On Using Other People's Patterns...

[Cosmic_Insanity]

I have always felt weird about using patterns I find online. On one hand, they uploaded the pattern to the internet themselves, so surely can't get mad about people downloading their pattern and using it? But on the other, I know a lot of people get upset when their patterns go viral or get used by others.

I understand that copying a pattern without permission (IE: not saving it, but recreating it and then claiming it's your own) is wrong, but I'm not sure how I feel about the use of patterns made by others. What are your guys' thoughts on this?

 

[DinoTown]

Copying patterns to claim as your own is essentially art theft and absolutely wrong.

On the other hand, if someone posts the code so you can use Able's terminal to obtain the pattern to use for yourself, it's kinda on them that people are gonna use it? If they don't want people to use it, they should share it without the code intact so people can't download it, or share the code with friends if you want only them to be able to use it.

 

[Cyku]

Well, you upload patterns to the internet deliberately and then you post it on sites so when I download a pattern, I don't feel bad about it - I'm just sure the author is okay with using it

 

[Bcat]

Nobody is going to get mad at you for using a custom design that they uploaded to the internet. Trust me, they're going to be flattered that you like their creation enough to use it in your town. If they didn't want people using their patterns, then they wouldn't share them to begin with!

 

[Reploid]

I have always felt weird about using patterns I find online. On one hand, they uploaded the pattern to the internet themselves, so surely can't get mad about people downloading their pattern and using it? But on the other, I know a lot of people get upset when their patterns go viral or get used by others.

I understand that copying a pattern without permission (IE: not saving it, but recreating it and then claiming it's your own) is wrong, but I'm not sure how I feel about the use of patterns made by others. What are your guys' thoughts on this?

If I post a pattern online and I see someone else with it, I’d be flattered that they felt my design was nice enough to be used.

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

I don't consider it theft or bad to use a pattern someone uploaded onto the internet. They uploaded it because they wanna share it! Now recreating and calling it your own is bad. For me, personally though, I will never use a pattern made by others, even if uploaded to the internet. I'd rather make my own really bad looking one, just because *for me*, I prefer my island to be 100% original and my own, even if that means sacrificing the use of all the beautiful patterns out there. But that's just always been a self imposed rule of mine. There's nothing wrong at all with taking advantage of all of it <3 I sometimes get tempted to myself XD

 

[Blueskyy]

I use designs I find posted on sites where the author is putting them out there to be used. I would never claim it as my own, though. I remember in the Dream Suite you had the choice to make designs free to use or viewing only. I always set it to viewing only because I had some created by other people. Never felt right about making designs available that I didn’t create.

 

[tajikey]

The option is in the game for a reason. I've got 5 custom designs created by other people, and they all serve a purpose.

 

[Epod]

If someone has posted one of their designs to the internet I'd expect they'd want others to use it and would probably be happy if people are!

 

[Uffe]

I've seen some good patterns, but I don't use them. I've seen some patterns people made that looked really good, especially when they're pattern ideas I had also thought about doing, that instead of downloading them, I just make my own. Not copy, paste, and draw over, either.

 

[Lotusblossom]

Even just seeing a picture someone can easily copy it without a code .... I have some amazing designs but I dont think I'll share them to be honest I know a lot of people dont lol just because I wont really ever get the credit i deserve I feel like but maybe I have one design that is literally so amazing tshirt design but it's literally gold so idk

 

[Fye]

I think it's definitely fine to use them if the person uploaded for others to use. But what bothers me is when people essentially replicate the entire area the designer made, with that custom design placed, and post it on reddit or something without crediting or even referencing the original person making it seem like it was their own idea. I saw this a lot after this one Japanese player made that retro Japan inspired alleyway. You'd see posts of people recreating it to a T, including all of her path and sign designs, with a title like "I made a Japanese alleyway." And you wouldn't know that it was someone else's concept and designs until you found a comment mentioning it later down the page. Imo it's fine to use people's designs but you should give them credit.

(end of rant)

 

[Mary]

Yeah, they upload them for people to use, so I think it's fine. I do think that if you're gonna post pictures of an area you created, you should credit the pattern designers to the best of your ability! Also, if you happen to find them on twitter, why not retweet rather than save the photos? That way they get a bit of extra exposure and you don't remove the designs from the source.

 

[Gazer297]

I have zero talent so I use quite a few from the internet. I am very grateful that people put their patterns out there for others to use as it really does spruce up my island.

 

[Lotusblossom]

The sheer fact that people are copying and claiming it's there own is why I do not want to share my designs

 

[Opal]

If people didnt want their patterns to be used then they wouldn't upload it to the internet so I have no qualms about using other people's patterns, but copying other people's patterns and claiming it as ur own is definitely wrong.

 

[Dewy]

I've created a handful of designs, and I love when other people use them. Makes me feel like I made something cool lol

 

[JackABee]

I don't see any issue with it. Claiming patterns off the internet as your own is wrong, but using patterns for your towns isn't.

You'd see posts of people recreating it to a T, including all of her path and sign designs, with a title like "I made a Japanese alleyway." And you wouldn't know that it was someone else's concept and designs until you found a comment mentioning it later down the page. Imo it's fine to use people's designs but you should give them credit.

Ahhh! Your so right! I see those (insert culture) alleyways all the time. At this point it isn't an original idea. It's one of those things that could be cool if it wasn't done to death. I guess it goes in the throwaway pile like zen gardens and secret Redd docks.