Intellectual Property, Copyright & Theft
May 22, 2010 by Duncan · Leave a Comment
Well I was going through my Google Analytics early this morning as I do weekly and I noticed I was getting a bit of traffic from a certain address. Now it wasn’t really the amount of traffic more like how many different pages (this very website) Digital Deceptions was getting from a particular domain name which does happen from time to time but this was different.
I clicked on the link suspecting some spam site has picked up my RSS feed and when the web page loaded I sat there for a moment stunned and very confused because the home page that I just downloaded looked very much like my own but it had a few things missing.
It Was a Complete Duplicate
My company logo and header graphic were gone and in their place was Raj Creatives, Multimedia Designer, the title tags no longer said “Graphic Design and Web Design from Durham Region” but “Graphic Design and Web Design from Rajasekaran”.
WTF?
Because I was still waking up the first thing I thought was that my WordPress site got hacked, but a quick glance at the address bar soon put those fears to rest for another day and as I began to look at the site much closer I immediately saw that it was an exact copy of my hard work that some bush league graphic and web designer, sorry “Multimedia Designer” ripped off and is using it to showcase his shoddy portfolio and other works he is trying to take credit for.
This isn’t the first time I have been a victim of plagiarism, it is the third and funny enough they all have been this year but this Mr. S. Rajasekaran is by far the worst offender that I have caught. They say that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery but this guy has still got my content on his front page, my copyright, legal notice, and link to my old website and XHTML strict compliance.
Internet Web Pirate, Design Thief and Multimedia Designer
I have been freelancing in the design business now for almost ten years and most of the last decade has been really tough, the internet bubble burst just before I finished college, there was absolutely no industry employers when I was coming out of school and studio jobs were nonexistent because most of the advertising and online marketing companies folded or cut back and all the experienced designers started taking all the freelance work.
I Know How Hard it is
I am pretty understanding and I know where this guy is coming from but the more I looked at what he did to my work the more angry I got. What if for whatever reasons his pilfered version of my website takes months or even years to be deleted from the Free Web Hosting Area servers (where it rests at the moment) and a potential client looking for me finds the stolen page, it does contain a lot of my content and what if they think that I do lousy work?
Bread and Butter
This isn’t just my blood, sweat and tears, it’s my livelihood and something I take very seriously. I don’t mind in the least that you copied my website to your hard drive, I do it quite often myself as it is the best way to learn. But when I get down to creating I come at it from a different angle, build it from scratch and try to do it better, I don’t steal.
The difference between you and I is that I always want to improve my skills by knowing how things work so I can offer a better product while you just take and then put your name on it hoping to make a quick buck, its people like you that devalue this profession, have no respect for intellectual property and make many clients so distrustful of us.
Two Great Quotes to Think About Mr. Rajasekaran
“Good artists copy. Great artists steal.”
Pablo Picasso.
“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources”
Albert Einstein.
The website in question (I don’t know how long it will be available so I have some screen caps and would you believe that this guy has actually watermarked some of his own work with his name and phone number …lol )
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- Internet Web Pirate, Design Thief and Multimedia Designer
Now Since I got all the business out of the way I would like to thank you for providing me with the unexpected opportunity to once again utilize my blog to practice search engine optimization techniques to better position my keywords by allowing me to talk about my graphic and web design company Digital Deceptions.
On the front page of my website I have a link to SlideShare where you can download the presentation I did at WordCamp Toronto 2010 on how to use WordPress and Social Media to Win an Election, on your version of my site you have your resume …lol.
Once a Thief, Was That a TV Show or a Movie?
I read your resume and even all your experience is a lie, judging by the bang up graphics butcher job you did with my work there is no possible way on earth you could have designed the web pages you say you did, plus all those sites you supposedly designed have got the design companies names on the bottom of them. Who do you think you are?
The Best is Yet to Come
At the bottom of Mr. S. Rajasekaran’s resume he has a declaration which reads:
I, hereby declare that the information furnished above is true to the best of my knowledge. If given an opportunity to work in your esteemed organization, I can perform to the best of my capabilities in a way that is satisfies the organization’s need and my career thirst.
Isn’t That Just Priceless?
Well if anyone is interested in Mr. Rajasekaran’s Multimedia Design services you can give him a call on his mobile at (988) 425-1897 day or night, mail or stop by his flat if you happen to be in India, he can be found at No.18, Seevaram 2nd Street, Perungudi, Chennai – 600 096 or you could just email him rajasekaran.gpcp@gmail.com. And yes ladies he is single as mentioned in his resume and if anyone does happen to contact my friend Mr. Rajasekaran don’t forget to wish that asshole a happy birthday, he turns 23 on May 27 which is next week and please do tell him that Duncan sent you.
Borderline obsessed today with all this? Yes maybe a little but it just happens to be Canada Day May 24 long weekend and I’m going to chalk it up to timing because I usually don’t have this much time on my hands 8p
Oshawa Peace Keepers Day
August 7, 2009 by Duncan · Leave a Comment
Digital Deceptions was commissioned to design and compose a poster for the celebration of the Durham Region’s city of Oshawa’s Peace Keeper’s Day which takes place on Sunday, August 9 at the Royal Canadian Legion located at 471 Simcoe Street. You can find all the information on the Oshawa Peace Keeper’s site.
Working closely with the event organizer Glen McKnight from Global Catalysts Consulting Service and the Foundation for Building Sustainable Communities (FBSC) we decided early on that we didn’t want to show any weapons.
I wanted this poster to have a childlike character to it so this is where the scribbled crayon effect on the background comes into play. The main colour chosen was blue for all the Canadians who serve with the United Nations.
The white dove which is one of the most classic symbols of peace was one of the last things to be added in, I was trying to stay away from the stereotypical things you would see in these types of posters but it just added such a nice touch.
In the very background is the Vimy ridge National Historic Site of Canada for those who fought and gave their lives in the First World War. Just in front of that are the three soldiers from the Peacekeeping Monument in Ottawa entitled the Reconciliation, this monument commemorates Canada’s role in international peacekeeping and the soldiers who have participated and are participation, both living and dead.
Directly below the soldier in the very middle of the poster and the young boy looking up is Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping plaque which is located in Oshawa Memorial Park.
To the very left of the plaque is a silhouette of two of our modern Canadian soldiers and right below them is a police car. Police officers may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of peacekeeping but they are certainly peacekeepers as well.
A graphic illustration depicting our Canadian military and law enforcement peacekeepers wouldn’t be complete without showcasing our traditional Royal Canadian Mounted Police now would it?
I had a great time creating this piece which took just over 21 hours to complete. Although I immigrated to Canada from Northern Ireland I feel a great sense of pride being a Canadian and it is this pride I hope shows through in this poster.
Big Catch Website
February 12, 2009 by Duncan · 2 Comments
Well the Big Catch Fish and Chips Family Restaurant website is complete and was launched this afternoon. The web site was the last part of the huge project which included logo and full branding, 10 30 x 40” poster, vinyl wall netting installations, takeout menus, a 13 x 5 foot menu board and storefront signage.
This is only the second time I have had the pleasure to design a full package project from the ground up and I have to say as challenging as it was I really enjoyed it. Anyways on to the Big Catch web page.
I would like to start off by saying that once again I have programmed and coded a web site which validates with strict compliance. It has been tested in all browsers even that old piece of crap ie6 and works flawlessly across the board.
When I first started researching fish and chip shop websites all over the world I quickly noticed that most never had a site and those that did never really put any effort in to them. So right off the bat I not only wanted to outdo all the competition but I wanted to annihilate them all.
I began drawing some mockups and decided that this website was going to have a lot of character and I also wanted to have an animation of the sea. After playing around and figuring out how I was going to execute the effect the rest of the site kind of just fell into place.
The web site has a few other little interesting tidbits and graphics that I will leave as a surprise. Not only did I have a blast working on the website but I really enjoyed the whole project, it challenged me and allowed me to use a lot of skills that I haven’t used in a while and it taught me a few new ones.
Visit the website
ElectroGuy Website
December 10, 2008 by Duncan · Leave a Comment
Electroguy Website
Just completed another o2ecs web project for the ElectroGuy which launched today. The ElectroGuy is a technology specialist who provides the installation and service for many different technologies such as security, computers, internet, satellites and electronics.
The site was designed in Photoshop then sliced up and programmed with some XHTML 1.0 strict compliant code. The main idea behind the side is to show the audience that the ElectroGuy services all sorts of clients from the city to the country and everyone in between.
To get this point across we literally created a landscape graphic of the big city (in this case Toronto) morphing into the countryside. A silhouette of a satellite dish pointing to the company logo was added to give the eye a more interesting course to follow.
And speaking of the company logo it wouldn’t be much of a Digital Deceptions creation if I didn’t add a little animation to really give it a personality. When you mouse over the ElectroGuy logo it electrifies and right below that I have placed a wind turbine which produces electricity (are you getting the theme here?) giving the landscape graphic that element of the third dimension.
All in all this project isn’t the most complex I’ve worked on but just like the ElectroGuy I to work with clients of many different sizes and I’m able to provide them with solutions to their problems no matter how large or small they are.
Visit the website
Website 101 – Why You Need a Web Site
October 19, 2008 by Duncan · Leave a Comment
Why does your company need a website? We could quote statistics that show the Internet has become the main method people use to find information on products, services and companies they do business with.
The truth of the matter is that without a web site potential clients question your professionalism, commitment to customer service, and long-term stability of your company.
The Internet is the Search Tool Consumers Use
The popularity of the web means that when potential clients find out you don’t have a website, the reaction is similar to how they would feel if you didn’t have a place of business. They either wonder why and you lose credibility or you can attract a very undesirable type of customer.
A professional website says that you are on top of your game, you have a sound business plan for the future, and that you want to make the customer’s experience with your company as positive as possible.
My Business Doesn’t Need a Website
I have spoken to business owners in many different industries and have discovered that in some markets there is a feeling that a website is just not useful for “their type of products or services”, and that no one could possibly buy their “product x” or “service y” online, so why even bother with a website?
Well a website is about more than just selling products and services. It is a tool that can give your latest news and contact information. It announces expansions and new products or services. It can boast about your good reputation, a long standing presence in the industry, or positive client testimonials.
It can also find you employees buy accepting resumes or be an information resource for customers, a way for potential clients to take a look at your facilities or equipment.
At the very least a website should be there to assist your prospective clients and existing customers with your location, mailing address, hours of operations and what holidays your company is closed.
When phoning around, many consumers will look elsewhere the instant they call and get a busy signal, voicemail, or are put on hold for too long. But your website is always on, and always there working for you.
