Reamed at work...
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- dMullins
I did some logo explorations about six months ago (around 30-40 total) for a new client of ours at work. Internally, we picked four of mine to show the client, only one of which I actually thought was decent enough for final work. In the end, the client picked the one that I liked the least. Fast-forward to today and I get called in to a black door meeting with my boss and HR lady to discuss some things, one of which was what they had concluded was blatant copyright infringement.
Now on one hand, I get that the logo this is being compared to is property of The Walt Disney Company, and we all know Disney's storied past of going after anything even remarkably (no pun intended) similar to their IP. On the other hand, I was flat out accused right off the bat, with absolutely no faith in my professional work ethic after having worked for my agency for almost a year.
I will admit that when placed side-by-side, there are similarities. Of course the same could be said for millions of other logos.
Bear in mind that the "swooshes" are not invented, they are part of the parent company's umbrella branding.
I enjoy working where I do, but right now I'm really infuriated by this lack of trust. I was inches away from being fired today over this, and am really looking to get some feedback.
I have never seen the movie "The Invisibles," nor have I ever given any of the merchandise/advertising a second glance long enough to have remembered this.
I would really like some feedback on this, and what I should do.
My final four logo selections:
"The Invisibles" logo:
- marychain0
wanna re-read that?
- noneck0
I could see Disney getting pissed, but it's not a rip.
Having said that, you are not a legal department. Due diligence is not your job.
- +1chrisRG
- +2black-marmalade
- +3sleepyfatso
- - 6. Back to zero.luckyorphan
- marychain0
not a rip......
but too close for comfort
- zenmasterfoo0
I liked the baby in that movie. Regarding your work, I can see the similarities. It's too bad the colors, the exclamation point and the swooshes were all in there when your client went home and rented this movie for his kids - then checked his account to see how much he paid your company for the work. Bad timing.
- kona0
not a rip. is their name the remarkables or did you make that up? the incredibles is an i with a swoosh. your's is an exclamation point with a swoosh. i dunno man... how literal do things have to be these days to call things a rip.
and it sucks that they called you in and flat out accused you without first asking you about it, or even asking you to explain yourself. that part is straight boshit dude.
- I had nothing at all to do with the naming convention of this program.dMullins
- Andrew_D0
I suppose bottom left corner is similar, but the others aren't infringing. Sucks that your employer attacked you like that, you might want to think of moving on. I imagine you're going to be on an hit list of some sort because of this incident.
Moving on even for yourself and having a positive workspace, you don't want to be second guessing your work every time you get a project.
Good luck.
- This is good advice mate.dMullins
- Andrew_D droppin' wisdom like it's his J.O.B.!!!ideaist
- sounds like shit advice...wouldn't you rather keep your job?monospaced
- I only meant that the whole having a positive work environment bit was sound advice. I can't afford to lose my job right now.dMullins
- job right now, and I ditched all my freelance clients last year for this job.dMullins
- Just speaking from experience, Mono. I wasn't accused of a rip, but my old boss made me a whipping boy after a common mistake and it affected my work.Andrew_D
- and it affected my work.Andrew_D
- "Mistake" after common.Andrew_D
- werd...sorry drewmonospaced
- dMullins0
For clarification, the only logo from the 4-up spread is the one in the bottom left. I assumed that would be pretty clear.
- CALLES0
I think disney can also go after you because you keep calling their movie "the invisibles"
- monospaced0
Well, the company name you're designing for is The Remarkables, their colors are red/yellow and there's an exclamation mark. If those were client requests, you can't be 100% at fault. What exactly was your provided "toolbox" and what part was your idea?
- I was told to use "The Remarkables" type, and incorporate the swooshes from the branding.dMullins
- The exclamation thing was something I added as I explored, which carried through to many other logo designs.dMullins
- yeah, you kinda got pushed into this direction...I'm sorry bromonospaced
- randommail0
From a legal stance, there's not much of a case to get you in trouble.
But I can see how it could be disturbing to find out that my designer of mine lives under a rock. How did you not immediately associate the name of the company with the name of the movie? And thus have even a slight recollection of the movie's logo? Colors, name, exclamation point. It's pretty incredible to me.
- just saying. Not trying to pick a fight.randommail
- dMullins is one of your designers?monospaced
- No.dMullins
- acrossthesea0
Is the company really named The Remarkables? That already feels close to The Incredibles. The mark doesn't seem like a rip to me. Just feels like a very common design solution.
- The Remarkables is the name of an employee program that the client is going to start next year.dMullins
- Weird coincidence. I think that's making things unintentionally worse. Bummeracrossthesea
- dMullins0
I heard you, and I watch a LOT of shit, but I don't really dig on cartoons for five years old.
- randommail0
And it's not The Invisibles. It's The Incredibles.
Incredible and remarkable are synonyms!
- and for what its worth, a pretty great movie. remarkable even.dewilde
- moldero0
just hold it in, all of it, till that 1 day when you just had enough.
just kidding, let it go man, you said you piece, if they cant accept that and trust you, fuck em, their loss in the end when you find another gig.
- +1 Thanks for the positive reinforcement.dMullins
- bad attitude, moldero, this is NOT a "fuck em" situation...this is just a bump in the roadmonospaced
- This is unfortunately one of many bumps in the road.dMullins
- if yes = fuck em
if no = no problem
take no shit.moldero
- monospaced0
Word. Be brutally honest with your "superiors." That goes a long way. Suggest ways to fix the problem instead of defending yourself: change colors, ditch the ! (I know...they like it, but you can steer them away), etc. Good luck.
- I did. I basically said, "I can't believe you would question my professional ethics like this."dMullins
- duckofrubber0
Just a coincidence really.
- uan0
how about putting those swooshs into the top right atomic blast thing and place that around the point in the exclamation mark, that would be far enough from 'the invinsibles'(?)
- jimzyk0
That's cockshit.
To come out and accuse you of ripping it, without any discussion. i don't think i could stand for that. Did they let you explain yourself or what happened in the end?They appear very similar yes, but i have seen closer identity similarities in my short time in this design lark... Especially if the parent company already has a bloody swoosh! the exclamation point is a generic typographic element. its not as if the invisibles ;) identity has a goat with a penis or something really unique..
Dissapointing that your workies would accuse you like that. Good luck with it all!
- rgbninja0
Wowzers duder!! yer company sounds worse and worse everytime you post something about it! why are you still there? you are way more talented than having to put up with this shit all the time.
- iCanHasQBN0
Fuck those jerkoffs. It's an exclamation point, not even an "i" like the incredibles.
That movie looks stupid anyway. I'm GLAD I didn't see it.
- My boss said, and I quote, "An exclamation point is just an upside-down i "dMullins
- I almost flipped out when he said that.dMullins
- OH MY GOD.iCanHasQBN
- I know how you feel. I was accused of this kind of shit once before. Frustrating as hell.iCanHasQBN
- Um. It is an upside-down ihedged