
Oh my GOSH. Last week guys? Oy!
If you follow me over on Instagram you’ll know it was brought to my attention last week that I fell victim to a terrible instance of brand theft and logo infringement. A woman in Cape Town, South Africa stole my logo claiming to have designed it herself (she did remove the hummingbird and word ‘Events’) and decided the Hey Gorgeous brand name was awesome enough to become her business name too. She launched her business exactly one month after the new Hey Gorgeous Events went live in December and the worst of all, has been using my logo on her labels and packaging. I was absolutely devastated to see everything in front of my own eyes and a bit shocked that people like this even exist.
“The threat of theft is the cost of business.” I read this on Unfettered Ink last year and immediately saved it to my desktop. I’m very honest, transparent, giving and kind both in business and life, and owe a lot of my success to that. But then there’s days like last Thursday where I feel like it’s easier to have your identity, photos, work, ideas, logo and even your business name stolen from you when you put your heart out into the open. So maybe I should scale back on my blog posts to prevent more instances like this. Design less editorials. Talk less about going after my dreams. Or get rid of the authentic and beautiful brand I’ve worked so hard to build. It’s easy to settle when we feel defeated right?
Here’s what I think though. Now that I’ve had a bit of time to calm my heart and think clearly.
Instances like mine from last week fuel you up and motivate you to be that much better. They drive you to protect yourself and your ideas more intently. They bring to light how incredible friends, family, clients and acquaintances are when they do the right thing to support you and stand together in a fight for what’s right and what’s fair. And best of all days like last Thursday teach you about grace and holding your head high when you feel like you’ve been punched in the gut. I’ve also learned that you can be the nicest, sweetest, hardest-working, most talented, quirkiest, funniest or established individual the wedding industry, or any industry for that matter, has ever seen and someone is still always going to have a problem with you, find someway to bring you down, and take what yours. Don’t let them.
My dear friend and colleague, Courtney Dellafiora, recommended an amazing book to me last week in the midst of all this craziness. As someone who has experienced her own share of copy cats and thieves, she told me that the best way to make it impossible for people to copy you is to implement so much of YOURSELF into your brand that there’s no logical way anyone could get away with stealing. And I’ve always believed so fully that my brand is what it is because it’s so personal. So I’m going to keep sharing, and keep being me because I sure don’t know any other way. I hope all of YOU will tweet this post and facebook it and pin it and email it and share these words so that artists, creative types, business owners and authentic, good, true and honest people can thrive and succeed just like they are meant to.
So whose with me?
Photo above by Leah Mullet. Complete with MY logo on MY tote bags for clients :) Isn’t it pretty?
29 thoughts on The Threat of Theft
So sorry to read this…I live in Cape Town and I know the Company you are referring to. I don’t know her personally but I am shocked to hear that she would copy your logo and hard work like that! We all get inspiration from others but copying someone else’s work so blatantly is not on! I can only apologise on her behalf and on behalf of Capetonians and can assure you that we are not all the same :). Love your logo and your work!
Thanks for the pep talk – right there with ya.
The next day I wrote to you I found my own texts, which I published on my wedding web site on two other competitive companies, working as I do on Polish market…
Some people all over the world are cheating but as you I got so many nice answers to my post that I’m going to do my job as best as I can :)
I was shocked to hear of this, Rhi. Why would someone want to start their own company and not have it be about themselves? Why would they just want to steal someone else’s ideas & skip out on the fun of creating something that’s about you? It’s baffling to me! I love how positive you are and love the idea that you’re going to infuse even more of yourself into your brand! You’re an inspiration.
C x
Dear Rhi,
I have been you fan from the first day I saw your blog for the first time, which was before your rebranding.
I was so sorry when I read this post, because in Poland we have such situations so often, people are used to copying other ideas.
I am very happy that I can inspire myself visiting other blogs and websites and I am very happy to find when other wedding themed Bloggers publish my photos which have my watermark or a subtitle but I get crazy when I see them in others web pages in “Gallery” section.
From the early morning I have been looking for the perfect wedding invitations for one of my Clients and I got very angry when I found the lovely 2 years old projects copied by other company and after a few words with their sales assistant I decided to write about to to shout that I hate this:
http://blog.wytworniaslubow.pl/2013/03/kopiowanie-zabija-kreatywnosc.html#comment-form
The worst thing is that copying kills creativity…
Thank you Rhi for you inspiring blog, for your inspiring brand and strength you gave me to write what I really feel, despite the fact that I can loose a lot when going for such fight with other wedding vendors. I can always delete my post if things go wrong but I still believe in a positive feedback.
Good luck xxx
Sorry to hear about what happened, I think its awful when people go to such lengths to cheat their way to the top and I have always found that although they may get there its an empty place to be with no one to share it with.
Keep your faith in people and your positivity, it maters and comes acros to everyone you meet. Christina (Belfast, Ireland)
SO with you! What happened to you was/is so scary and awful, but you can’t let it stop you! I’m so glad to hear you’re not going to let it.
Looks like you’re making lemonade…..good for you! This can happen to anyone, in any venue, but knowing this doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you. Thank you for continuing to share your life and your work.
Holy smokes Rhi – you are such an inspiration. I hope that woman gets the spoonful of karma she deserves!
100% with you, Rhi. It’s despicable that this woman, instead of taking the time to put herself into her brand and products, simply piggybacked off of your hard work, love, sweat, and tears. We all saw how much of yourself you put into this rebranding, and I think that makes it especially horrible.
I will never understand the people who so blatantly copy and then deny it vehemently. They always blame someone else… their web designer, their intern, whoever.
It feels like not a month goes by where I don’t hear of this sort of thing happening to someone who has clearly put so much of themselves into their business. I’m not sure what to make of this other than to shake my head at those people and hope that they are all caught up with, and that justice is served, whether in the case of a lawsuit or just a total and complete takedown of all they have stolen (a heartfelt apology would be nice, too, right?)
So sorry this happened, but I admire your response to it.
I’m so sorry this has happened to you, but glad to hear that it’s just inspired you to shine!
So glad you are turning the situation into a learning experience and staying positive! You are so strong! What was the book titled your friend recommended?
You are an absolute inspiration. I want to second what Kristin said, that as your work becomes better-known, it gets harder to copy you. Unfortunately, there’s this icky middle part, where you’re attracting notice but not quite yet at the level where people wouldn’t dare copy you.
Just this week, I came across a beautiful example of how another blogger is handling a copyright infringement. As your platform grows, this is a model for how to handle the infringement in such a way that brings more attention back where it belongs — to your work. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/346367/
Behind you all the way, Rhi. I love that your brand is big enough and powerful enough to attract such a following that someone DID notice that this was happening, halfway across the world. And the more well-known your brand becomes, the more silly people would be for stealing it. Does anyone ever try to create a shoe line called Nike? Nope. Because the real Nike is such a household name that they wouldn’t dare try. Hold your chin high and your standards higher because of this. Let this be a message to the rest of the world that you do take action, and that it’s not worth stealing your brand because of it. xoxo
Hi Rhiannon, I’m a friend of Steph’s, from Bubblerock. I’ve had similar things happen to me when I was in business. One thing I’ve always remembered is a wee line which is from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland… “Take care of the sense and the sounds will take care of themselves…” To me it means heart first. Results will come naturally. Good luck. I really like your style under pressure.
i saw this on instagram..how terrible! i can’t believe it. i agree with other commenters, they just wanted to steal your name and logo because it’s so beautiful! good for you for not letting them get you down…. no one can be you!
Of course the logo is beautiful and perfect! I love the insight that Courtney gave, that makes complete sense… make something so completely u that if someone is going to copy your ideas it will be so obvious!
Keep up the great work and don’t let this get you down!
I’m so sorry that you had to go through this. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but it’s also a major pain in the butt! Take heart knowing that you cultivated a brand worthy of envy. I’m sure everything will work itself out for you!
xoxo,
Chelsea & The City
sometimes we have to call on a lawyer to solve these uncomfortable conflicts for us. In genuine people are a dime a dozen and you have to stay one step ahead of them …legally.
Rhi,
I read this almost teary-eyed and then like the sleeping bear I can be I got angry and downright furious for you! Keep your head up girl–and send a cease and desist.
xoxo,
Phebe
So unbelievable Rhi! Keep your head high and we’re all routing for YOU! Xo
We have had this happen to us too in a slightly different way, so I know just how much it can take the wind out of your sails. Love your response to it and your unwillingness to let the copycats change who you are or what your brand represents. More power to you! xoxo
Kicking it up a notch ~ you go girl! Hold your head high and do what you do. xo
It would be such a shame to lose beautiful, creative people like you due to few bad seeds out to ruin it for others. Stay strong & stay YOU!
i know it’s no consolation, but no one would copy unless you had something great and worth stealing. that being said, i think making your brand all about you is totally the way to go and i’m going to keep that in mind for my little blog. one of the main reasons i keep coming back to hey gorg (other than beeuteeful weddings) is your voice on the blog and how i feel like over time i’ve gotten to know you. did you see jess constable’s piece on stealing content on make under my life? you should check ‘er out- some great reflections that i’m sure you can relate to. keep on keepin’ on, rhi!! xox
So terribly awful, Rhi.
Unfortunately some who are in this business of creativity {or want to be} are dishonest and lack any sense of right.
We recently stumbled on a company using a near copycat of our text {OURS that describes who we are! and the quirky things we love and what we do!} and the best advice is to forge on, send a Cease and Desist and simply keep plugging. We’ve had copycats mimic elements of what we do so many times and the bright side is that, as they lack a basic knowledge of business and right and wrong, they usually don’t last long.
We hope you’re able to get this solved and send a Cease and Desist…know that your talents and brand you’ve built will shine through!
Best of luck, Aleah and Nick
Rhi
You’re amazing!!!! I’ll share this on Pinterest and Twitter.
Xoxo
Nancy
Love this and love you. I got your back girl. I seriously cannot the nerve of some people
We are there, all the way. Out of support for you and other businesses like yours and ours. But also because we want to protect ourselves and protect what we take time and honesty to create.