Big Businesses: Why large brands need to give credit to smaller artists for their designs

With platforms like Instagram MarketPlace, Etsy and even TikTok, thousands of creators are now able to open and promote their small businesses to a larger audience and support their product. This new way of engaging consumers could potentially be very helpful to small creators but it can also harm them.

Larger stores and brands have recently been called out for stealing designs from small creators. It’s disappointing that these large names have to rely on the artistic talents of others to keep customers coming back. 

Larger brands such as Urban Outfitters and Old Navy have been accused of stealing designs or even entire products from small businesses, according to artists who have spoken out against the injustice. One creator even claimed that Disney stores are selling products oddly similar to their own designs. While it doesn’t seem like a large issue on the surface, it’s forced me to take a closer look at some of my favorite brands.

Sculptor, toy designer and TikToker Andrew Martin, made a video on Feb. 19 claiming that Disney “stole his artwork and was selling it in their parks.” He goes on to say that in 2018 he made fan art of a tiki drummer from Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room but recently he saw a picture of his sculpture in a Disney park store, slightly altered to be a music box.

“I have identified a few landmark areas that are identical between my model and the one that Disney is selling,” Martin said in a TikTok. 

He lists a few of the similarities between the two designs and notes that it was most likely a smaller artist that Disney contracted who stole his work. 

Though Disney likely didn’t directly steal the design from him, I still feel like any and all Disney employees should be honest with their work. If Disney wanted the design, contacting Martin for rights to the design would’ve been a much better alternative. 

In another instance, Urban Outfitters was accused of stealing indigenous prints from small artists. This was among the many times they were accused of stealing designs without credit for the artist or agreement on using it.  

In their most recent accusation, original artist Mitjili Napurrula claimed that Urban Outfitters stole a print that she sold and used it as a rug. 

Urban Outfitters is wrong in this scenario, not only for stealing designs but also for turning meaningful, cultural patterns into “trendy” prints.

Both of these brands are well known and popular so there’s absolutely no reason to be stealing and benefitting from smaller businesses. Not only are these brands hurting the individual people who they’re stealing from, but they’re also ruining their reputation and forcing loyal customers to go elsewhere for honest products. 

There’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration from others, as long as their designs they spent time on aren’t completely copied. Even with trends, there are still thousands of ways to create new and fun clothes and products to sell without hurting others.