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Would you consider imitation flattering or infuriating?
I am sure it varies with different circumstances, but I have seen all kinds of reactions when others have imitated another's art, actions, and words.

In society it is strictly forbidden to copy another's written word in accordance of copyright infringement. When it has been done, it is known as plagiarism. Students have been expelled from school for this unlawful act.

What are your opinions on this?

If the Imitation was helpful,was not parodied and in some way came from the heart of the other Person then I would be flattered.But if it wouldn`t fall into the above categories,I wouldn`t be too happy.Though I can`t say that I`d be infuriated,just annoyed

I find imitation annoying...and if the imitation is done for some sort of gain...whether it be monetary or some other means, I find it infuriating. Especially when it comes to artwork, or even when it comes to the content of various member pages/profiles/journals/coven pages around the site.

Would you consider imitation flattering or infuriating?

More annoying than anything. People should learn to be more creative and unique and less like someone else.

There are so many people on this site that sometimes they make "similar" choices in regard to their profiles. I have been here a very long time, way beyond the two years this profile shows and have seen it. I have also had people steal graphics right off of my profiles that I have tweaked and made my own...yes that is infuriating. Time passes and you forget about it. As for written works, that's something else and copyright laws vary by country. People should do their own work. I have an article in the database and was not originally asked if it was OK to put it there. It was taken out of an e-zine I use to write for. That technically is copyright infringement. It's OK now because the link to it had to be changed and I gave that information. My stories are mine but I can tell you any one might find someone who has written independently with similar themes but not exactly the same ideas about a topic. I write a lot of non fiction and some are debunking things or editorial in nature. If someone was to take those people would know because often they deal with the vampire community. I no longer use the Y spelling because it has become sort of passe' in the community unless you live in South Africa or some place like that. If someone wants to use excerpts in an article from things I have written as long as they give proper identification as to the fact I'm the author, I'm fine. One can use up to 200 words in the US as reference material for educational purposes in an article without it being copyright infringement. If it was just a reference then in that case I might very well be flattered.

I have had the experience of being imitated and am guilty of unknowingly (and then being self-aware and catching myself) imitating someone I admire and like. I usually end up.imitating the male sex. Being a female, I have a live-hate relationship with the male species. When I get to know someone and if it turns out that I like them enough, I find myself imitating that aspect of behaviour or way of thinking. I do not lose myself in it, but I just act the way they do unconsciously.

Honestly, I find it annoying as hell to be imitated completely as the intentions of the imitator can be negative. Poking fun, sarcasm and just plain bullying are some motives. I guess it depends on the motives of the imitator.

In my opinion imitation is MOSTLY irritating in it's lack of originality & sincerity. However, if it's done out of love or respect, it can be acceptable.

I am not a fan of imitation. They say it's the highest form of flattery, but in my mind it's the lowest a person can sink. I've had my words stolen more times than I really care to count. There's actually someone here who hijacked my writings off a number of my profiles, twisted the words, and made them their own. The claim it was coincidence, but the similarities were too many to just be mere coincidence. And it made me feel violated. That someone took what I poured so much of myself into to use as their own. As an artist, I simply cannot stand for that kind of behavior.

There is a reason plagiarism isn't allowed in schools and the like, because you need to find your own voice, you need to be able to express your own thoughts and emotions using your own words. To simply take from someone who came before you and pass it off as your own work is a line no one should cross.

Having had my created ideas stolen on several occasions, I must agree that that kind of thing angers me. That's just plain plagerism...NOT imitation.

You forget to say Funny. Those people are in some way funny creatures. If they take something that you create, then, you are superior to them, why get mad, feel honor that someone is using your talent. My 2 cents to the topic.

Imitation does bring about a sense of familiarity and it may foster a sense of belonging... Like in a family... but you know what They say" Familiarity breeds contempt". Feel honoured to be imitated? Yes, you could be right.. Especially when information is shared so openly on the net and in books... there is a fine line between imitation and plagiarism.

If someone is stealing another's works, style, and such that they usually wouldn't have anything to do with, it is infuriating. It has happened to me quite often.. things I start wearing, other people wear. I wear what I like, not what I think others would like. The monkey see monkey do is exactly the thing I stay away from and I love to point it out.

I don't find it flattering at all.. its like.. I work hard to create the things I do.. and it matters not what it might be.. everything is an extension of me.. i am not a hater, but i don't like being copied or imitated..
it pisses me off..

bless they have a written agreement to pay me, and give me partial name credit, then forget it. and only after I receive payment

If I'm asked for permission and I get credit for it also if they are making money of my work then I want a percentage

In my job that's how people learn by imitating what the more experienced guys are doing. If you then like how a certain person deals with a situation you borrow it and make it your own.

Usually it's infuriating if they don't give me credit

I always cite my sources because I'm not afraid to admit that I'm not a super genius and that I'm too lazy to figure it out myself

Some say imitation is the highest form of flattery. I believe it to be true.
If you cannot be original, think for yourself and actually be an individual, that is your choice, imitate someone and continue to be stupid to the end of time. It is only YOUR problem.
The good teachers teach by example, by being. So, if someone imitates a good person, maybe it will be helpful, for a while.
Imitators do another good thing: attract attention to the original, and spread the word about it, on a scale and in some form. People who think will always look for the original to see what the fuss is about.
Now, when you imitate a stupid person, a non-valor and useless to society, it is infuriating, because it spreads the stupidity. But we're back to square one, where the stupid imitates the stupid (shopping spree during Black Friday, anyone?).
Do not confuse imitation with copying. They are two different things. An imitator will put something of his personality (whatever little he/she has) into the imitation, whilst the one who copies another person's words for their personal use, do just that... copy. But, in the end, it is not the original's problem.
I guess people get infuriated when they discover, if that, they've been played by a copier or an imitator, but maybe they should've check better their sources, right? Because, in the end, we ALL imitate or copy someone for our personal use at some point in our life. The key is not to get stuck in that direction.
Good luck!

I think copying something that another person worked so hard on is wrong, and as well, should be punished.

well they do say,, Imitation is the best flattery.. to me.. its a bunch of BS.. Reading all of your responses.. I do agree, and as i have started myself.. its wrong in my opinion . Now, having a think on this.. I guess Imitation by say, an actor.. portraying another..is a different thing, that type I can see.. and have no problem with.. but when it comes to leeching someone else's style, creativeness, works,, poems, stories, art.. etc,, yeah.. NO.. not flattering at all.. I see a TON of profiles on this very site.. many are done the same.. with as much stuff as they can muster into the codes.. yes ok its nice, but EVERY one i seem to open/view these days is like the other.. sure different pics,, and such. but.. music, graphics.. blings.. etc. i like to open/view those that are simple.. without all the lag..

I don't like copy cats at all so if is possible please add there work on your page it really is a positive motivation

I cant apparently read "Imitation" took me a bit to figure out the word and what it was. I shared a story with someone online and they stole it used it as their own I was pretty darn angry

Infuriating, I can't even stand those who copy and paste quotes and don't quote who said them, which I see it often on social sites. I can't even stand seeing a whole paragraph on a Forum post. I totally hate it.

I had a friend who really admired me and dare I say, worshipped the ground I walked on. She took this creepy worship to whole new levels, getting the same peircings I got. At first it was flattering (they kept thanking me for giving them courage - er... okay, whatever) but then it started to get really, really irritating... and by the time we reached the point where I'd MENTION a body modification (and they'd get it) - I was past irritated and borderlining infuriation.

I think people should... I like the idea of people wanting to be their own person, instead of trying to base themselves on their idea of someone ELSE.

I SUCK at poetry, so on the rare occasion when I see something that I really like and may want to incorporate into a writing project I'm working on, I ALWAYS ask for permission to use the poem. I will also display the person's name with their copyright, if he/she has one.

So, while taking someone's work because you really like it may be flattering to the creator of said work, one has to remember that if no permission was granted, it is STEALING.

And speaking of stealing, when I was a teen, I once drew a picture of a low rider dude holding a can of beer. I sent it to a magazine, and lo and behold...there was my drawing, with another person's name on it.
I was so pissed!

When imitating you are just barrowing words and/or pictures from lives bruised by the act of living to reflect the same thought.

When it comes to art i find it reprehensible when somebody steals another persons art claiming it as there own. To me that is stealing, I have never understood why people do that. In the first place they always get caught sooner or later.

But id somebody imitates the way somebody else dresses or has their hair cut i would be flattered

I don't have issues with imitation when its them imitating the way I do my hair or the way I dress, but when they are coping or taking my work and claiming it to be their own I have a problem and get quite upset.
What really bothers me is when I say an Idea I had and then another person says the same thing and doesn't give me credit for my idea. I have had and have this happen to me quite often.

To me it would really depend on what was being imitated. If you want to dress like me, dye your hair like me, and things like that, then whatever that's cool. I can't stop you from doing that. The clothing and hair, you can get that any where really.

If you copy my writing or my art, then it may be more of a problem. Those things are originals, something that I worked hard for. That's when imitation turns into infuriating.

Now I do find this odd that many have yet to even acknowledge this. Though there are laws to copyright things commercially. We all also need to understand that there is in truth a 'fair use' clause in the same law.

In basic terminology, I will express such by simply pulling an excerpt from it. Basicly the law is as follows:

"One of the rights accorded to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords. This right is subject to certain limitations found in sections 107 through 118 of the copyright law (title 17, U. S. Code). One of the more important limitations is the doctrine of “fair use.” The doctrine of fair use has developed through a substantial number of court decisions over the years and has been codified in section 107 of the copyright law.

Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair."~ U.S. Copyright Office - Fair Use

Reference: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

Now, notice as there are several key items here. By this law, someone can in fact 'barrow' any and all copyrighted object. So long as there are key points set. First, it cannot be used in a commercial situation. Aka profit cannot be in effect.

Next, the item if as you see above are written. They must have quotations. ( "" ) That's a big part that defines plagiarism from Free Use. Pictures hold a different guideline.

The following is also an important key thing that must be adhered too as well. Credit, it must be given unless the author had asked to not wish for such.

The final thing is a for your own wish thing. Often times seen as a must. Though it does save your ass in court. Permitting, asking for use is recommended, but not demanded by law. Which is stated in the following quote from the same site.

"The safest course is to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material. The Copyright Office cannot give this permission.

When it is impracticable to obtain permission, you should consider avoiding the use of copyrighted material unless you are confident that the doctrine of fair use would apply to the situation. The Copyright Office can neither determine whether a particular use may be considered fair nor advise on possible copyright violations. If there is any doubt, it is advisable to consult an attorney."

Notice the key words. Consider, confident, may... There are more that could show the same key. Though, you can see them clearly yourself.

So, do I see it any of the following? Imitation, flattering, or infuriating? So long as Fair Use is implemented I frankly don't give a crap. It's not breaking any rules, laws, or by-laws. Thus I have no issue. Give credit where credit is due, and quote where it must be.

Forgive me for the long post but I thought it should be brought up. Simply because I have seen several people bicker about the same thing as this forum and not even understand the law at all.

If you want a full understanding of the Copyright Law and Infringement Act, visit the following site: http://www.copyright.gov/

Thank you, Darkness, for pointing out the legal issues regarding the topic - so far as the laws are concerned in the US anyway.
And that link at the bottom of your post is a very useful resource. Thank you again!

You're quite welcome, if I knew where to find laws for the UK and other countries I would gladly post them as well. Either way it probably should have cleared up a good amount of things.

As a writer myself, I know that my work if posted publicly can be placed anywhere and everywhere. The only things I ask is to be credited for it and nothing more. Isis, whom is above me has actually asked already to use one of my works. I politely accepted.

How I have been taught is this: Anyone can draw, anyone can write. A true artist though is willing to share their own works in betterment of all. For art teaches far better than any book.

I pretty much do my own thing. I have written many articles that are up in my main mentorship. Here recently, I found one of them in another VR mentorship.. I am not going to say which one, for fear of creating a bunch of drama. However, I was sifting through all the VR mentorships, just because I hadn't done it in a while, and just wanted to see, who had what. I checked out a mentorship that belonged to a long-time acquaintance of mine... I looked at the pages.. and there was one with the same title as one of my own.. So I clicked on it thinking, hey cool. I can see someone else's opinion on a fact! I started to read MY OWN article! And not only that, I did not get ANY credit for writing the article. I was PISSED!

If you're doing something as a form of drawing attention towards the original artist as a personal interpretation, then fine. However if doing it just for the purpose of drawing attention towards yourself, then I've a problem with that.

Mary, in that case it would not follow under the laws in a legal manner. You being the original 'artist' could request it be pulled down.

Mel I d have to agree with you on that. There are several ways to place a notation tot he artist, embed it into a link, scroll over a picture and provide a admiration, and even putting a footer down on the page explaining you own no rights to the pictures. Personally I haven't finished my profile completely so I do need to get that set up myself.

It's strange how this can be blown out of the sky as bad as it does though. I admit I take pride in what I write, unlike my writings in chats and such. Though if asked, I will gladly let someone use it so long as they abide by the laws.

People often copy my style which I think is extremely flattering.

I only get annoyed when someone takes my photos and pretends to me be, but that too is actually pretty flattering.

You always give credit where it's due under all/any circumstances

if someone was to copy my forbidden per say i would be completely cool with that

when it comes to copying people works its not that fukking hard to just simple put who the original artist was but even though they are stealing and trying to hide it....u have to admit as much as that is wrong and pisses u off to no end...the fact that someone has gone to ALL that work and trouble to take something that is ur and try everything they can to pass it off as there is a pretty good sign that they worship the thing u have created and is flattering....but as flattering as it is still a really dick move stealing someones stuff in the end

I wouldn't have a problem with it in fact I would find it cute and adorable.

"Good artists copy, great artists steal."- Pablo Picasso
Playing the devils advocate, he has a point. For example of modern society, people who use PhotoShop for essentially a photo or artwork found as stock or whatnot, wasn't there's to begin with. Doesn't mean they are any less of an artist.
There are also copy rights vs a non-traditional method of the anti-copyright.
Always remember to copyright your work.


I do agree that it can be annoying though. I had a friend on here who was always trying to copy my sarcastic comedy. They wouldn't leave my journal alone and once left over 60 comments just because I hadn't typed to them in the last 24 hours. So they'd write entries and steal the words I used in the jokes for themselves. This friend was literally obsessed.
Can you imagine though? So creepy, lol. Someone reading my life's story to have their say in things and copy it. O.o
If I liked medical, they liked medical. If I got a tattoo, they'd want a tattoo. Lol

Well, dear writer, if you don't want it to be taken, then, don't posted. This is the world of cyber. There are not too many rules about imitation and flattering. We are a community of Vampires and because we are minority, then, we just learn to live with the poor intellectuality of many.

Also to mention. If you use someone's material, fail to give them name credit, and make a financial profit, that's an act of theft.

It is said plagerism (imitating) is the highest form of flattery.

Omega, you don't understand the meaning of the words "plagiarism" and "imitation", given that statement. Plagiarism is not imitation, it's outright theft of someone else's work, and then claiming it as your own. Imitation is not always theft.

It can also get you expelled for University and goes on a permanent record. It will follow you for decades Nicholas Simmons the son of the rockstar Gene was making a comic book, and was accused of the same thing. he never published that comic, and has disappeared from the scene.

I think I find it both flattering and annoying at the same time. I've had people steal my poetry and say it was theirs. Not a good feeling but at the same time they liked it enough to want it.

I find it annoying, and am a strong supporter of individuality. Imitation means you are losing that part of you and that's kinds annoying and bad for the imitator in the long run.

Annoying because I think everyone should be their own individual selves an not be someone they are clearly not.

Imitation is infuriating. If you can't think of an idea, don't do the thing. And especially DO NOT take credit for ripping off someone else's work.

for me it can be flattering or annoying depends

as long as they dont claim art or editing as they own and they add something of they own i dont see any harm in it

Imitation can be flattering. Copying and claiming as your own is not. You can imitate someone's style without copying them exactly. That form of imitation is flattering. To make an exact copy of someone's work is wrong unless you have permission and they are being credited and possibly compensated. Even parody can be flattering. If you ask a lot of music artists they would love to be parodied by Weird Al because that's a sign they've made it.

As a creative and interpretive transposition of a recognizable other work or works, it is a kind of extended palimpsest and, at the same time, often a transcoding into a different set of conventions.

At least... that's what the ol' professor tells me.

I'm gonna go play in the sandbox now.

In my opinion everything gets copied sooner or later and the better the concept the more likely it is to be recycled.
I'm pretty sure that Vampires, Raves, and even Vampire Raves were around prior to this website, that doesn't mean Cancer plagiarised it... it was simply his twist on an idea. The would wrestling federation WWF was legally forced to cease and desist using the abbreviation because the world wildlife federation was using it first. As if you could actually stake a claim to the alphabet... yet so judge did just that.
Now don't get me wrong, intellectual property is important but there has to be some level of flexibility or it stifles over all creation. Ann Rice could never have written her novels without infringing on some of what concepts Bram Stoker coined. Idea's are seldom singular or exclusive to a single person... the light bulb, the telephone, automobiles, and many other ideas where thought up by multiple inventors at the same time.
If you want to share and express yourself, in opinion or knowledge, invention or artistry then how can you possibly be irritated by those who enjoy what your mind and hands have produced enough to expand on it??

I think that imitation is sort of flattering. It has been said already but everything seems to get copied sooner or latter. If i write a movie,book,song and some one thought it was good enough that they wanted to "copy" or write something based off it I myself would find it very flattering.

I'd have to say flattering. If its good enough to imitate, it must be good! On the other hand, bully's who "mimic" another person, or copy them in a negative way, then its bad, as are bullies.

Being a photographer it is so common for wildlife and nature images even architectural images to be taken in the same way. It can be inspiring in a scene. However when you take an image from another photographer even if you do not change anything about the image but put your own name on it, it is a $32,000 dollar fine per image. along with 5 years in prison here in the states. I agree that there should be laws like this and imitating another's photograph is not considered copy write infringement even though I think there should be. However I can see their point because it is extremely difficult to recreate another's image perfectly. Now when it comes to writting it is very nerve racking and makes me angry. Those were my ideas do not copy what I write and worked hard on to create then call it your own.

gonna say irritation cause i get annoyed and when i say i am i use that word, alltot.

Depends if I was imitated on one of my bad days :) Otherwise no, flattering. Of course i wouldn't want a doppleganger hanging around all the time, it might encourage an Elvis situation, if you know what I mean.

It really depends on the circumstance.

If the imitators give credit to their source, and only take parts of a work then it's okay, however itcan be very infuriating if credit is not given where it is due, and the entire work Is copied

Imitation is dumb. Be yourself. Write your own things. Make your own art. Say your own words. If you need to make a comparison or explicate an idea, "quote" a person.
What really annoys me are these stupid people (and some of them are on here) that try to look like the next person. They will goth themselves out or try and look like another person but NEVER put up a picture of themself without all the silly makeup and shit. It's dumb. Be yourself! Don't imitate! People like uniqueness, not clones of the idiot next door. Everyone is unique they are just too damn lazy towbe who they are. Why would I want to be a ho ass slut when I can be myself, bitchy, rude, a and honest. I may not look like a model, but I ask me. And I think I'm pretty awesome!

I personally find it annoying, but each to their own..

I used to be around a lot of people younger or my age when out of school, we'd all hang out..and when someone comes out the next day wearing something you wore the day before, it's ridiculous. Be yourself.