As a creative, I have been ripped off more times than I can count. I’m sure it happens to all creatives at some point. Sometimes the would-be thieves appropriate it in one way or another… altering it from what was originally created. Sometimes they take a slogan and create their own design around it, or just half-ass a rotten knockoff altogether. It happens all the time.You can imagine my surprise, when a kind fan from Poland e-mailed me inquiring about the usage validity of the Keep Drifting Fun logotype on t-shirts by the Polish Federation of Drift. Imitation is supposed to be the most sincere form of flattery. In this case, it is outright theft.
This is the original logotype I designed in 2009.
The “OR ELSE” was later dropped, so that Will Roegge and Joshua Herron could use it (with full rights/usage permission) for their grassroots documentary, aptly titled… you guessed it… KEEP DRIFTING FUN. Here, you can see Lieze in front of the KDF van with the guys (May 2010), sporting the first run of orange KDF tees. Look familiar?
Meanwhile, in Poland…
Out of all the times I have been ripped off as an artist… this instance infuriates me the most. It violates the entire ethos surrounding what the logo means, and I cannot for the life of me understand the lack of moral code involved to think that it is perfectly fine to plagiarize like this. They even went so far as to conveniently drop my Slide Style™ logo from the sleeve in lieu of their PFD logo.
In addition to printing the logo on shirts, they also chose the same shirt colors, and made printed collateral/pop-up displays to show off ‘their’ line? The internet has made the world infinitely smaller than it already is… and has made the drift community even smaller at that. I cannot fathom how someone would do this and think it would not make its way back to me. Had I been contacted me in advance, I would have been happy to work together to make something happen. Especially since the message is so important to me.This is not what KEEP DRIFTING FUN is about.
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Damn Andy! I’m sorry to see this, this really bummed me out.
first Indonesia now this. I love to see how influential your designs have become in drifting andy but this sucks.
I was even more pis*** to see this, as I have imported one ( the “or else” one- great design ) and suddently everyone wears rip offs :/ Yea Im from poland btw.
Keep stealing fun!
What a bunch of crap. Outrageous! How does one go on pretending like nothing is wrong. Well, we all know who the real deal is and where it really started from…. if not yet, they will sooner or later!
Andy, in a weird way… this could show you how successful your designs have become. I love hate thing if you will.
Sorry to hear this man, happens to all of us creative people, but in this case this is extra sensitive… :(
It sucks but the fact that your shirts were no longer available made the drift bros need somebody to make them such a cool shirt bro
Is not a registered trademark…, everyone could do it, not only they… it’s only “Machine” font…
Sucks big time dude!!!!
I am gonna start ripping off their logos
Damn, that sucks, bro.
A work that is
created (fixed in tangible form for the first time) on or after
January 1, 1978, is automatically protected from the moment of its
creation and is given a term of copyright protection enduring for
the lifetime of the artist plus an additional 70 years after the
artist’s death.Just because they can doesn’t mean they should.
That sucks man! :/
Stop crying… Ladies
Knock off parts. Knock off clothing. That’s what drifting has become. Sorry to hear you fell victim to the industry and what it has become.
Just to add, that applies to any tangible work: literary work, music work, art work, photographs…everything! If someone created it and you can see and/or touch it, then it’s automatically copyrighted the moment it’s created. Look up the Berne Convention act of 1886, Universal Copyright Convention, Copyright act of 1976, and the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988. The Berne Convention is international and Poland has signed it – registering work only enables the creator to pursue punitive damages, not just value.
You mad bro?….yea you mad. I kid this sucks
Shouldn’t you be happy with the fact that it was done? If you can’t beat them join them. I have tons of slogans and ideas ive seen a lot of them happen and don’t hate on the people that made it what it is cause then your no better then the biters out there. Keep pushing and don’t question what could’ve been make it happen again. Good luck man
the most disapointing fact is the moral aspect!!
this goes against everything what KDF stands for! they just want to make money without having any creativity…
asking in advance would have been more politely!hope there will be some original KDF Shirts once again… shame on you PFD
you sound stupid right now.
you ain’t better dude…
Read this on my phone and nearly crushed the thing I was so angry! No shame, no regard for integrity.
What’d they do? Please contact PFD, don’t spam their FB, it’s ridiculous…it’s difficult for you dudes…?
creativity for € 29 LOL, ITC Machine™ Medium Stdfrom Linotype
It’s not about FONT used!!! If you don’t understand it you are…
AND, Just to add. It was said “It’s only ‘Machine’ font…” Try telling that to Jeep, Crate&Barrel, Microsoft, 3M, etc… who all use only “Helvetica”.
Dude that’s terrible. I know imitation is the best form of flattery but give me break. For what its worth you have some supporters in the northeast.
On the bright side, I think we have the story line for Cars 3: Retired drift racer is drawn out of seclusion to whip some Polish ass in a winner-take-all tournament to Keep Drifting Fun Forever!
Im Russian.. give me the word and ill make a call and Poland can be dealt with…
[…] wanted to post an update to the Keep Drifting Fun Logo/PFD situation. After I made my initial blog post, it spread like wild-fire, and quickly reached the powers that be over at PFD. I was contacted by […]
WOW, WHAT THE F…!!!! I’ve been robbed of royalties before for work done (client using logo design on a physical sign now on two restaurants in Atlanta) but this one takes the cake, what ever came of it? This is so F***ED!!!