Most blatant copyright infringement you’ve ever seen

Glaceon · 25-06-2021 11:11pm

I recently saw a video from the design company that created the current BBC logo. The main reason for changing it was that the parallelograms didn't render well on-screen with the SD resolutions of the time. It was also intended to reduce the number of logos used by the BBC, which it did at the time, but it has now crept up again with the likes of BBC Northern Ireland having their own logo separate to the main BBC identity.

Muahahaha · 25-06-2021 11:37pm

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

I get the feeling that you might have missed the BBC logo in the OP’s photo. I mean, if you layer the two in Photoshop (the bread company and the one in the link above) they’re identical. They’ve used the BBC logo on their packaging, it’s as plain as day.

Soon as I saw the picture of the bread in the OP the BBC logo was recognisable, its an obvious copy of it because they have used the same font and type spacing. AFAIK a company can also invent a font and then copyright it too so whatever they write in that font is theirs, copying the font in any way is breaching copyright law.

The bakery has clearly copied the BBC logo, most likely in the hope that the BBC sue them and they get lots of free publicity before backing down. The Sun will be right behind the bakery for standing up to the big bad BBC, etc, etc

ElJaguar · 26-06-2021 12:05am

As mentioned before Aldi with their imitation wines and beers.

Aldi_BeachfrontPM.jpg?resize=500%2C666&ssl=1

mikhail · 26-06-2021 3:00am

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Although if you want complete take-the p1ss, not one single f*ck given copyright infringement, nobody does it better than the chinese

Fake Apple Store in China even fools staff

I remember reading a few years ago that China had three official Apple stores nationwide. I passed four the next day.

Gregor Samsa · 26-06-2021 7:12am

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The BBC have not kept to an exact logo. It looks like they are trying to freeze out everyone else by coming up with multiple designs.

https://www.logodesignlove.com/bbc-logo-design

Every big company changes their logo from time to time. Nothing about freezing anyone out of anything. It’s a simple brand refresh.

Gregor Samsa · 26-06-2021 7:21am

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Guys that make screen accurate movie props for retail surely have to be in some kind of contravention of copyright?

On that note, there’s a whole series of standard prop brands that are made for the movie industry, so that they don’t have to deal with licensing real-life brands. You’ll. see them used across multiple movies.

Morley cigarettes is a well known one (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morley_(cigarette) ) but there’s all kinds of products:

https://www.theearlhayspress.com/food-packaging

26-06-2021 7:48am

Muahahaha wrote: »

Supermacs Pat McDonagh won his legal case against McDonalds who were suiing for copyright infringement, specifically for the burger named 'Mighty Mac' and the name 'Supermacs'. Part of his defence in court on 'Supermac' was that it was his nickname as a child. This was, as Pat explained, due to him being so good at GAA football when he was a kid that all the other kids named him 'Supermac'.

The guy is some chancer, I dont believe that story for one second.

It was a big win for the small man, in this case supermacs is the small man. So many surnames start with MC or Mac that it's completely unfair for a huge corporation to have a stranglehold on it with deep pockets to ward off anyone who tries to use it.

Wibbs · 26-06-2021 10:28am

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Although if you want complete take-the p1ss, not one single f*ck given copyright infringement, nobody does it better than the chinese

Fake Apple Store in China even fools staff

It's another one of the reasons I proactively try to not buy Chinese made goods. It's pretty much impossible with things like phones and computers, but outside of that stuff if there's an alternative made elsewhere I'm willing to pay more for that. The Chinese government aren't "a great bunch of lads", it's an Orwellian state with serious breaches of human rights in a few areas and blatant copyright infringment and a built in it seems rip off culture and not something I want to support.

bodhrandude · 26-06-2021 1:27pm

Andrew Lloyd Webber ripping off the riff to Pink Floyd's Echoes in his Phantom of the Opera.

Dennis Leary's No Cure for Cancer record ripped off a good chunk of Bill Hick's repertoire.

FFVII · 26-06-2021 2:46pm

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

There's a certain poster in the Trump/Biden threads who quite often plagarises whole articles from sites. He changes/rewords small parts to make it look like his own work. When called out on this he will either totally ignore any posts mentioning it or disappear for a few days and come back as if nothing happened.

It's got to the point where you have to copy/paste parts of his rants into Google to see where he has stolen it from.

why bother? Just put on ignore.

AllGunsBlazing · 26-06-2021 2:51pm

The Apple brand already existed as a record label set up by the Beatles to release their own music and other artists they wanted to promote. They let Apple computers slide because they figured they would never be anything other than a computer manufacturing company.

the-beatles-vs-apple-computer.jpg?v=1481918145

the-beatles-vs-apple-computer.jpg?v=1481918145

theteal · 26-06-2021 2:56pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Aldis 'Hoops' are pretty identical to Hula Hoops, same packaging, same shape and same flavour The only thing they are missing is the 'Hula'

Not sure that counts here as it's the same product made in the same factory. Just different packaging for the low cost retailer.

Muahahaha · 26-06-2021 3:07pm

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

On that note, there’s a whole series of standard prop brands that are made for the movie industry, so that they don’t have to deal with licensing real-life brands. You’ll. see them used across multiple movies.

Morley cigarettes is a well known one (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morley_(cigarette) ) but there’s all kinds of products:

https://www.theearlhayspress.com/food-packaging

The fictional Oceanic Airlines is a similar movie industry prop to avoid them advertising actual airlines in films. Oceanic Airlines has been used in loads of productions from Lost to Bridget Jones. It even had a full website with fake booking system for a while. Its the worlds most unlucky airline having been involved in several hijackings, lighting strikes and being shot down by a surface to air missile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanic_Airlines#List_of_fictional_Oceanic_Airlines_flights

Gregor Samsa · 26-06-2021 3:39pm

AllGunsBlazing wrote: »

The Apple brand already existed as a record label set up by the Beatles to release their own music and other artists they wanted to promote. They let Apple computers slide because they figured they would never be anything other than a computer manufacturing company.

Actually Apple Computer and Apple Corps (music company) had a long running legal battle over the trademarks. Apple Computer eventually agreed not to use their trademark on on "creative works whose principal content is music".

When they were developing the operating system “System 7” in the early 90s, they had an alert sound based on a short xylophone riff. Apple Computer’s legal department objected to the name of the sound on the grounds that it was “too musical”, and would therefore be in breach of the Apple Corps agreement. The engineers renamed the sound “Sosumi”, which they claimed was a Japanese word, and didn’t mention that it was pronounced “so sue me”. The legal team cleared the name of the sound.

The legal dispute dragged on until 2007, when Apple Computer (by then known as Apple Inc) came to a final agreement with Apple Corps which gave them control of all the disputed trademarks, but with some of them licensed back to Apple Corps.

As Apple Inc have since gone on to get directly involved in the music business through iTunes/Apple Music, and The Beatles music is available on it, the agreement has clearly lasted.

AllGunsBlazing · 26-06-2021 3:51pm

Seems incredible that the Beatles simply didn't use their substantial clout, and I'm sure no
shortage of lawyers, to steam roll Apple Computers back when it was still a fledgling company.

Gregor Samsa · 26-06-2021 4:20pm

AllGunsBlazing wrote: »

Seems incredible that the Beatles simply didn't use their substantial clout, and I'm sure no
shortage of lawyers, to steam roll Apple Computers back when it was still a fledgling company.

Well, in fairness Apple Computer kept paying Apple Corps to settle, with various agreed terms. The first settlement was in 1981 for $80,000. Apple Computer agreed not to enter the music business, and Apple Corps agreed not to enter the computer business (as if that was actually going to happen).

Then over the years Apple Computer would test the agreement with various actions, and a new agreement would be reached with money going to Apple Corps and more favourable terms for Apple Computer. One such agreement in 1991 saw $26.5 million go to Apple Corps. Apple Corps did try to get more money after that, but judges ruled that Apple’s activities (around iTunes) were already covered under the existing agreements. Eventually in 2007 they both came to a final agreement and ended all legal disputes.

Looking back in it now, $26.5 million is chump change for Apple Inc, but by 1991’s standards Apple Corps did quite well out of that deal.

Burt Renaults · 26-06-2021 4:20pm

Badly fukt wrote: »

It was a big win for the small man, in this case supermacs is the small man. So many surnames start with MC or Mac that it's completely unfair for a huge corporation to have a stranglehold on it with deep pockets to ward off anyone who tries to use it.

Back in the early 1990s, there was a fast-food restaurant in Bray called "SuperJack's". McDonagh forced them to change their name. I think they changed it to "FastJacks".

...Ghost... · 26-06-2021 5:55pm

Burt Renaults wrote: »

Back in the early 1990s, there was a fast-food restaurant in Bray called "SuperJack's". McDonagh forced them to change their name. I think they changed it to "FastJacks".

Probably an apt name chosen due to the frequency their patrons ran to the lavatory.

Specials today?
The Waterloo Burger

Wibbs · 26-06-2021 6:12pm

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Well, in fairness Apple Computer kept paying Apple Corps to settle, with various agreed terms. The first settlement was in 1981 for $80,000. Apple Computer agreed not to enter the music business, and Apple Corps agreed not to enter the computer business (as if that was actually going to happen).

Then over the years Apple Computer would test the agreement with various actions, and a new agreement would be reached with money going to Apple Corps and more favourable terms for Apple Computer. One such agreement in 1991 saw $26.5 million go to Apple Corps. Apple Corps did try to get more money after that, but judges ruled that Apple’s activities (around iTunes) were already covered under the existing agreements. Eventually in 2007 they both came to a final agreement and ended all legal disputes.

Back in the eraly 90's when Apple's engineers added different system sounds their legal eagles got jittery about some of them being too "musical" in case the Beatles lawyers jumped at it. One of the engineers reckoned they should call one sound "Letitbleep" as a dig at the Beatles Let it Be album/song, but in the end they came up with the name Sosumi and told the legal dept it was a Japanese musical instrument. They presented it in written form in case the lawyers noticed it sounded like So Sue Me. They didn't and it remained as a system sound on Apple computers until the latest operating system came out last year where for some reason it's been renamed sonumi.

EDIT, well like the gobsh1te I am I missed Gregor's early post, but I'll leave my embarrassment up for all to see.

Samuel T. Cogley · 26-06-2021 6:15pm

Getting various scanned books on Intellectual Property on a USB stick in an Intellectual Property module.

Gregor Samsa · 26-06-2021 6:21pm

Wibbs wrote: »

EDIT, well like the gobsh1te I am I missed Gregor's early post, but I'll leave my embarrassment up for all to see.

You’re grand, Wibbs - I don’t have copyright on the story

Duckworth_Luas · 26-06-2021 6:24pm

Look at this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la086T7fbRo

Gregor Samsa · 26-06-2021 6:47pm

Another Beatles related trademark dispute settled:

Ringo Starr drops trademark fight over Ring O sex toys

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57600967

Killinator · 26-06-2021 6:58pm

the beer revolu wrote: »

It's an ancient symbol and crops up in different civilisations.
Pretty sure it's both Greek and Indian, for example.

It's popped up here as well in it's original form. The Cathedral in Cobh has them in moasaics on the floor bear the entrance

https://twitter.com/carrigman/status/1150755485886361600?s=19

ofcork · 26-06-2021 7:32pm

Wibbs wrote: »

Back in the eraly 90's when Apple's engineers added different system sounds their legal eagles got jittery about some of them being too "musical" in case the Beatles lawyers jumped at it. One of the engineers reckoned they should call one sound "Letitbleep" as a dig at the Beatles Let it Be album/song, but in the end they came up with the name Sosumi and told the legal dept it was a Japanese musical instrument. They presented it in written form in case the lawyers noticed it sounded like So Sue Me. They didn't and it remained as a system sound on Apple computers until the latest operating system came out last year where for some reason it's been renamed sonumi.

EDIT, well like the gobsh1te I am I missed Gregor's early post, but I'll leave my embarrassment up for all to see.

Suzanne jackson better watch out!!

Capt'n Midnight · 27-06-2021 6:54pm

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

The Aldi and Lidl stuff that has the same coloured packaging as the leading branded stuff....

No one's going to confuse a Roar bar with a Lion bar.

Polar bears are Arctic. Literally a world away from the Antarctic (which means no bear) where penguins dwell.

Capt'n Midnight · 27-06-2021 6:59pm

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The BBC have not kept to an exact logo. It looks like they are trying to freeze out everyone else by coming up with multiple designs.

The BBC froze out the police by taking out a trademark in 1994 on a certain blue box.

martingriff · 27-06-2021 7:02pm

For Forks Sake wrote: »

I always have a wry smile anytime I pass this place out near Swords

https://goo.gl/maps/E33WJ9Bzj2kEYNSQA

While you may take a second look. Nothing wrong with it

martingriff · 27-06-2021 7:06pm

whisky_galore wrote: »

Main St
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XdkrYYvoFCWrUehUA

Thats a cheeky one. Just as an aside do facebook have the thumbs up copyright. They must

Capt'n Midnight · 27-06-2021 7:26pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZm8vNHBSU

The music on this anti-piracy* ad was pirated by the music rights organisation themselves who when they lost the court case still tried to deduct a 33% cut of the fine on the basis they had collected that money for the composer.

Most blatant copyright infringement you’ve ever seen

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