I think this makes for a great case study about how artists manage their work as well as how brands protect their reputation. Euodia Roets of Touchee Feele says she was in discussions with Woolworths South Africa about some design work.
You can check out Euodia’s allegations here
Woolworths, eventually didn’t take her designs, but according to Euodia, they kept her work in the form of samples. A few months later Euodia says she found cushions in Woolworths’ stores that were very close to the work and samples she submitted to them.
This is Woolworths’ response to Euodia’s allegations.
I’m not concerned about who is right or wrong, per se, but what I would do if I were Touchee Feele (Euodia’s company) and Woolworths.
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I like Woolworths. Liking them does not make the perfect. In the same vein I don’t suggest that Touchee Feele was right or wrong.
My discussions are not about who’s right or wrong or slamming anyone for what they did or may have not done but what I would do if I were either party.
Touchee Feele
Why did Woolworths request samples for something similar to what they had already commissioned?
Woolworths
@EveD the meeting was about her work as a whole, for our young artisan collection. Here’s our side of story: http://t.co/nRw0aWemwi
— Woolworths SA (@WOOLWORTHS_SA) October 19, 2013
Crux
One of the most important take-aways from this ordeal is that brands and artists or designers must have some sort of agreements to protect either party from such.
I strongly believe that business should be done in integrity and in a way that benefits everyone. While this may be subjective, I do believe that people know when they’re crossing lines or when lines are blurred.
I’d like to know. What would you do if you were Touchee Feelee? What would you do if you were Woolworths?
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Hi Blessing,
Thanks for posting about this, it really is important that these events are made public, so that the society can make educated dicisions when purchasing in the future.
I completely agree with you in that, one cannot not take things personally when you have created something of your own it is cheaply re-created (probably in china) and then no acknowledgement is given to the person who holds the intellectual property.
As knowing Euodia personally, she is a very sweet woman working very hard to make ends meat, she sits on weekends at markets trying to sell her stuff, I remember how excited her and her husband were about just getting the exposure of having a product in woolies.
I must say it is really, really disappointing what woolies have done, or whoever is responsible for making the decision to plagiarise, its a real poor show of character!
Secondly, when i spoke to Euodia’s husband earlier, he told me that they had received emails from other designers that had similar experiences with woolies, l think now is the time for those designers to come out (united) and not necessarily make woolies pay, but big brands out there must know, that there are repercussions for playing dirty, and that we as South Africans will not tolerate such outlandish behaviour.
I mean how will we ever get anywhere economically if our entrepreneurs cant even get a foot hold in the market! Absolutely disgusting!!!!
what woolies have done is taken advantage of someone so sweet and so genuine and used her to their advantage, no matter how they try and spin this in the days to come, it wont matter!!! whats done is done!
i agree with you: it is important that business must be conducted in honesty and integrity. combine this with mutual respect and we have an economy of fairness in which everyone benefits. i hope everything is resolved amicably without further complications.