What would you do? Basically Theft

[Tsmalldon]

Ok,

here is my problem. I was called into the bosses office today regarding this new product our company is launching. He asked me if we have any images of it. I said none and we need to get it photographed. Of course he didnt want to spring the cost of the photography, so his suggestion was to go to the competition, buy there product, bring it back, put it into our box and take "amateur" (Amateur is on his Canon 3.2 megapixel) images of that. (bear in mind we dont have our product in stock yet and they want the marketing materials before we have it)

So I told him no because 1) its immoral 2) its Illegal 3) it probably viloates all sorts of copyright laws.

He then proceeds to tell me that our best seller and our most featured item also uses the competetions imagery (before my time in the company).

So basically it looks like I may have to commit various criminal acts in order to appease the boss............but Im gonna stand my ground on this one.....if he wants images, he buys them like everyone else or hires someone to take "professional" shots.

Sell my soul to the devil I will not, already sold it to the girlfriend!

Trevor

[BamaArtist]

When standing your ground, make sure and have printed info on copyright laws for him!!!

[budafist]

Tsmalldon, that situation sucks so bad. When it's a client it's one thing, but your boss!? Make sure you have emails or plenty of proof in writing that you DO NOT want to do this. Getting someone else to take the photos could help too. Good luck mate. Let us know how it goes.

[Tsmalldon]

Ya its a ridiculus situation........and to learn that most of our imagery is "Hijacked" is troublesome because we use those images on everything.

Frankly im dissgusted with the whole situation.

[Logo-Mechanix]

When standing your ground, make sure and have printed info on copyright laws for him!!!

...and another job lined up, I'm not sayin' it's right, I'm just sayin'.

[cornfed]

I stood my ground like this once. I refused to use stock photos that barely covered up the copyright watermark so noone could tell they were lifted. I refused and told my boss that he had to do the job if he wanted it done. It worked and they never asked me to use stolen images again.

[LeftBrain Artist]

Can't you just alter the product, like, say 20%? Then its cool?

[Tsmalldon]

Can't you just alter the product, like, say 20%? Then its cool?

LoL the merging of two seperate threads into one....I love it!

Meh, im stuck between an idiot and a hardplace

[frankster]

so his suggestion was to go to the competition, buy there product, bring it back, put it into our box and take "amateur" (Amateur is on his Canon 3.2 megapixel) images of that. (bear in mind we dont have our product in stock yet and they want the marketing materials before we have it)

I'm intrigued by this. So you can see the product through the packaging I presume, or does your boss want to put images of the cometitors product on your products packaging. Either way isn't this super retarded? I mean do your products look identical!?! Consumers are daft, but not that daft. I'm so confused as to how they think this is a good idea, even if they aren't giving a shit about how illegal it is. It seems like a sure fire way to get sued though. I mean the competition is bound to look at your product and it's packaging and they are going to recognise thier own product immediately. WTF?

[Tsmalldon]

LoL...your confused? Im baffled, befuddled etc etc

But yes the competitions product and our product is near identical, once inside the packaging it will be hard to tell, but yes I still think they would be able to tell.

So we are using it (the competitions product) for our marketing material.

Absolutely crazy

[Tsmalldon]

I say near identical, because a consumer may not know, but I bet if there marketing guy seen our marketing materials they would be able to spot it immediatly

[BamaArtist]

[QUOTE=Tsmalldon]LoL the merging of two seperate threads into one....I love it!

<<resisting the urge to comment....>>

[morea]

I think that's for the best.

[Silence04]

well the good thing is, it's the company that will get sued, not you.

[LeftBrain Artist]

I recently did something similar for one of my clients, they're one of two spinoff companies that directly compete with each other and the parent company they split off from. Basically, I was asked to do the same thing, use images of their competitor's product as their own product, slightly modified of course. For obvious reasons I asked if they were sure they wanted to do this - the answer: they know its wrong, but no one is likely to say anything because they all do it to each other, and they all know they do it to each other. If one of the companies "squeals" that's opening up a can of worms - the only winners would be the lawyers. What really matters to them is the engineering specs, CAD drawings, production processes and other trade secrets.

Whatever - just leave my money on the dresser.

[QUOTE=Tsmalldon]LoL the merging of two seperate threads into one....I love it!

<<resisting the urge to comment....>>

Just givin' ya the business squirt!

[Gromit801]

Drop an annonymous note to the competitor about a someone using their product in an ad.....

[Logo-Mechanix]

^That was going to be my suggestion.