Friday 9 January 2009

Cupcake Business's & stolen photos!

I suppose I should be used to it by now but it is really getting ridiculous...so many cupcake businesses around the world are using stolen photos to falsely promote their business.

I really do wonder what they actually give their customers....I think it's time they stopped deceiving their customers & did the right thing. It's one thing to use a photo without permission, but to have your whole business based on another business's photos.....& therefore reputation... is just sad.....

This site in particular has used all stolen photos, nearly all of them mine. Read the rubbish they write about "their" cakes.......I would love to be a fly on the wall when they present their cakes to their customers!!

www.nycupcakecouture.com

35 comments:

Trisha said...

shameful.

Anonymous said...

wow, that's pretty shi*tty. It makes me want to stop posting photos to my flickr account. Can't you get a C&D from your lawyer?

LadybugLuggage said...

Sad to see that instead of inspiring one another to take baking to the next level, it is taking something away from a bright light like yourself.

Have hope in knowing that your beautiful style helps me and others.

The stolen pictures used will eventually come back to the original artist, with credit that will set you above what they could have ever done.

Keep posting, I look forward to Le Cupcake!!!

angela & peter said...

oh that is terrible... how deceptive are they? can you do anything???? i hope so, that is so bad.

Anonymous said...

I have let them know what I think of their company Kylie!

I definitely think you should get legal advice - what they are doing is disgusting.

Anonymous said...

I can't believer they've used your cow cupcake photo!!!! Those cows are my all time favourite cupcakes ever !!

Anonymous said...

How could they?? Shame on them!

Anonymous said...

It's terrible, and it happens too often... everytime a client contacts me to do a blog design and sends me photos first thing i do is ask WHERE ARE THIS FROM? Some people still does not get that even if it appears in google images is not for you to freely use :S It's super sad :(
As a designer, I have also been shamefully copied several times, so I totally understand you :S
Hope you get them to remove their imaginery. You can always also report them at their hosting.

Anonymous said...

How annoying. I sent them an email saying they weren't fooling anyone.

Anonymous said...

Your cupcakes & cakes are absolutely beautiful! I am so inspired by your designs to keep pursuing my dream to become a cake artist! That company should really be ashamed of themselves! I hope that you will be able to get something done to have them remove your photos! Can you add a watermark to all of your pics? That way they can't get away with this foolishness!

Terri said...

I cannot believe their boldness! To think... they actually thought that you wouldn't find out. ESPECIALLY using your cow cupcakes! All of your creations are lovely but the COWS?? Is there anyone left in this world that wouldn't recognize those beauties as Le Cupcakes??

Anonymous said...

Disgraceful!!!!! You must feel completely robbed. I notice from their website that they also refer to Sprinkles Bakery as well and appear to pass off their cupcakes too (I'm sure that Sprinkles won't have a bar of it- they LOVE to litigate don't they?) Good luck plotting your revenge.

Rachel said...

I love your work. You have amazing talent, so I can understand why they chose your work to claim as their own. They wanted to look like they were the best!!Can you contact thier web host and have them remove the pics? Thanks for all the inspiration.

jen said...

ugh! i think i spotted "their" cupcakes... the crappy one with the rose on top and the uneven icing. poor unsuspecting customers. honestly, i think i'm going to writ e an email, too... for shame.

Le Cupcake said...

Thanks for the support everyone :)
I do think it's time I saw a lawyer ...for other unfortunate things that have occurred as well...I'm finding it true what I was told about the cake industry along time ago...there are quite a few nasties in it unfortunately!
I've tried contacting the business...my emails come back "undelivered" each time, & even though I have her other email, they come back too........I'm confused that mine come back but not other peoples? I've also contacted the web designer who originally got straight back to me but since then I've contacted them twice more & no response.
Gis....they always blame their web designers!! I had an ongoing fight with another American bakery business who told me since my photos are on google they were free..(this was even though she blamed her web designer...) & when I said they weren't she replied that her brother worked for Google so she should know!! They'll say anything!!
Anyway I'll see what happens...because my busienss is based on originality I especially don't like my photos being used.....

thanks everyone also for the sweet compliments :)

Kate said...

Good luck to you. Your cakes make me happy whenever I see them and I look forward to seeing your posts. It is such a shame that someone is passing your work off as their own. How do they sleep at night. I hope karma plays them a visit soon. Again, I wish you nothing but luck and remember that the cream always rises to the top.

Le Cupcake said...

Thanks...so sweet of you :)

Seems that this place is saying they are in affiliation with "Sprinkles" cupcakes (See the "flavours" page)....LOL...let's see what happens now!

L said...

Oh I had to send them an email. That just burned me up. Like noone is going to know that they belong to you. Seriously!

Le Cupcake said...

DID your email come back?? Mine always does...& the phone has a "fax answer" sound...........arrggh!!!

PASTURKEY said...

from now they are think.you made it well.it's soo shameful.now i and like me everybody learned stolen name.good luck.

Anonymous said...

Kylie

I have been baking and creating cupcakes for a few years mostly for friends and family, I’ve now decided to start a small home business. (London UK) YOUR designs are very inspirational and I enjoy looking at your photos very much. However I would never steal them. This is a shameful disgrace, perhaps its time to start uploading your images with a watermark to stop the copy and paste brigade passing off your creations as there own. Perhaps they think that being on a different continent, that it doesn’t matter....I’ve sent them an email as well!!!

papertesseract said...

Wow these people have no shame eh.. i wonder what they ACTUALLY make and give to their customers - unoriginal crap probably.

Eventually it will come back and haunt them because they may take your pictures but they can't take your creativity! :D Keep on cupcakin.

-Ruth

Anonymous said...

I have adored your cupcakes Kylie and I am apalled by the blatent disregard of using your photos (I took a look OMG!) to create their own website! As a textile artist I am all too aware how these guys can take copyrighted material of something that has actually been printed and reprint it by actually taking the fabric to another mill to re-engrave. I hate to name names...but one of them was actually "True Religion" the jean co. who used it for their new line of bathing suits. I am never flattered... even with a huge reputable company like that!

Well, I just want to remind you that I simply love your artistic creative style....and just knowing that fact...there is no one can immitate or even come close to what you seem to always create!

Sarah said...

That's terrible! I believe you're going to have to start watermarking your photos now. I can't believe someone would advertise and try to sell products that aren't theirs. What a shame.

Anonymous said...

My jaw is still touching the floor. To take your beautiful original creations and pass it off as there own....Karma will bite them! Immitation is the highest form of flattery, your work is truly stunning! I have joined your loyal bloggers in sending an outraged email.

Anonymous said...

Kylie you need to watermark all your photo's with a copyright and your name. I know that is dull but by doing that you can protect yourself from them using your images. Please send them a a letter threatening legal action if they don't bring the site down immediately surely being American they understand the word litigation!

Tea With Fairytales said...

OMG and the funny thing is, their website is really really tacky. If I were to be a potential customer, that poorly-designed website with it's ugly placement, boring layout and punctuation errors would just NOT do it for me.

Ew, ew, ew. I'm sorry, Kylie. :( They're rotten, and all of their rottenness is going to kick them in the butt.

Anonymous said...

Emailed the company and surprise ....surprise it was returned. I really think you need to watermark your photos and no one should claim YOUR work as theirs. Fan of your work.

Anonymous said...

Thats awful! I can't belive that someone would just so blatantly steal your pictures!!

funkycakechic said...

wow, the hide of them - I just had to get on the net and give them a piece of my mind; it's one things to use someones ideas - but totally another to steal the photos! My sympathies Kylie, this just sux.

Amanda said...

I have just come across your blog and am in awe of your beautiful creations. What talent you have!

I sent an E-mail to this company to tell them exactly what I think of doing something so despicable. Shame on them!

Amanda said...

Just wanted to let you know that my E-mail also came back to me--delivery failed.

Virginia Young said...

Wow...they totally ripped you off, I can't believe how they are using your photos for their business, is that even legal??? I just shot them out an email telling them exactly what I think.
They are pathetic.

Mel said...

Hi Kylie,

There is another case of stolen pictures. This time they copy cat sprinkles cupcakes. Cupcakes take the cake published a note.
http://sweetsurrenderboyntonbeach.com/

Anonymous said...

Yey! the NY site appears to have been taken offline...