release

As Dan originally noted, and as Jon Gruber has reported in more detail, some shabby logo mill has ripped off the SimpleBits logo to re-package and sell for their own profit.

The Flickr thread is lengthy, and much of the amateur legal analysis on both sides is quite simply wrong. But it’s very illuminating, especially the several examples of theft by the shabby logo mill from an ever-growing array of victims.

It’s nice to see that the web is onto these assclowns and, given time, their “business” will dry up, rumble into dust, and blow away like mold exposed to the sunlight. But like many parasitic life forms, thieves evolve, multiply, and repeat. People who post creative work on the web need to be aware of their rights, and if they’re creative professionals, they should take steps to legally protect their work to the greatest extent possible.

UPDATE: But wait! There’s more!

UPDATE 2: Here’s a nice summary of all the rip-offs by the shady logo mill. And some PageRank rolling, too. By the way, try a Google search for the name of the offending company and see what pops up in the Top Five.

UPDATE 3: Godbit lists several blogs mentioning the issue. Also, be sure to check out my recent post on the so-called “Poor Man’s Copyright” and why it’s worse than useless.

UPDATE 4: An apology, Too Little, Too Late.