Hot Topic Steals Yet Another Design And Sells It As Its Own
Once again, Hot Topic is selling someone else's art as original work. The mallternative retail chain purchased the supposedly original design from Newbreed Girl, which has its own history of ripping off designs.
According to this post, artist Shawn Smith's "Son of Mustachio" character, seen here, has been repurposed on a shirt on Hot Topic's website, seen here. The artist is "not happy" and "dealing with it."
Earlier this year, Newbreed Girl took another artist's image and sold it on Hot Topic. And before that, we wrote about Hot Topic selling another artist's tattoo design as their own.
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@unobservant: So while following the links, I came across this LJ post about the resolution of one of the incidents you cited.
[finkenstein.livejournal.com] : "Also from what she said I have a feeling no one is going to be buying anything from "NewBreedGirl" for a long time."
So like, 8 months, then I guess.
@unobservant: OMG, I just noticed the mustache on the mustache!
But seriously, how can they get away with this repeatedly? It's definitely cruel to the original artist.
Is there any follow-up on the two earlier stories?
Ha, a meta-moustache!
Note to self: nerd.
Burn, burn down, burn down Hot Topic, burn it down, don't let it take your soul.
@unobservant: Yo dawg, I heard you like mustaches so we put a mustache on yo mustache so you can tickle your lips while you tickle your lips!
Anyone who shops at hot topic is an insecure moron. There, I said it.
@Applekid: You misspelled herd.
I'm not ashamed to admit I've occasionally bought things from Hot Topic. The last time was three years ago, before I noticed those $60 pants showing up at the local Rugged Warehouse for about $18.
@MercuryPDX: Ah, but you should have turned off "Moderate SafeSearch."
No, I have not tried it and I will not. I'd rather save my eyesight.
Neither design is very original IMO...but there's only one proper response to the t-shirt:
"Like a fungus."
Ummm....this probably isn't what we mean by mustache rides?!!?!
It was better than a lot of the other pics I found while searching with Moderate SafeSearch off.
Let's just say once you've seen something you can't unsee it and leave it at that ok?
I've worked for them. They don't make their own stuff, they buy it from vendors. Blame the vendor. When this issue has come up before the merch has been pulled immediately from the salesfloor and destroyed.
Do a search for "Hot Topic" here: [youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com]
They pull the plausible deniability thing all the time. "It's not our fault! We totally trust the people we buy from not to steal ideas!" Yeah, despite the fact that this keeps coming up again and again and again.
Bad retail chain! No biscuit!
Actually, they're also ripping off an old bustedtees t-shirt that said "Beards... they grow on you!" http://www.bustedtees.com/beards
Hot Topic is apparently the new Urban Outfitters.
@downwithmonstercable: i dont think you understand the depth of the pain i feel about society.
i'm gonna go cut my wrists and listen to linkin park now. i dare you to leave me alone!
@MercuryPDX: The title bubble caption for this T-shirt should say "I'm ready to ride!" not "I grow on you!"
I have heard that hot topic was owned by the GAP.. Is that true or is it only "EVERY THING YOU READ ON THE INNERJETS IS TRUE"?
Hot Topic is not punk rock!
You can't copyright an idea, only the execution of an idea. Provided there's enough subtle differences between the two designs (and it looks like there is), the artist is shit out of luck. Sure its a total dick thing for hot topic to do, but legally it's fine.
This is just another example of why fledgling (and accomplished I suppose) artists should NOT whore out their work to places like busted tees, threadless, etc...Find a local print shop or clothing company (yes, there is such a thing as local clothing companies...), get your designs on some shirts, and then start building a name in your nearby cities.
All of this internet "you pay nothing to make a name for yourself and make money selling on our stuff" is just watering down the design genre. If you're going to get serious about selling merch then start selling your own merch. Will it cost more than just uploading designs to cafepress? Of course it will! That's what building a business is all about. Capital, investments, and sales.
The instant-gratification bug is one of the biggest cripplers of young business people everywhere. Folks, take some time, build some savings and design portfolios, and then use that to either start up your own shop or partner with a clothing line.
I can't believe all these consumerist-ers think Hot Topic is the bad guy here. They're not good, don't get me wrong, but they're not the root of the problem. The root of the problem is that we've become "ok" with the cheap, easy, and "right now!" solution.
Threadless is the problem. Cafepress is the problem. BustedTees is the problem. Hot topic is just reaping the benefits and probably made more money off that shirt in the time they had to sell it than the designer has made in his entire "career" selling online.
My $.02
Off-topic, but my partner and I were in Hot Topic last weekend buying a late Christmas present and as we were checking out this high-school kid behind us (with the dyed black hair, dark eyeshadow, pain inside his heart, the whole bit) asked a woman working at the store: "Do you sell clip on lip rings? My mom won't let me get it pierced." I almost laughed right there, but was able to contain myself until we left the store. Very rebellious, that one!
Maybe Hot Topic should team up with Ebaumsworld. Match made in heaven.
@leprendun: when i was a teenager, my mother absolutely refused to let me have anything other than my earlobes pierced. i solved that problem by purchasing my own piercing needles and doing my own piercings.
people need to realize that they are capable of "expressing themselves" in ways other than simply buying into various product and genre idiocy.
"remember that you are unique. just like everybody else"
Hot Topic is so emo/vamp/trendy/stupid/outdated. I remember when Hot Topic first showed up and they were all metal, punk, and hardcore. They had cool original stuff. Now it's all just rip off look at me I'm cool too wannabe trashy rich trendy emo child stuff. If South Park rips on it, it's not cool and hasn't been cool for a while. Hot Topic, you died in 2001 when Nu Metal made the scene and you decided there was money to be made. They might as well sell how-to books on youtube and webcams. In fact, why doesn't every Hot Topic store have a twitter? They should have webcams in Hot Topic that let children post on youtube for $5 about their inner most darkness. Bet they'd make a few hundred bucks a day.
Did I forget to mention how low quality and horrible that shirt looks? Did someone's mom make it?
Designs like this need to stop. Seriously. Threadless... die. Hot topic... Die.
Unintelligent and stupid designs!
I have to admit that I have bought t-shirts from Hot Topic. They were the only place that sold Invader Zim shirts. But now I need to go buy more things to fill the hole you placed in my heart with your hurtful words.
Shawn (of Shawnimals) is actually a friend of mine. Shawn is also the designer of a Nintendo DS game- Ninjatown. So he's small and independent, but I mean, if you have a nintendo DS game based around your artwork that's fairly big.
The copy is obvious, and I'm sure there will be legal action involved. It's a very specific design- they could have just put a moustache with eyes on a tee. That tee is hideous, anyway. Shawnimals could have designed a much better-looking one.
If Hot Topic had problems with this vendor lifting other people's ideas before then they should have stopped dealing with them, but they haven't, so it just goes to show that Hot Topic isn't about supporting the 'original, creative' people it seeks to sell clothes to.
@joe.glass: But... Shawn Smith didn't "whore out" his work anywhere. The original isn't even a t-shirt. I'd like to know how what you just said is at all helpful to Shawn.
@Oranges w/ Cheese: what's everybody's beef with Threadless? are they stealing designs as well? selling original stupid designs is one thing, selling stolen designs is another...
The one on the left looks like a big dirty sanchez!!! ;)
@SharanyaSketch: my mistake, I confused this story with another one that was very similar. After re-reading the above I realize Shawn actually makes products, not just designs. I'll admit that my comment doesn't apply as much to him as it might others whom post their designs all over the net. I think the point's still valid, however it probably doesn't apply as much to this fellow.
confusion ftl.
@joe.glass: Yep, I bet the artist of the butt-loving soap t-shirt is kicking himself for not spending lots of money and going into the butt-loving soap business.
The word "art" is used quite liberally in the above article.
@silverundertone: Are you quoting a Hot Topic t-shirt to underline your point that Hot Topic is conformist? That's pretty meta.
@squish123: @squish123: @narq:
My memory must be longer then yours. Hot topic was originally a "goth" store. Remember back in the early to mid nineties when we had goths, South Park even created characters based on them. Hot topic use to cater to them complete with slutty faux Victorian dresses and platform vinyl boots for girls and trench coats with assorted zippers and pieces of metal hanging off it for guys.
But you are correct when NuuuuuMetal hit in the late 90's hot topic became Insane Clown Posse and Limp Bizkit headquarters and they moved all the old Victorian dresses and trench coats to the ceiling of the store where they still stand today as relics of a time past.
Speaking of goth kids I have to say I really like how South Park is able to poke fun at themselves and the goth characters. When the goth kids debuted on south park they represented a certain type of kid that people could relate to and recognize especially if you went to high school in the 90's. Now they are outdated because anyone who would have been goth in the nineties is now either "emo" or a "hipster" or whatever the hell they want to call themselves. (jackasses in tight pants?). But on the television show there is now more goth story lines then I've ever seen and the creators are having a ton of fun. Even the goth kid's classmates don't even know they're goth anymore and call them emo kids or vamps.
This shows how South Park is able to stay relevant after all these years. The creators are able to take characters for stereotypes that don't even exist anymore and weave them into plots that work perfectly over a decade later.
I bought my friend's baby that mustache doll! I thought it would be quite amusing for his first (and hopefully favorite) toy growing up to be a giant plush mustache with a mustache. Don't hate!
If you can't collect the data about the data .. or in this case, the mustache about the mustache, well, we might all be borked.
Note to Self: Geek
![[images1.fanpop.com]](http://images1.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/moustache-fart-family-guy-808635_800_600.jpg){kind=link}
Please. Who hasn't thought of putting a moustache on a moustache?*
*Kidding. This is r-tarded.