

Ask HN: Is it frowned upon to copy design? - caublestone

Are sites that use layouts for their pages, like search results similar to Pinterest, scoffed at for being un-original?
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accomplice
Depends entirely what you mean by copy.

Here are 3 very common scenarios and likely outcomes.

Copy verbatim is really frowned up. Stealing an image outright is seriously
frowned upon (you get served a DMCA notice or similar), same with well crafted
and very specific CSS / HTML. (No one cares about layout however, steal all
you want)

But what happens when you are inspired by someone else's work? Did you take
something good and make it better! Great we love that; this form of
appropriation is typically considered flattering. (you get featured in a blog)

Or

Did you take something that looks awesome and re-purpose it for something that
it does not quite work for, and when stitched together the design fell apart?
perhaps because it was refactored by the hands of someone inexperienced? thats
when people get really mad and they start coming after you. (You get made fun
of in a blog if the changes or substantial enough to be called 30%)

Its worth a long conversation to be honest, this was the shortest unedited 2
cents I could post on the subject without reverting to well known cliches.

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Codhisattva
Blatant lifting of their css or html is socially unacceptable and may break
copyright law.

Deriving your own ideas from someone else's design is typical. Everything is
derivative. Everything is a remix.

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sawyer
Pinterest's design wasn't original either, see the jQuery Masonry plugin
circia 2009 (<http://masonry.desandro.com/>). However, a verbatim copy of
their layout will definitely be noticed - think about your use case seriously
and tailor the design to match your requirements.

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AznHisoka
Being frown upon != not profitable

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connorlee
"Good artists copy, great artists steal." -Steve Jobs

