Plagiarism In Design

Good artists copy, great artists steal.

This quote attributed to great artist Pablo Picasso makes us to rethink and discuss about the thin line between inspiration and imitation.

An initiative by Surfaces reporter magazine’s ‘the talk of town’ city events

In the connected world today, there remains no barrier between countries, continents and most importantly ‘thoughts.’ While the availability of this vast array of information is working to our benefit, there are a few cons which make us think, “Were we better off in the good old days?” Such a thought crosses our minds especially in situations where we see the trust factor being challenged, where one crosses the thin line between ethical and unethical, where Inspiration becomes Imitation. It is not uncommon to encounter such cases in the world of architecture and design, where every designer is working with roughly the same basic tools, the same interfaces, the same shapes, and in many cases, the same information.

PLAGIARISM IN DESIGN: INSPIRATION OR IMITATION?

Agreed, creativity has its own limitations, but how much is too much? As we discussed the issue of ‘Plagiarism in Design’ at #SRPRthetalkoftown in multiple cities across India, the amazing insights widened our perspectives. Inspired by the viewpoints revealed on the ‘not so favored’ topic of discussion, we geared up to explore more. The research allowed us to see how designers and architects have been facing the menace of plagiarism since ages. The instances are on the rise in the digital world. As the thin line of difference between copying and inspiration is rapidly blurring, architects and designers from different parts of the country share with us the rising concerns and the methods to stay afloat!

The Woe is Not New

Copying in architecture and design has always existed, it’s just that in the digital world, the instances have increased manifold.

ZAHA HADID’S DESIGN WAS ALLEGEDLY COPIED BY A CHINESE COMPANY