We have a vision to support new comer in kusudama origami. Ask yourself how you got interested in Kusudama art? Firstly, you have famous artist as a role model and want to do as they do. So you started to fold your first kusudama from book or youtube created by your favorite artist. Another story is children started to know kusudama because they learn from Math class in school. Then they want to know more by searching the internet. And that their interest is focus on the structure of unit design or how it can be done whatever who is the designer.
Two different intention create different priority. We may choose to honor artist over the beauty of art. And that normalize a culture to always write designer name with your artwork post. In this frame, one will not interested in invent their own kusudama and stick to fold only from their favorite designer. Moreover, they believe every folder must do as they do and use the word copyright to make it makes sense as a law.
In the perspective that prioritize unit invention, we focus to the word credit, reference, citation for honor the process of unit design. For example, we call Sonobe unit in honor to Mitsunobu Sonobe without written his full name. The name of unit is honor to the designer itself. As the attempt to invent new kusudama by ourselves, we begin with modify existed models. Then try not to stick to their technique to develop our own method. This is a normal process to create something with hopefully it might be something never created before.
I think the second way is more appealing because it encourages people to start an invention.
Sometimes the artist name may not be mention if we did not use them as a reference. And if it is accidentally the same design, we will add their name to the document with our name too. We treat this as telling the truth and we did not believe in one and only one ownership. Our name as a credit is also important as famous artist name too. And that does not mean we did not respect artist. It is okay to consider us as bad manner to not contact for permission in order to use their model to modify or to ignore the removal request messages. But it is not okay to label us as a theft by copyright law and invite people to do cyber-bulling as a punishment. We can consider this action is clearly not respect us and ongoing conflict never end.
There is a case when people do a fake account to pretend to be that creator. This is not consider as a copy issue, it is called a hijack and must be takedown. There are many scammer and cyberhacker nowadays. I am aware that their target is the person that being criticized. And they will have a valid reason to attack that person by hack personal information or install a malware for fun as an entertaining punishment. This is a consequence of cyber-bullying by mean of copyright issue and we will lost some talent person because of mental illness.
Sometimes we were taught to feel unhappy if we see our work appear somewhere without acknowledge us before. I questioned and challenge myself to change this mindset. I feel surprise when I saw my work appear somewhere without permission. And this is an indicator that your work is so valuable to be worth for copying.
I think we must discuss how to reach the win-win situation, both authors and folders gain the fair benefit.
Two perspectives are "ownership" and "customer centric". Some people got to a fight to argue who copy who. On the other hand, the real customers who really put out paper sheets just enjoy folding the model they love. They love to see new YouTube video and they will watch every video with the same topic to study. If they really appreciate, they will find out to buy artist's books or other products. This is the process of how people want to buy a book. However, it is annoying when many users ask creator to give an instruction for free. The possible way to give free instruction and creator get some money is being a YouTuber. What if creator only publish a book to get some money and convince people to buy because the instruction is only available here. Then if there are YouTube video with the same instruction, creator think it will decrease their book selling. But actually it helps increase the book selling because people want to see what is really the original. So in this case I think the more creating instruction, the more benefit gain for everyone.
We rarely see an application of kusudama to be a highly profitable product. There are publishing a diagram book or creating YouTube video tutorial for monetization. The handmade craft products such as Modular Lamp and origami jewelry may create some revenue but it is hard to do for living. When thinking of how much time and craftmanship skill to make these products, we must be thankful to those who really appreciate kusudama whatever they are the designer or did they ask for permission. I appreciate folders to mention my name, no problem if they don't. I did not focus on my name, I focus on the truth of information. Where to get the instruction? So that everybody else can do it too. When they gain money, there will be a chance for them to support artists by buying their book in the future.