The other day I got an email from another company that wanted me to contract LooseKeys work out to them. A bit of a strange request because why would I want to unload work that LooseKeys can do… It’s always a little flattering to get  emails from other explainer video and production companies because it means that someone is noticing what you’re up to. I took a look at their portfolio and found something very, very, very similar to the Lemon video that I had created. The colors were similar and two of the characters were basically the same; tossing a tie onto someone doesn’t make it different. Over the years I’ve grown accustom to seeing Groupon video clones either in the script, illustration or the animation.

This one was a surprise, since it was the first time I’ve seen the Lemon video copied. My email response to them was pretty simple; I told them that they must have really liked the Lemon video that I did and left it at that. I figured that would be the last I hear from them. But no, they responded and said that they had never seen the Lemon video and that it was just a coincidence. Son, Please! 

What to do here… spend hours arguing with them. Taking screens and placing them side by side to prove that they basically stole the work? In the end, I decided to take the high road on this one and not push it or take it much further than that.  In this case I wasn’t threatened by them trying to take work from me or LooseKeys  If a client wants to work with someone who steals other peoples work, then that’s not a client I want.  

I did share the video with a few friends and colleagues, just so they’d be sure to watch out for their own stuff. It seems like this has been happening more and more lately; other companies or people ripping off videos that me or people I know have created. There will always be imitators out there but those guys don’t last; just be sure to rise above them. The authentic ones will always stand out above the rest.