Thread: Am I paranoid or are this copycats of some of my costumes?

This is driving me mad, there is an ebay vendor who has some totally ugly costumes, I find some details are pretty similar to some of my costumes:

http://www.bauchtanzkleid.de/bilder/22.1.07028.jpg
http://www.olafheeg.de/SHARI/galerie...ndus_weiss.jpg

http://www.bauchtanzkleid.de/bilder/dsc_20791.jpg
http://www.olafheeg.de/SHARI/galerie...SC_0073_cd.jpg

http://www.bauchtanzkleid.de/bilder/blus_0093.jpg
http://www.olafheeg.de/SHARI/galerie...SC_0022_cd.jpg

and even a costume I don't own any more and of which I don't pics any more
http://www.bauchtanzkleid.de/bilder/dsc_20301.jpg
http://www.bellydancer.de/images/IMG_0126.jpg
This had 2 pairs of sleeves, I used to wear it with princess sleeves

hubby doesn't see it
But I think it's pretty obvious, they even used the same colors for the costumes. This really feels blasphemous to me copying Bella and SIM costumes in such a half-assed way

They look like knockoffs to me. There are quite a few e-bay vendors selling knockoffs of Bellas, Sims and others.

What makes me maddest is when they post pics of the designer costumes but what they're selling is the bad knockoff.

I'm not seeing it either. MAYBE on the first one but not the others. I always thought that seller sold Sim and Bellas.

Very weird coincidences, have you contacted them?

It seems a little more than coincidental to me as well.

They seem like really bad knockoffs (BTW, I love the costume with the ruffles) to me. A lot of the specific details are copied, as well as very good if not perfect matches of colors.

I don't think you can actually do anything about it. How many dancers have made knockoff Melodia pants or done essentially carbon copies of The Indigo's costuming? In normal fashion, there are always cheaper knockoffs of things celebrities wear. I think it's frustrating and wrong (inspiration is one thing, flat out copying is another), but in terms of actually doing anything, I don't know if you can.

Hmmmm. Those pairs of costumes do have similar elements, almost as if someone studied the pics of the higher end costumes and made their own version.

But is that even illegal? As long as the seller isn't claiming it's a Bella or a Sim?

first, let me say that if you ever decide to sell the red one with ruffles please contact me :)
- seriously. its spectacular

ok back to topic:
yeah, thats "highly coincidental"
i've never seen a costumer copy one dancer so much like that. maybe one or two, but it seems as though you have inspired a whole knock off collection
very peculiar.
you should ask them to name the collection after you and post links to your website. lol

with the quality that the vendor is offering, I wouldn't ask for a link to your website! To me it's not a really obvious knock-off, but it's VERY suspicious that th evendor managed to find four costumes that mimic your costumes so well in color and style elements.

As long asthey're not selling these costumes under a label that they are not, or misrepresent the items by using pictures of the high-end costumes, what they're doing isn't illegal. Unfortunatly, making shoddy copies of designercostumes and selling them on ebay is not a crime. I wish it was, that would make it easier to find the good quality costumes.

I think yours are so much prettier anyway! It's all in the details.

Yours are phenom!

They're awfully similar!

Nice other see it too.
I first saw the blue one and as longer I strolled over the costumes as more I felt they were "inspired" by mine. I showed it hubby and he told me he doesn't see it.

Hey, speaks for my taste in costumes ;)