🐙Sponsored Post paid for by Geek Native. We may earn a commission on sales.
Etsy divides people. For some, the site is a treasure trove of neat items you can buy in mainstream shops, others see it as a pile of phish, and others are elsewhere on the scale.
One thing seems to ring true, no one likes to see knock-offs undermine small businesses that have had a good idea. Sadly, that seems to be happening to British Etsy trader Chikki Things.
They had the clever idea to design and make these Zelda key ring holders. You know; it’s dangerous to alone! Take this (except with keys).
[I need!]
As you’ve foreseen, there are now other places that offer the exact same design and concept for less money.
It’s hard enough for a small trader to cope when you win the internet’s attention as you get a surge in demand and not a steady flow of interest. The result can be upset customers, but you’ll see they avoided that if you check Chikki’s reviews.
The copycats eat into the long term profit and even viability of projects.
Let’s hope that Chikki’s watermarking helps, that enough blogs source the shop back as the original and that customers make an effort to buy from the source rather than be swayed by the clones.
Quick Links
- Chikki Thing’s Zelda key holder.
Share your views on this article in the comment section below.
Hey Andrew! Thank you so much for noticing my product and taking the time to write about it! I’m so glad you like my product :) the only thing I would add is that the copycat sites are all scams. They aren’t actually shipping any products out as I have had several customers tell me they had originally bought from the scam sites. I make each one to order and do not supply to 3rd parties so this particular design is unique only to my store. :)
Again thanks a lot for featuring it on the site :)
Seems kind of ironic to complain about people ripping this guy’s design when he is ripping Nintendo’s IP. Because anyone reading this and is semi-familiar with Etsy knows that Nintendo sure as hell didn’t grant them a license to the Zelda IP. So all around this article gets an F for hypocrisy.
I don’t think Chikki are claiming that this is an original design. It’s a Zelda design, as clearly stated.
You’re fundamentally not understanding my comment. Zelda is Nintendo’s Intellectual Property (IP), Chikki doesn’t have the rights to sell anything bearing Nintendo’s IP. He stole it to sell that key holder. So the article is basically complaining that someone stole his design based on IP that Chikki stole from Nintendo. Make more sense now?
AG is not, when you says he is being cloned of another clone, that mean it is no longer a clone and is no longer Nintendo’s IP… clear failed logic (oh and this design has bene out in public for a while)
Haha, this has been available for a while and free one has been available for printing for a long time on thingiverse. Another company that is in that other country has been selling them and it go popular…wow..who would think that… great work on promoting someone also just cloning a popular thing and calling all others scammers…haha great job buddy
Link?
Here is the easy to find one. I have one of first ones on thingiverse download but is no longer there, can we say DCMA.. but Nintendo does not play around when they do the sweeps.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4807156?fbclid=IwAR1cTtD9m6YKKn4fVJtwlqN1HeK_8hUQPu1xM05SmhYa9IMgqG9he4UQHsw
Thank you. I’d found that one too, but it’s dated after the Chikki Things upload. As you say, the original may have been pulled. I’ve experienced the broad sweeps by which stuff is pulled from sites like Thingiverse so I know the layers can strike. That said, I wonder what Nintendo claims as to their IP? Is it swords? Is it the phrase “It is dangerous to go alone?” They can’t claim (but will try to) the general look and feel of retro-computer games that invoke Zelda. I’ve had to defend using the phrase “Gamemaster” on a mug on the… Read more »
First off, he can’t have Zelda in the ad at all. Second, the whole product is a straight out screen grab from the original Legend of Zelda.
Hi Chris, you’re awfully invested in this. Is it a passing interest?
The passing interest is I’ve been in 3D print/creative community for quite a while, and I like to call BS when I see it over people that steal others’ intellectual property, and then piss and moan when others copy their stolen designs.
I think that’s an absolutely valid position. What’s your store? Is there anything there that would interest Geek Native readers?