be of those areas or b) i would mention that they were originally created by x user.

i still had to make those areas from scratch too. yeah, i had a reference, but i still had to find the materials, craft the items and put it all together. there was some real work involved. it wasn't akin to how people will copy/paste whole fics with a couple of mouse clicks and post them cross-platform under the guise of being their own. honestly, i don't see it being much different from sharing your outfit designs and people wearing those. since the original creator's code/name isn't displayed for all to see when you're wearing their design, there's no real way (that i know of) to know who made the outfit without either recognizing it or being told. (do correct me if i'm wrong though.)

at the end of the day, i've copied someone's work, and i wouldn't care if someone copied mine either. if anything, i'd take it as a compliment because they saw my crappy little build and it made them happy enough that they wanted a version in their town. i've gotten a lot better at filling up space and decorating on my own now (i just don't enjoy it lol, and i still look at other people's creations for inspiration) but i still like those areas. i don't want to take them down. i'm here to just chill and play the game, not agonize over an aspect of it (decorating) i don't particularly enjoy just to have a pretty island. i feel no different about my butterfly garden (copied) compared to my stonehenge area ('original'). neither one feels more earned/worthy than the other, and they're both pretty for me to look at when i play the game.

 

[amemome]

Even if you're keeping it to yourself, I still think you shouldn't copy every element of someone else's design since that's still stealing.

Someone else worked really hard to come up with that idea, and I think it's best to maybe only use it as inspiration, not to copy it exacty.

 

[Serabee]

When it comes to decorating, I don't see an issue unless you posted pics like "LOOK AT THIS EPIC THING I DID TOTALLY ON MY OWN WITH NO INSPIRATION I'M A GENIUS". If you try and take credit, not cool. But I feel like a lot of people take inspiration, or straight up copy designs, especially when they're new to decorating/ACNH. I wouldn't mind at all if people took parts of my island and used them- I'd be flattered they liked them so much! Besides, I don't think anyone can claim to "own" a design- we're all playing Nintendo's game, using Nintendo's items. So as long as people aren't trying to take credit for coming up with the design, I see no issue.

Now, personally, I wouldn't straight up copy someone's layout or pieces of it. But that's just because I enjoy decorating so much! I definitely take inspiration from others, though. And it's definitely made me islands better! I never would've thought to do a citycore island without seeing other people's, and I'm really loving how mine is looking so far~

Post automatically merged: Dec 21, 2021

pretty confident my stance is going to be the minority, but i'll give it anyway.

i've copied people's work. my butterfly garden and outdoor gardening space are almost item-for-item replicas of decor i've seen posted on instagram. pretty much everything else on my island is 100% my own work, apart from my park which was inspired by multiple different versions i've seen. my island is for my eyes only. my DA isn't posted anywhere, i rarely have visitors other than my girlfriend and sister, and i don't post pictures of it online. i'm certainly not going around claiming those areas were my ideas, and if i was posting photos, it either a) wouldn't be of those areas or b) i would mention that they were originally created by x user.

i still had to make those areas from scratch too. yeah, i had a reference, but i still had to find the materials, craft the items and put it all together. there was some real work involved. it wasn't akin to how people will copy/paste whole fics with a couple of mouse clicks and post them cross-platform under the guise of being their own. honestly, i don't see it being much different from sharing your outfit designs and people wearing those. since the original creator's code/name isn't displayed for all to see when you're wearing their design, there's no real way (that i know of) to know who made the outfit without either recognizing it or being told. (do correct me if i'm wrong though.)

at the end of the day, i've copied someone's work, and i wouldn't care if someone copied mine either. if anything, i'd take it as a compliment because they saw my crappy little build and it made them happy enough that they wanted a version in their town. i've gotten a lot better at filling up space and decorating on my own now (i just don't enjoy it lol, and i still look at other people's creations for inspiration) but i still like those areas. i don't want to take them down. i'm here to just chill and play the game, not agonize over an aspect of it (decorating) i don't particularly enjoy just to have a pretty island. i feel no different about my butterfly garden (copied) compared to my stonehenge area ('original'). neither one feels more earned/worthy than the other, and they're both pretty for me to look at when i play the game.

I don't think this will be as unpopular as you think! I actually totally agree. And I think the comparison to custom designs is quite good. I feel like that's a natural part of sharing your designs- the idea that someone will love it so much they'll want it on their island.

Even if you're keeping it to yourself, I still think you shouldn't copy every element of someone else's design since that's still stealing.

Someone else worked really hard to come up with that idea, and I think it's best to maybe only use it as inspiration, not to copy it exacty.

I'm not trying to be rude, but I want to ask- as long as you're not trying to take credit, what, exactly, are you "stealing" from them? How does it hurt them or other people? I'm really not trying to be rude, I just REALLY don't see the harm at all. I mean, I've worked incredibly hard on part of my island that are 100% original. And I'd only be flattered if people copied it. And even if I was annoyed... I still wouldn't see it as a big deal.

 

[smug villager]

Even if you're keeping it to yourself, I still think you shouldn't copy every element of someone else's design since that's still stealing.

Someone else worked really hard to come up with that idea, and I think it's best to maybe only use it as inspiration, not to copy it exacty.

I respectfully disagree. I think it's a little out there to call it stealing. What exactly does the original creator lose when someone else they don't know and will never interact with copies their Animal Crossing decoration without posting it anywhere or taking credit for it? I'm not trying to detract from the work or effort that went into conceptualizing the idea, but I feel like one person has to lose something before it can be said anyone is stealing from them. Otherwise there's no moral value to be assigned.

Same logic as this to me:

 

[Livia]

I'm very uncreative, so several areas on my island are copied from pictures I found on reddit. I think it's okay as long as you don't post pictures and try to claim the idea as your own.

 

[amemome]

I'm not trying to be rude, but I want to ask- as long as you're not trying to take credit, what, exactly, are you "stealing" from them? How does it hurt them or other people? I'm really not trying to be rude, I just REALLY don't see the harm at all. I mean, I've worked incredibly hard on part of my island that are 100% original. And I'd only be flattered if people copied it. And even if I was annoyed... I still wouldn't see it as a big deal.

I respectfully disagree. I think it's a little out there to call it stealing. What exactly does the original creator lose when someone else they don't know and will never interact with copies their Animal Crossing decoration without posting it anywhere or taking credit for it? I'm not trying to detract from the work or effort that went into conceptualizing the idea, but I feel like one person has to lose something before it can be said anyone is stealing from them. Otherwise there's no moral value to be assigned.

Fair points and thank you for respectfully bringing up your opinions! For me it's a morality and consent thing! Just because the original artist doesn't know that someone has copied their design doesn't mean that their work isn't being lifted directly without their permission — it is still being used in its entirety (OP states 1-to-1 exact copy or with minor item replacements so I'm using this as basis for my opinion) by someone else regardless of their consent or awareness. I think that lack of consent is a bit alarming, but I also can't really say there's a good alternative for this specific game (there's not a really good way to ask creators if you can use their work).

Of course this is just my personal opinion and moral decision so I don't expect anyone else to enforce this kind of really strict view on themselves.

 

[Marshmallows]

I don't consider it stealing at all. Even in Pocket Camp there's a few messages of encouragement about taking ideas from your friends' campsites. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all.

That said, I don't see the fun in recreating something someone else already created. I guess some people see it like Legos where you follow a guide and end up with something nice, even if unoriginal. I think that's perfectly valid. I also don't see the issue with sharing a dream address or even uploading pics, as long as they're not claiming to have invented it. I think it's better to put your own spin on it, though.

I don't copy because I like to design my own thing. I make a lot of my own custom designs even if they aren't great... but I do copy certain ideas like having a circular rock garden, or using the glow-in-the-dark stickers to make windows, and use a few player created designs.

People copy and improve upon ideas all the time... it's what moves us ahead.

 

[Serabee]

Fair points and thank you for respectfully bringing up your opinions! For me it's a morality and consent thing! Just because the original artist doesn't know that someone has copied their design doesn't mean that their work isn't being lifted directly without their permission — it is still being used in its entirety (OP states 1-to-1 exact copy or with minor item replacements so I'm using this as basis for my opinion) by someone else regardless of their consent or awareness. I think that lack of consent is a bit alarming, but I also can't really say there's a good alternative for this specific game (there's not a really good way to ask creators if you can use their work).

Of course this is just my personal opinion and moral decision so I don't expect anyone else to enforce this kind of really strict view on themselves.

You make some good points! Personally, I'm still in the "no harm, no foul" mindset, but I definitely can see where you're coming from

 

[Fruitcup]

Ultimately its all nintendo’s design and idea so i think its a free for all in regards to the designs and ideas of the players because it all falls under nintendo.
Now, that being said, i’d be pretty bothered if someone copied my island. Lol

 

[.: Meri :.]

I don't see a problem with it if, as you said, no one's trying to claim credit for it/sharing it uncredited. I tend to look at others' ACNH builds for inspiration and then try and do my own thing, but I don't see the problem with doing otherwise. (Unless it's something really personal, like, say, someone's memorial build for their grandpa's chihuahua, but I can't really see why someone would want to copy that 1-for-1 either.) I'm not great with build designing in Minecraft, and so I like to follow block-for-block build tutorials. The end result makes me happy, and there's still some deal of work involved, so I can totally understand others doing similar in ACNH. I think what matters most is that your island makes you happy.
And while I think an exact copy would be pretty unlikely, there's definitely certain items, aesthetics, and concepts that are very popular, and very popular together. We're all working within the same item pool, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if two people independently designed cottagecore apiaries that were uncannily similar, for instance.

 

[g u a v a]

copying and taking credit is not cool imo, but people are allowed to do what they want. i think copying someone's work limits you from exploring your creativity and creating something unique.

i would encourage more people to use images of islands as inspiration instead of copy/pasting. i know for some it is difficult to create interesting designs, but you're just benefitting off of someone else's hard work and creativity instead of investing in your own.

 

[Croconaw]

copying and taking credit is not cool imo, but people are allowed to do what they want. i think copying someone's work limits you from exploring your creativity and creating something unique.

i would encourage more people to use images of islands as inspiration instead of copy/pasting. i know for some it is difficult to create interesting designs, but you're just benefitting off of someone else's hard work and creativity instead of investing in your own.

I think it becomes more of a problem when you’re creating Instagram accounts (or any other picture social media platform) and claiming the designs as your own. Even if you aren’t outright saying it, having your rep stand there and show off basically implies that it’s yours.

 

[rubyrubert]

I mean, as long as you're not claiming it as your own which is kind of crappy, I think it's probably okay. Like it's a design in AC, not an actual fashion design or artwork or something. I'm sure people also naturally want things to look a certain way, and island designs can look similar anyways.

I do think it's better (and more fun!) to just get inspired by designs instead of copy straight up, but that's just my opinion. You can't really call the police over someone decorating your house in the same way you did in AC. And if you're sensitive to that, you can always choose not to share your island online or only to friends. . . But that's just my opinion and feel free to disagree

 

[Beanz]

My opinion is the same as everyone else’s, I think it’s only wrong if you copy something and say that you did it yourself. If I found out that someone copied me and gave me no credit of course I’d be a little bothered. But if someone copied me and gave me credit I wouldn’t be upset at all and I would be flattered. If someone hypothetically tried to copy my island (which I can’t see anyone doing because my island is barren) I think I would be concerned that someone spent all this time trying to copy what I made instead of making their island their own and having fun with it.

But I think that sharing your dream address that has something copied is okay. There’s no way to say that you have something copied from someone else on island unless you have something like an Animal Crossing Instagram account. The whole community feeds off of its self so I think it’s okay to copy to an extent, and it’s even more okay to copy something if you don’t intend on sharing it.

 

[KittenNoir]

I have always never liked when someone copies off me then takes the full credit it annoys me so much. I see no problem with getting inspiration by looking at other islands online. But to copy the design completely then to say its all your idea annoys me. I play with people I know IRL and this one person who has played with me will walk all through my island. Then when I go to visit hers she has literally done the exact same thing. She will have the terraforming the same have the items in the same spot and use the same colour variations for the items as well. Then goes hey come look at this new area I built and shows me its the exact same. I do not know what to say cause then she will come to my island and see the area that she copied me and go oh this looks just like I have done on my island When in fact I was the one who did it first then she copied and to get the credit and say I copied??????

 

[Croconaw]

I have always never liked when someone copies off me then takes the full credit it annoys me so much. I see no problem with getting inspiration by looking at other islands online. But to copy the design completely then to say its all your idea annoys me. I play with people I know IRL and this one person who has played with me will walk all through my island. Then when I go to visit hers she has literally done the exact same thing.

That would be annoying. I had a friend (I still talk to him, actually) that would literally copy everything I did on YouTube or a Mario Kart game (like he would copy my name and have similar symbols). It was a bit annoying, but it was over ten years ago… not relevant now lol.

 

[KittenNoir]

That would be annoying. I had a friend (I still talk to him, actually) that would literally copy everything I did on YouTube or a Mario Kart game (like he would copy my name and have similar symbols). It was a bit annoying, but it was over ten years ago… not relevant now lol.

I haven't played with this girl in a while and my island is completely all different now but yeah still annoying. He copied your gamer tag? by changing it with similar symbols? That would annoy me so much haha omg