KACTAPUSS Blog

Urban Rips off Another Designer

2011-09-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

Looking For A Steal? Try Urban Outfitters

POSTED BY ANNA CONDÉUR | PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

Bloginity’s purpose is not just to report; it is also to encourage talent. We are not afraid to stand up and criticize when the big guys let us down. Urban Outfitters is certainly no Louis Vuitton, but they do make a lot of money. The chain just reported $609 million in revenue in the last 3 months.

A case study by myaimistrue.com of how Urban Outfitters Ripoff became a trending topic across the nation

They are also no strangers to accusations of plagiarism, having been hit hard by this story earlier in the year. However, many pointed out that the heart/state necklace (see image to the right) was not a unique one, so despite some bad PR, the company came away mostly unscathed. But today Bloginity is here to nail Urban Outfitters for selling a ripoff so blatant that the artist’s signature is still on the back.

Urban Outfitters has admitted to us that they know the item is a copy but, at the time of writing this article, they are still selling the piece and have yet to apologize to the jewelry designer.

Let’s backtrack a week. Elle Wilson is your normal 14-year-old suburban girl. She runs track, loves going to the mall, and dreams of doing something creative when she gets older. Although young, she has a photo website and Facebook page, as well as a 10,000+ post Tumblr page (http://www.v0guefashion.tumblr.com). While doing some shopping, Elle came across a photo of an ear cuff she loved on a blog and decided to track it down. She found out that the ear cuff was designed by Martha Bobroskie in 2008 and was for sale on her site in silver for $59, after shipping (http://www.martymagic.com/products/Snake-Ear-Cuff.html).

Elle loves Urban Outfitters. She had read the publicity and knew their reputation when it came to original designs, but felt it was perhaps unfair and that the designers may have been copied by coincidence. Her opinion quickly changed.

“I had just seen a picture of a beautiful snake ear cuff circulating around Tumblr with 40,000+ reblogs and likes on it. I found the source of the image was Marty Magic, the site which sells the ear cuffs, and I looked at all of their designs and cuffs. The next day I checked Urban Outfitters’ new arrivals and was pretty shocked to see the exact same cuff.”

When Elle said “exact,” she wasn’t exaggerating. Unlike the ambiguity of state/heart necklace copy, the ear cuff is exact in every detail, down to Marty’s monogram, which could still be seen on the back. The only difference is the Urban Outfitters’ version is cheap metal instead of silver, but they were still charging a whopping $26, after shipping. (see below)

As a Bloginity reader, Elle emailed us with her discovery. Of course, we had to investigate to determine if Urban Outfitters could finally be nailed for so obviously stealing an artist’s work. We got in touch with Marty and she couldn’t believe what was happening. At first she was happy to give them the benefit of doubt, but after reading previous similar cases, doubt left the building with its tail between its legs. Marty is not a casual jewelry designer–she has a BA in Art and has been making jewelry for over 30 years. She counts the musician Prince among her regular clients. She lives and works next to Silicon Valley and has had a website since 1996 (http://www.martymagic.com/) and is well aware of the dangers of artistic theft.

“I have seen photographs of my pieces which have been taken from my website and reappear as items for sale by companies on www.alibaba.com. They don’t even need to make samples anymore because they just steal the photos and copy the original piece if they get an order.” Marty had been perfecting the snake cuff design for several years, because it took a while to perfect a shape that would stay on the ear. The copied design that Urban Outfitters calls a “new arrival” on their site has been for sale on Marty’s website since June 2009. “I have never done trade shows because I worry about being copied,” Marty told me, “and being an artist who signs their work, I presumed that my work would have some kind of protection.”

Bloginity asked Nancy E. Wollf, renowned copyright lawyer and partner at Cowan DeBaets Abrahams & Sheppard, if the law protects designers at all against counterfeiters. Nancy explained the law as follows:

Jewelry, even if it is a useful object, is protected as a sculptural work under the Copyright Act. Since the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Mazur V Stein, artistic jewelry and other aesthetically pleasing articles, are subject to copyright protection. Therefore, any unauthorized reproduction violates the artist’s exclusive rights in the work, entitling that artist to recover damages for infringement. While another artist can design an ear cuff in the shape of a snake, the second artist needs to create an original design and not copy the first artist’s work.

So to clarify that for those of you who are either perpetrators or victims of design theft, it is simple: Copying jewelry design is illegal. Urban Outfitters first claimed to us that they couldn’t respond to our allegations because there was a cease and desist notice preventing them from commenting, even though the snake ear cuff was still for sale on their website. Once we pointed out that there was no writ against them, they offered the explanation below.

Thank you for alerting us to the work of Marty Magic and the similarity of her design to a snake ear cuff we are selling on our site. I can confirm that Urban Outfitters did not design, provide inspiration for, or manufacture the ear cuff in question. The ear cuff was purchased by a member of our Women’s Accessories buying team from one of the many vendors who present their product to us on a regular basis. Our buyer has since reached out to the vendor to apprise them of this matter. Just to give you some background, it is typical practice for us to purchase accessory designs from vendors. The vast majority of our accessories come from national brands, independent designers, and licensed vendors. Creative due diligence between our internal buying teams and external vendors is something we continue to strive for. We are very explicit with all vendors that our brand supports artists and their creativity and we will not tolerate anyone that copies or steals ideas. It saddens us to see such a similar design and we would never knowingly have purchased the item had we been aware of Marty’s work. Unfortunately, snakes are a recurring trend in jewelry and our buyer simply selected items from hundreds of pieces shown by our vendor. We continue to focus as much energy as we can to prevent instances such as the Snake Ear Cuff you have highlighted from slipping through the cracks. We hope you understand that it was never our intention to offend Marty Magic or any other independent designer with the product we offer.

Google Image Search Results for 'Snake Ear Cuff'

Basically, Urban Outfitters is passing the buck to their supplier for ripping off Marty. They admit to being just resellers of most of the accessories they stock. They also claim to have due diligence in making sure their suppliers do not provide fakes and they “will not tolerate anyone that copies or steals ideas”. But search the words “snake ear cuff” in Google images and Marty’s identical design is all over the page.

Not doing a Google search is not due diligence. If Urban Outfitters “will not tolerate anyone that copies or steals ideas,” why is it they have simply “apprised” their supplier about the issue, rather than issued them a writ or instruction to destroy their molds, taken their product off the website, or even made any kind of apology to Marty? Bloginity is not on a crusade against Urban Outfitters here but this story raises some very important issues. The first is plagiarism. We all know designers talk of “inspiration” and go on their shopping trips or trawl the net to find ideas, while at the same time complaining at those who make counterfeit handbags. Counterfeit is often the same thing as inspiration, just dressed up to sound acceptable, but in both cases it is abusing someone else’s originality. In past cases, Urban Outfitters could fend off criticism by claiming that the disputed objects they sold were just coincidental or too dissimilar. Not this time. This is an exact copy, made by making a mold from the original–signature and all. If a 14-year-old girl can easily spot a copy, it makes sense that a large chain should be able to, especially given the accusations of artistic plagiarizing that they have recently dealt with.

The second issue is a broader one. As the figures today show, America is stuck with over 9% unemployed despite government intervention. It’s time big businesses started helping reduce that number not adding to it. Marty has been supporting her family by producing this metal art for over 30 years. The foundry she uses to cast the pieces of wax she has modeled into beautiful solid silver objects is in Rhode Island. She provides work for Americans who are making a superior product. The Urban Outfitters’ buyer saw a photo or a sample of the cuff and placed an order, undercutting Marty with thousands of cheap foreign copies. Those fakes are unwittingly bought by Americans and make money for the giant retailer and the foreign manufacturer at the expense of Marty and her American workers.

The third issue is how Urban Outfitters can be so short of innovative and creative skills that they choose to order items from a foreign manufacturer, rather than spend the small amount of time creating or refining a unique product. Urban Outfitters have just posted record sales but would rather increase profits by buying the accessories that anyone could source, rather than employing their own designers to create something original. This country cannot compete on manufacturing costs, but it still has a wealth of design talent. Urban Outfitter’s 5th Ave NY store proudly advertises their relationship with Pratt’s fashion students. Is this a genuine attempt to foster originality in the retail giant, or a nice PR piece to make customers believe their products are designed by Americans instead of being bought from a foreign trade catalogue?

Whichever way you look at this sorry tale, Urban Outfitters has been caught peddling knock off goods. They have not apologized, they are still selling the product and they have simply apprised their supplier of the facts. It is very fitting that the cuff is in the form of a snake–a creature with a long association to deceit and dishonesty. We at Bloginity hope that this story goes viral and that they learn that the power of the individual is very strong, whether you are a teenage fashionista or an established jewelry designer, against a giant retail corporation. We urge Urban Outfitters to improve their ethics. They should apologize to Marty and stock her American made cuff in place of their cheap foreign copy. They should destroy their current stock, release the foreign supplier’s name to Marty and use their own legal department to support any case she has against them. Learn from this that millions of eyes are watching you, Urban Outfitters, and that it is economic sense to encourage original design rather than copy it or buy it out of a foreign factory catalog. Don’t just put the onus on suppliers to fight against counterfeiting, but hire an employee who double checks that your suppliers are telling the truth and that you are not selling duplicitous designs. This should be the last time that Urban Outfitters, Anthroplogie and your other brands are found to be selling a cheap counterfeit product.

2011-08-27T13:14:00.001-07:00

2011-08-12T15:12:00.001-07:00

The Associated Press has sued several retailers including Urban Outfitters for the unauthorised use of the Hope image created by artist Shepard Fairey.

2011-03-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

via: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12720159

11 March 2011 Last updated at 21:10 ET

Associated Press sues retailers over iconic Obama image

Fairey's work (r) now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington

The Associated Press has sued several retailers including Urban Outfitters for the unauthorised use of the Hope image created by artist Shepard Fairey.

Artist Fairey used an AP photo without permission to create the image, and was sued by the news agency for violating copyright. That case was settled.
AP argues that using the image on T-shirts is wilful and blatant violation of the copyright of the photo.
A spokesman said that using photos for free devalued the work of journalists.
The news agency filed lawsuits against Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom and Zumiez seeking unspecified damages.
A Nordstrom spokeswoman said in a statement that the firm was aware of the lawsuit. Representatives of the other retailers have yet to respond, AP said.
In a statement, AP spokesman Paul Colford said: "When a commercial entity such as these retailers, or the company that sold the shirts to them, gets something for nothing by using an AP photo without credit or compensation, it undermines the AP's ability to cover the news.
"It devalues the work that our journalists do, often in dangerous locations where they may literally risk life and limb to cover a story."
Iconic image Street artist Fairey used the photo, taken by Mannie Garcia in 2006, when he created his Hope artwork during Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
Fairey sued AP in 2009, seeking a declaration he had not violated its copyright with his iconic image.
AP then counter-sued, saying he had done so through his uncredited and uncompensated use of its picture.
The deal agreed in January called for both sides to work together with the image and share future rights to merchandise based on it.
As part of the deal, Fairey agreed not to use another AP photo in his work without first obtaining a licence.

2011-03-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

The Stolen Scream: A Story About Noam Galai from FStoppers on Vimeo.

I first saw this video on devour.com. It's all about an artist who's image has been used all over the world. He describes what his views are on fair use and what uses make him uncomfortable.

Classic Chevy Trucks '62 - '75

2011-02-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

These trucks are badass.

Doodling is Awesome in Math Class

2011-01-18T21:00:00.001-08:00

ТРЭКОЛ-39041Т в Тюмени — продажа и лизинг (WTF?)

2011-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.atlantauto.ru/catalogue/title/trecol-39041t/gallery/39041T_2.jpg
Anyway, check out that link if you like badass off road stuff. No translated text, but a bunch of images.

Also check : http://www.foro4x4.com/foro/index.php?topic=3005.0

Half Dodge Ram Half Corvette Amphibious Car

2011-01-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Crazy Tracked Contraptions

2011-01-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Amazing Off Road Amphibious Trucks (Mostly From Russia)

2011-01-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

Check out a Military truck by Octokar :

http://www.otokar.com/en/products/product_detail.aspx?urun=44

Theyve got a long video (in turkish) but they blow stuff up and shoot at the car at about 6 min.

Also check out the Panhard Truck (pictured above) in this epic video:

http://www.military-today.com/apc/vbl.htm

These companies were mostly found at http://www.amphibiousvehicle.net/frame.html.

Burn Rubber Detroit X New Balance Collab

2010-11-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

Burn Rubber Detroit teams with New Balance for this epic shoe. Love the use of 3M on the heel. Colorway is pretty dope. Check out http://burnrubberdetroit.com/nb/ for more pics and details.

Cooks Source Recipe Plagiarism Scandal (2010)

2010-11-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Re-posted from: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cooks-source-recipe-plagiarism-scandal

On November 3rd, 2010, LiveJournal blogger “illadore” (real name: Monica Gaudio) created a blog post regarding an original Apple Pie recipe that had been published without her author consent in a magazine called Cooks Source.

Monica, unaware of any submission to this magazine, noted that it was simply recopied from elsewhere on the internet. She attempted to contact the magazine to ask for an apology and $130 donation to the Columbia School of Journalism and received a not-so-kind reply from editor Judith Griggs:

“Yes Monica, I have been doing this for 3 decades, having been an editor at The Voice, Housitonic Home and Connecticut Woman Magazine. I do know about copyright laws. It was “my bad” indeed, and, as the magazine is put together in long sessions, tired eyes and minds somethings forget to do these things.

But honestly Monica, the web is considered “public domain” and you should be happy we just didn’t “lift” your whole article and put someone else’s name on it! It happens a lot, clearly more than you are aware of, especially on college campuses, and the workplace. If you took offence and are unhappy, I am sorry, but you as a professional should know that the article we used written by you was in very bad need of editing, and is much better now than was originally. Now it will work well for your portfolio. For that reason, I have a bit of a difficult time with your requests for monetary gain, albeit for such a fine (and very wealthy!) institution. We put some time into rewrites, you should compensate me! I never charge young writers for advice or rewriting poorly written pieces, and have many who write for me… ALWAYS for free!"

Keep reading at http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cooks-source-recipe-plagiarism-scandal

Mephisto Lady Boots

2010-10-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Sexy boots.

Check out this skateboard inspired furniture!

2010-09-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Made by a Dutch Design Firm- I HAVE POP, furniture is 'skateboardable' built from concrete, wood and metal. Source: http://www.ihavepop.com/ihavepop/project_ddw.html found via http://detroitip.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-have-pop.html

Ultra-luxurious, Fully Armoured, Handcrafted SUV

2010-09-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

This armored car is from Canada is 20' x 8' x 8', dubbed the Conquest Knight XV. It can withstand grenades, and bullets (they have ballistics videos on the site) but has leather seats and luxury comforts. It has two regular/infrared cameras so you can even monitor your surrounds at night. It's flex-fuel compatible, has cold start assist, and is the first in a series of truck posts I think. Stop by the Conquest Vehicles website and check out their videos here. Even they are scared to think about what its owners might use if for. More pics after the jump.

I Need to Upgrade My Bike

2010-08-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I built up a fixed gear conversion, painted the frame black and bought some gold wheels. It has proved a pretty bomb-proof commuter in all weather for the past two years, but all the components are pretty mediocre. I bent the original fork's head tube, and broke the replacement. The frame is 1" threaded with non-horizontal dropouts currently has fuji cranks from a dumpster, a Nitto quill stem, mismatched fork, ancient BB, and a no-name brand headset. It's getting harder to find upgraded parts (like a durable new fork) so i'm thinking about getting a new complete bike, and selling my conversion. I want a cool fixed gear commuter. I don't do 'tricks' but I want to be able to hop curbs, ride in snow, etc. I ride vigorously and enthusiastically.

Ok, first things first, I'm pretty broke. I looking for a steal. One bike being sold on deep discount right now through BikesDirect.com is the SE Bikes PK Ripper Fixed for $499 w/ free shipping.

Through GiantNerd.com the Tommaso Augusta Pro Track is being sold for $399.95 with free shipping.

The PK Ripper Fixed looks like it has some pretty good specs, whether you like the aesthetics, thats your own thing. I am no track bike purist, after all the decals come off I like the beefiness. Notable features are it is an aluminum frame, Velocity wheels, 3-pc crank, pedals and cages, and Vittoria 28c tires. The included brake is a plus, although it will get moved to the front and the seat will need to be replaced (its a hard plastic BMX seat). Given some press on this bike I'm just not sure I won't break (the unofficial fuck a pk ripper thread). SE Bikes has however assured me that it is under a 5-yr warranty and some people have been treating them like BMX bikes.

The steel Augusta frame seems to have basic track geometry. The Ninja Pro build comes with DP-18 wheels, and all black Tommaso components, and a nice Tommaso TRS saddle. It does not come with pedals or cages, so thats a bummer. At $100 less than the PK Ripper im at a standoff. Steel is real, but the PK states a 21.25 lb weight (which I assume includes pedals and brakes), while the Tommaso states a 21.6 lb weight for the 54cm (I assume without pedals).

Both bikes have had some bad press, which may explain their bargain pricing. Tommaso sent a few of the Augusta frames out that were poorly made and not straight (RoadBikeReview) but they seem to have replaced any that were actually defective. If anyone sees anything different in the specs that I didn't mention, or that you think is relevant lemme know.

Mother Brother Basement Show VIDEO

2010-07-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

Mother Brother - You Came LIVE in Bridgeport, CT 7/23/10 from Matthew Grandin on Vimeo.

On Friday two of my buddies (brothers Matt and Adam Vitti) of Mother Brother hosted 5 bands (Midi, Sirs, Fugue, Weird Korea and 5 turns 25) in their humble basement. Everyone rocked their sets despite the sweltering temps. Mother Brother played last, letting loose here in this video with a song called You Came. After playing back to back shows (Friday and Saturday) they setting off for a tour of Chicago and Milwaukee today. Wish you the best of luck guys and melt some faces! Stay tuned for more photos of both shows.

Check out their pages:
facebook.com/pages/Mother-Brother
myspace.com/thebrothersfour4
motherbrother.bandcamp.com
artistdata.com/mother-brother/shows

Anthropologie (Owned by Urban Outfitters) Sues Forever 21 Over Copyright

2010-07-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

via Reuters - Wednesday, 12 Sep 2007
"Reuters reported that Urban Outfitters, Inc.'s Anthropologie unit, has sued Forever 21, alleging copyright infringement, according to court documents obtained on Wednesday. The case, filed in Manhattan federal court on September 6, accuses the privately owned retailer of copyright infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices."

It's quite ironic that Urban Outfitters has been suing other over copyright. They are clearly well versed in copyright laws, which is how they manage to stay out of trouble when they copy others designs.

Trolling for a Legal Battle: Urban Outfitters Sued for Copyright Infringement

2010-07-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

...Over these cute guys no less.

read on at MediaBistro.com.

Urban Outfitters Infringement - Google Search

2010-07-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Would you look at that?! There are only 19,600 results for "Urban Outfitters Infringement" when you search google.

URBAN STEALS FROM RYAN McGINNESS

2010-07-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

via girlhattan.blogspot.com

Original Design:

Urban's Copy:

Rant by Blogger Stephanie Syjuco on Urban Outfitters

2010-07-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

via www.stephaniesyjuco.com

urban outfitters = SATAN
several reasons why urban outfitters is a purely satanic manifestation:

1. crappy badly-made, high-priced clothing spun mostly out of *acrylic* (lord!), or some other type of fabric that will eventually pill and look horrible

2. the new "DIY"/indie aesthetic that they've been channelling, the "hand-beaded" or "handmade" look in the clothing they carry (which is probably all made by twelve-year-olds in china or india, in reality). last time i wandered into the store, it was chock-full of their "Urban Renewal" remade/reconstructed brand and it irritated me to no end to see how they've cornered the market on the aesthetic. I'm very curious to be proven wrong about their manufacturing practices on this one...like, is all this stuff assembled locally or sent overseas?

3. ill-fitting clothing that makes my crotch look strange, or sits too low on my hips, or is too tight. the sizing on the clothing is just whacked-out crazy! who's the pattern maker on crack?

4. when things get marked down, they are so drastically marked down it makes you realize how much of a MARK-UP they do when selling retail. it should be criminal!

5. this clinches it: the posting at the supernaturale website that shows how UO ripped off a t-shirt design by small-time designer Johnny Cupcakes. You be the judge and check it out, but the story stinks. Says the designer, "...this company is my life, and this awful, scummy situation upsets me..."

OK, here's the deal: copying/influence, etc, happens on all levels--in both the fashion world and the artworld. like, everyone's doing puff sleeves, but does that mean someone's ripping off the first person who did puff sleeves? no, of course not. But what chaps my hide is the BIG guy absorbing the LITTLE guy's turf. urban outfitters is a giant octopus bloodsucking freak that churns out fashion at an alarmingly disposable rate. and since they have the production means and the outlets to move the merch at a fast pace, they can undercut everyone and look like they're offering edgy, individualized fashion.

bah! i'm on a rant...

Why "NOT" to shop at Urban Outfitters.

2010-07-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

Via hipmama.com
Published on Thursday, July 8, 2004 by the Minneapolis Star Tribune

In Consumer America it Should be Easier to Shop Our Values
by Lauren Raheja

Most customers who walk into Urban Outfitters to stock up on baby T's, hip-slung jeans and other trendy accessories probably assume they're supporting an independent retailer rather than a massive corporation like The Gap or Express.

Whether it's intentional or not, that's the image Urban Outfitters projects to its target base of young, educated urban consumers -- and it seems to serve the chain well.

Probably unbeknownst to the majority of its customers, however, Urban Outfitters Inc., based in Philadelphia, is a corporation with more than 60 stores in the United States, Canada and Europe; it's also the parent company of both Anthropologie and Free People, clothing chains targeted at slightly different demographic groups.

Moreover, despite Urban Outfitters' appeal to the young, progressive crowd, cofounder and President Richard Hayne's political bent would no doubt surprise many young hipsters. He has, for example, contributed more than $13,000 to Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., most recently noted for comments comparing homosexuality to bestiality.

This incongruity represents a common, troubling phenomenon in retail. It seems that it's getting harder and harder to shop our values with each passing year.

Urban Outfitters is just one example of a company that projects an image completely different from what its executives are really all about.

You would never expect a company that sells T-shirts bearing slogans such as "Support the Arts: Sleep With A Musician" and the ironic "Jesus Is My Homeboy" to actually be led by someone who supports a politician at the forefront of the religious right's attack on homosexuality.

Chipotle, the growing chain that serves seemingly authentic burritos and employs a large percentage of Hispanic workers, is another company whose ownership might surprise customers. Although many probably believe they're supporting an independent business when they eat at Chipotle, the chain is actually owned by McDonald's.

The prevalence of sweatshop labor among certain apparel chains would also probably shock some buyers. The Gap and Lord & Taylor are widely regarded as classy merchandisers with high-quality, well-made apparel, yet BehindTheLabel.org, an online news magazine that covers sweatshop issues in the global clothing industry, cites them as retailers that are "responsible for the global sweatshop crisis."

As awareness of these issues grows, publications such as Ethical Consumer have been publishing boycott lists periodically, urging their readers to shun everything from Starbucks to the country of Burma.

But is it really that simple? We live in a world that's far too complex to slap either a "good company" or a "bad company" label on every corporation in the market. A company with a good track record on sweatshop and child labor may have discriminatory hiring practices or disregard for the environment. A company that's disliked for its corporate ownership may contribute some of its wealth to social programs in local communities.

Starbucks, for example, is the premier sponsor of the 15th Annual Business Ethics Awards and is described as "A Model Global Corporate Citizen," yet it has also been attacked for exploiting foreign labor and using genetically engineered ingredients.

Toyota, to take another example, is praised by environmentalists for its leadership in creating hybrid cars, yet it's one of the few auto manufacturers that have no unionized plants in the United States. This type of corporate dichotomy offers up quite a conundrum for the ethically minded consumer.

Rather than avoid every company on a list put out by a boycotting campaign, consumers should decide for themselves what their values are and which companies they do and do not wish to support. The trouble is, it's harder than it should be to find and keep track of the information it takes to make these decisions -- which is why consumers, even those who strive to shop ethically, find it so difficult to do so.

As much as we'd like to believe it, avoiding Starbucks won't terminate the use of genetically engineered ingredients, nor will shunning Nike result in the downfall of sweatshop labor. Still, shopping our values is something we all have the right to do as individuals, and it does have the potential to make an impact.

In a country that's defined by consumerism, and one that touts the word "freedom" as a symbol of its ideals, it should be easier for shoppers to feel confident that their dollars are going toward companies that they can stand behind.

If Urban Outfitters' T-shirts reflected its president's actual values, they would probably say something more along the lines of "Santorum Is My Homeboy" or "Sleep With A Musician, But Only If You're Married And Heterosexual."

In an ideal world, companies would wear their hearts on their sleeves; their products would reflect not only what they believe, but also their actions.

Lauren Raheja is a recent graduate of St. Paul Academy. She wrote this column during a monthlong internship at the Star Tribune.

By old_school_kitty at 02/25/2006 - 10:05pm

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URBAN OUTFITTERS STEALS CROWNFARMER (AGAIN)

2010-07-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday, November 16, 2006 by URBAN COUNTERFEITERS

Apparently Urban Outfitters wasn't happy with just chopping up old Crownfarmer t-shirts and applying them to other garments (scroll down to one of our first posts about it), so they decided to one-up themselves and blatantly knock off a Michael Leon designed t-shirt that was released by CF back in 2003.

CROWNFARMER (2003):

URBAN OUTFITTERS (2006):

via urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com

URBAN OUTFITTERS STEALS BECI ORPIN

2010-07-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

Thursday, January 19, 2006 by URBAN COUNTERFEITERS

One of Australian Beci Orpin's designs is a lil' toothy guy. Created by Beci in 2001, it's featured on many of her Princess Tina products and has become the company's logo. Last year Urban Outfitters took Toothy and put him onto a shower curtain to be sold all across America... without her knowledge.

Here are a couple of samples of Princess Tina's Toothy:

And Urban's "interpretation" of it:

Inspiration or downright thievery?

Via urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com

URBAN OUTFITTERS CUTS CROWNFARMER TO PIECES

2010-07-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday, January 19, 2006 by URBAN COUNTERFEITERS

A couple of years back Crownfarmer sold some controversial t-shirts to Urban Outfitters. Protests outside of UO stores ensued and the t-shirts were pulled off the shelves. A year later Urban made some major modifications to them, re-branding the garments as blazers... without Crownfarmer's knowledge. Would they do this to an Adidas or 55DSL tee that they couldn't sell for one reason or another? We doubt it. There's more info here and here. And here's what Crownfarmer had to say about it.

Here's one of the original Crownfarmer designs:

And here's Urban's "interpretation" of it:

Via urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com

Urban Outfitters Steals Johnny Cupcake Concept

2010-07-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Urban Outfitters get's ballzy and steals a concept from this guy, Johnny Cupcakes. Being an artist myself I'm not a huge fan of their tactics.

Thursday, January 19, 2006 by URBAN COUNTERFEITERS

This one's particularly nasty on the part of Urban Outfitters. A while after sending in samples of his t-shirts so that the mega chain might consider buying some off of him to sell in their stores, Johnny Cupcakes ;was notified by a friend that they were carrying them... without his knowledge. Turns out Urban took a concept off of one of his samples and made their own version.

Here's what the original looked like:

And Urban's "interpretation" of the design:

Legal? Maybe. Shady? Very.

Via urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com

Click here to read what Johnny Cupcakes has to say!

Urban Outfitters ripped off one of my shirts and is now selling it in some of their stores. They have a shirt with a jet dropping cupcakes(with a different color scheme),. Last year Urban wanted to carry my shirts & they had a few Johnny Cupcakes shirt samples I had sent them....the Jet dropping cupcakes being one of them. They never sent my samples back after I told them I didn't want to buisness with them

A friend of mine that works in an Urban Outfitters e-mailed me today, telling me that she thought they got Johnny Cupcakes shirts in.... except they had an "Urban Renewal" tag on the inside of em - which is Urban Outfitters notorious clothing line that rips off small, independant artists & designers from all around the world.

I am talking to a few lawyers next week to see if there's anything I can do. They may of changed the design around enough so that they can't get in trouble. Major bummer.

If you google "Urban Outfitters" and "Infringement" - you will find a couple hundred court cases about Urban Outfitters fucking over young/small designers & clothing lines. Urban outfitters makes 856 Miliion dollars a year. They put small shops out of business. They're the Wallmart/Hot Topic of clothing stores.

Below you will see the Red Jet t-shirt dropping cupcakes that I originally sent to them, as a sample, before I decided to keep my shirts out of Urban Outfitters. They KEPT my sample shirts, copied one of them so far, and is now mass producing them with their 'Urban Renewal' company name on the inside(the various webcam picas towards the bottom).

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

-Re-post this, spread the word, tell as many people as you can. This type of thing with Urban Outfitters ripping off smaller brands, has happened ALL the time! Well, thanks to TOM - we all now have MYSPACE and can communicate.

-Stop shopping at Urban Outfitters, there are pleanty of other independant shops & online stores.

-And you can purchase shirts from http://www.johnnycupcakes.com

thank you so much for your time, start spreading the news!

love,
Johnny Cupcakes

Urban Counterfeiters Blog is Dead.

2010-07-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

In the past I have referenced urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com as an example of Urban Outfitter's questionable concept and product sourcing (here). Sadly, this blog has strayed wildly from the purpose its clever name implies. Now it keeps the world updated with leaked celeb shots, record breaking rabbits, and who won biggest loser 2010, among other useless drivel. I am going to re-blog the early work of urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com and continue to add to it here on Kactapuss. Enjoy.

Hilarious Song Descriptions

2010-07-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/eargasm.html

Absurd Urban Downhill Bike Race

2010-06-01T10:24:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn Designs 2010 - Design Show in Brooklyn

2010-05-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending Brooklyn Designs 2010 and it was quite a treat. Some fabulous furniture and other objects were on display. I was really intrigued by the guys at EcoSystems, RAM Metals, and Think Fabricate. They were are furniture designes, but in really opposite categories. EcoSystems is a super simple totally modular design, while RAM Metals makes huge heavy planters and other metalwork for NYC buildings. Think Fabricate was doing their first furniture show, but I liked their stuff, and the prospect of working for a startup is pretty cool. Lots of learning! Here are some pics.

highspeedautographics.com

2010-04-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

via herbmartinez.com

Die Antwoord Music Video - Pop/Hip-hop/Scary

2010-04-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like to post things that are a bit out there. This video has some weird, funny, cool lyrics and images. The follow up to the performance is another tangentially weird one "Zef Side". Here is a vimeo video of one of their recent shows.

This next one seems like a more budget version, which shows how much progress they've made "Wat Pomp"
via animalnewyork

3D Model and Animation: The Next Wall-e

2010-04-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Been working on this 3D model and its corresponding animation for some time. Its taking about 32 seconds to render each frame, I have over 1700. At this rate I will only be rendering for 850 minutes, or about 14 hours...... Here are a couple still images from the (soon to be) award winning short.

Michigan Snowboard Club - Bandana Sale. SIX BUCKS.

2010-04-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

I thought it was a real good idea to get some bandanas for sale to the Michigan Snowboard Club, not to be confused with the "Michigan Ski and Snowboard Club" (which is rumored to be more of a frat party than a snowboard trip). With everyone rocking the same bandana its easy to tell who's in our group while on the mountain, it brings the club together you could say. Despite being done late in the year on the cheap with a stencil and spray paint, I'm pleased with how they turned out. Email me if you would like to buy one for $6 - free shipping!!!

Funny Auto-tune News Video

2010-04-21T18:37:00.001-07:00

via www.ridepdw.com/blog

Who doesn't like circus tricks?

2010-04-21T16:55:00.001-07:00

Frame Furniture - Versatile, Modular, Customizable, Long Lasting (pretty much awesome)

2010-04-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

This project is an exploration in 'Enoughism'. People are so far removed from the realities of the world that they think that IKEA makes the best furniture out there, . This project/ concept was about re-thinking what the role of furniture needs to be in our life and in society. My concept is based around a central frame that is enough to support a bunch of types of furniture. This one central piece is durable enough to last a lifetime and, with add-ons, can gain value and utility of the same quality inexpensively. I have developed two tables with interchangeable table tops and one kitchen cart that utilize the same frame.

Also factored into the equation is our customers natural creativity. The frame can accept any sound top of 29 7/8"x 17 7/8" and could be painted or finished in a variety of ways. Here are the images. Let me know if you'd like more explanation, etc.

Frame Furniture System - Coffee Table to Shelf from Matthew Grandin on Vimeo.

Yo - Check out these 3D renders I did on the computer

2010-04-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

I'm still a young grasshopper when it comes to hardcore 3D animation and modeling. I find it to be a bit tedious (especially the rendering part) but I'm amazed at the quality of work other people can manage! For more stuff thats lightyears beyond mine check out turbosquid.com or www.renderosity.com.

Stuntin like Mufasa

2010-03-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Kanye West .com

2010-03-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Kanye has decided to turn his website into a forum for art and Design.... Wha?

Anyway, not much in the way of explination, but i may steal (yes i said steal OMG) some of those nice resolution frames that surround the images he has on there. I didn't spend a great amount of time there, but I enjoyed KanyeWest.com more this time around that I did when it was all Kanye Propaganda. No matter how crazy Kanye is in public, its nice to see that he's had a moment of clarity.... or something.

Kanyewest.com

Hot Chip - "I Feel Better" Music Video

2010-03-19T11:15:00.001-07:00

Via my buddy Sam Hansons, Via Facebook, Via Myspace, Hot Chip the concert they didnt want you to see.

Hot Chip - I Feel Better

Hot Chip | MySpace Music Videos

Kilroy Bikes - Video

2010-03-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

I think that this video has a lot to do with defining a new bike category, the all around urban bike. Wonka is crazy good at what he does...

KILROY from Gorilla Bicycles on Vimeo.

Fixie vs. Flatland rider skills

2010-03-18T23:16:00.001-07:00

Via http://www.iminusd.com/

Free Styler 2 from ryo ubota on Vimeo.

Fixie vs. Skatepark vs. 180's

2010-03-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

I believe there was a fixie with a peg in one of those shots! Insanity. killin it like i wish i was

A few clips from the weekend from Erik V on Vimeo.

FORKS - I need a new one bad!

2010-03-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

My fork is very very bent, and unrideable. This is a bike injury that has been long in the making. My headset is also kaput, with an unsettling amount of very fine cracks in it.

I'm thinking about a straight fork because I think they will have more impact durability, and I like riding aggressively. I want to be able to bounce up and down curbs with no problem, or ride a dirt trail every once and a while. These dudes at Gorrilla Bikes jumps stairs and whatnot, and they rock straight forks so I think they got something right.

This one is on sale at Spicer Bikes for $85.

This beauty here is a fork from Soma, retails for $150

Some info I found on the straight vs. curved debate from Performance Bike.

Straight blade. This style has the fork rake incorporated into the crown. The blades angle outward and are completely straight all the way down to the fork ends (dropouts). This style has a reputation for having a stiffer, more responsive ride characteristic and is preferred by some racers and/or aggressive riders.
Curved blade. This style has the rake incorporated as a gradual curve from the crown to the fork ends. Traditionally, this feature is designed to absorb road shock. This style is generally preferred by riders looking for a smooth, comfortable ride for long distance riding and racing.

Check this post over at Prollyisnotprobably and see the new crop of "Luxury-Straight-bladed-tubular-mountain-messenger-fashion forks"! Sweet.

http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2009/01/forks.php

Fast Cyclist running from police.

2010-03-18T09:12:00.001-07:00

$99 6-spoke mag wheels from Backward Circle

2010-03-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Check this out at Backwardcircle.com. Pretty nice looking regular wheels here too. Rear wheel $84, Radial laced front wheel for $65.

Incase Messenger Backpack

2010-03-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

New Incase offerings! I want one.

8tracks.com - Juicy Dubstep Vol.II

2010-03-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

8tracks.com has a bunch of long playing mixes, check this mix out

Juicy Dubstep Vol. II

This page has moved...

2010-03-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

This page has been moved to: mattgrandin.blogspot.com.

KACTAPUSS Blog

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