One of the biggest gripes I hear about jewelry on etsy is copy-catting. People are constantly complaining in the forums "my original design was ripped off," and it usually ends up breaking their "calling-out" rule and getting the thread shut down.
Let's just get it out of the way, the law states that once and artist has created something, it is copyrighted. You don't have to go get some fancy form from the government or call inventors hotline, it happens all by itself. However, if you created something TRULY original and you are afraid of copy-catters, it would be wise to get it physically copyrighted.
I have done some research (mostly asking my coworkers at the bead hole - as we so lovingly have donned it - what they think) and I have discovered, to my surprise, that everyone agrees with me. So I can confidently say that when it comes to jewelry, for the most part, there really is no such thing as an original idea.
Putting aside truly original pieces, such as these two from etsy.com (click to view shops): one would be hard-pressed to replicate extremely organic, freeform, artistic jewelry that has sprung forth from nothing else besides the artists' imagination and the materials they have chosen to work with. It is a rare 
occurance that a piece of jewelry someone creates is not influenced by, inspired by, or is just another person's rendering of a trend or personally appealing idea. I have actually read an etsy forum thread where a particular girl was complaining about her designs being copied, and a reader pointed out to the complainer that items almost identical to her "original" design have been seen in bead magazines and books, (including the name of the design!) and therefore she can just as readily be called the copy-cat.Now, one could go on about how a truly original piece of art would use materials nobody else has used either, and in the beading world it could be said that any freeform bead weaving you created is not original to you if you used a stitch that was invented by someone else. This is all very nitpicky and lame.
Things such as these two items from etsy are certainly original works of art, but it is really quite obvious that they were created out of desire to follow a trend. Who sets these trends? Nobody can really quite say, and some trends go back to prehistory, or only mother nature herself can claim credit.The only truly ethical "wrong" copying is a complete and total duplicate. Obviously, things like scrabble tile pendants cannot be claimed as an original design whatsoever, but lets say I created a complete duplicate of the silver leaf bracelet above. That would be wrong. That would be unethical copying, and copyright infringement. I could create a bracelet of a similar design with a twiggy-leafy influence (a huge jewelry trend), put my own spin on it, and call it my own. It would be my own. It would be following the trend.
Trends are good. Trends guide artists towards creating what people really seem to want, which makes both the artist and the buyer happy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being "trendy," unless of course you are an emo kid in 11th grade. Then, trendy is bad. (But isnt emo a trend, too? bwahaha) I have embraced my trendiness, I love getting ideas from other jewelry designers, magazines, books, tv, etsy shops: you name it.
Yes, copying other people's ideas is hurtful and unethical, but the truth is, it was never really completely that person's idea to begin with.
If you feel that you have been a victim of copy-catting, I can tell you I commiserate with you. When I see another shop with jewelry similar to my designs, it hurts, and I get angry. But I can also suggest that you take things a little bit more lightly, because really, is there such a thing as an original idea? ;)
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