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Urban Outfitters Responds To Charges Of Idea Theft
By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 28, 2011
Modified May 28, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 28, 2011
Modified May 28, 2011
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Mere hours after they invoked the wrath of one Miley Cyrus for "stealing" an Etsy designer's secret NY necklace sauce, Urban Outfitters has taken to their blog to respond to the "false allegations" by the designer, Stephanie Koerner. After claiming that they've been "supporting the Etsy community for years," the company states that "a quick search of Etsy for 'state necklace' reveals several other sellers with similar products (as seen here on Regretsy) who offered their wares as much as a year earlier than Ms. Koerner."
Urban Outfitters goes on to say that they're not "implying that Koerner stole her necklace idea" from another artist, but merely "stating the obvious—that the idea is not unique to Koerner and she can in no way claim to be its originator." In light of Regretsy's anthropological treatment of the issue, this seems to make sense, especially given that business ideas have been made much more fluid, what with the Internets and all. Still, we understand the temptation to rail against The Man, especially when The Man has billions of dollars in revenue and essentially sells Hipster-In-A-Can. This is precisely why we get all of our jewelry from those coin-operated dispensers outside the bowling alley.
Tagged
commerce
etsy
fashion
internet
miley cyrus
Necklaces
urban outfitters
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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