The old question of where you the first to design it anyway. I
have been throwing out old photo albums full of ring designs and
cuttings from mags and other sources. Going through them I find
the designs take a circle come on and go out again. When you look
back you find that it has all been done before and your design is
not all that new. If in the future the laws did not allow copy of
design and restricted close and similar pieces as has been
mentioned. The small jeweler will be very quickly out of work. As
the big manufactures would have the resource to take legal action.
They would not have to win as the cost of the action would cripple
most small jewelers having the effect wiping all the small guys
from the market. Only the small jeweler would loose and he seems
to be the one pushing for it.
I also find it hard to imagine how any jeweler of any size can say
they have not had a customer come to them with a cut out picture
and said they love this ring can you do it with a 50pt dia in it
and turned them away. This is why the jewelry trade has survived
when most other small manufactures in other industries have long
gone.20
I have my designs copied and sold on many occasions. To the extent
that a manufacturer rang me and said I was copping his ring when
his traveler had bought the original of me and had taken it back
to the boss who them produced the ring. That is the problem of
making rings with good thick shanks.20 I just laugh and get on with
the next job. I have never had a design not sell because somebody
else has copied it, and I think it makes very little difference to
this trade when it happens. I say this not to make enemies but to
keep the freedom to create in the trade. As complex laws cost
money. Phil