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Luxury brand Jimmie Martin calls out Pakistani event planner for copying their designs

Luxury brand Jimmie Martin calls out Pakistani event planner for copying their designs

There's a thin line between inspiration and replication. Clearly, that's been crossed in this case.
Updated 23 Jan, 2020

Plagiarism has become a frequent phenomenon among well-known designers and artists, but in a society that puts no value to intellectual property, copying other people's work becomes an accepted reality.

Jimmie Martin —a luxury brand based in London that makes hand-painted customised furniture pieces, artwork, lamps and interior design — recently took to Instagram to point out a Pakistani copycat using their designs unabashedly at an event without giving due credit.

In their official Instagram account's story, the brand posted a series of screenshots from the Kidney Centre Brunch, an annual event in Karachi that was organised and curated by a local event planner, Amina Rashid Khan's Raka Events, and hosted the brand's iconic designs.

The decor for Amina Rashid Khan's event.
The decor for Amina Rashid Khan's event.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

Additionally, Jimmie Martin posted reactions and responses by his Pakistani audience who were overwhelmingly supportive of the furniture brand's position on the whole affair.

Thankfully, no one tried to justify this blatant replication.
Thankfully, no one tried to justify this blatant replication.

While many rightly call copycats out, we think the real problem is that blatant duplication is a symptom of limited imagination. The label has confirmed to Images that they've retained a Karachi-based law firm to pursue legal action.

Looking more closely at photos from the event, we can see why. On the left are Martin's designs and on the right are photos from the event in Karachi:

In a statement shared with Images, Khan said, "The ‘Kidney Centre Brunch’ is a charitable event and my services to the event are a charitable contribution on my behalf to the charity and I do it on a pro bono basis."

She continued, "I am neither an interior designer nor a furniture/homeware manufacturer or retailer. I am also not an artist nor do I take credit as one. I am not Jimmie Martin’s competitor and in fact, am not even working in the same field. My job is simply to implement a theme for events mainly using one-time props creating an illusion for the attendees and nothing more. It’s very similar to a Disney, Michael Jackson, Great Gatsby or Andy Warhol themed event."

"It is not possible to “buy” or “use” any of the material present at the event and the props are temporary conduits for creating the illusion to celebrate the ideology in the form of a theme. There was no shop set up selling products claiming them as Jimmie Martin products or my own products. The medium on which the illusion of the subject has been displayed is entirely different."

According to Khan, the Jimmie Martin name was mentioned on the invite as well as on print precisely because they wanted to celebrate the brand’s ideology in their theme. She says they had not put up any post on their Instagram and were going to mention his name as a hashtag when they posted pictures.

Khan confirmed that she had never sought to claim the ideas as their own or to benefit from them in any way but “unfortunately someone else posted it with certain taglines before any event-related pictures were officially posted”.

Comments

Sarah Jan 22, 2020 05:02pm
With all due respect, the blatant hostile attack on RAKA Events, without knowing the full story, is quite concerning: as a respected news outlet, one would hope you would not have the mob-mentality that other smaller publications have in order to increase ‘hits’ and ‘viewership’ and you would maintain integrity instead of jumping on this bandwagon of slandering a reputable business owner from Karachi. At least have the decency to support your own. True story: this was an event for CHARITY, in which RAKA Events did not profit from the event, nor did they take credit or pass-off the art work as their own. The entire event was based on a “Jimmie Martin” theme to pay homage to their art-work. Jimmie Martin was plastered all over the event as a tribute and acknowledgement to the artists. It is unfortunate, that the exploitation of the charity event by Jimmie Martin has lead to this slander. He has repeatedly been asking the charity for compensation. It’s a shame you would support that.
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Sarah Jan 22, 2020 05:04pm
Jimmie Martin have been shamelessly asking the charity and business owner for compensation claiming that the “event was for the rich and famous” and surely a lot of money would have been made from it! They basically want in and our media (who apparently are so desperate to be recognised by such pseudo-celebrities) are handing them that opportunity on a silver platter. I hope you’re happy with the moral and ethical calls your publication is making at the risk of destroying someone else’s business, reputation and good-will.
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gghh Jan 22, 2020 05:28pm
I am ashamed as a Pakistani
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Gaurav Jan 22, 2020 05:45pm
Shame.
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Sara Jan 22, 2020 05:46pm
Its exact copy.
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A Jan 22, 2020 06:16pm
Stop defaming our local artists. It was not a copy, it was an inspiration! FFS
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Syed Saeed Jan 22, 2020 07:58pm
come and see what else is being copied.
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BrownFlower Jan 22, 2020 09:08pm
It's not cheating, if the word "inspired" is used.
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Sadaf Jan 23, 2020 01:11am
Designers get tempted to plagiarise without thinking of the consequences as it is the choice between cheap publicity and money as compared to authenticity and less popularity
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Raza Jan 23, 2020 09:13am
Cut Copy Paste is common in our society. Should be ranked in among punishable crime
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Farwa Haseeb Jan 23, 2020 10:27am
Pakistanis should not be bashed because of this. Only the people who have copied this are to be held accountable. To say I am ashamed as a Pakistani is unfair to the nation. Let's hope the people who have copied this at least apologize for this.
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Shamsuddin Channa Jan 23, 2020 01:09pm
@SARA With all due respect, exhibiting someone else's art, even for charity purpose, without their permission isn't a justifiable act. I am sure a business such as yourself with such good will and reputation must have informed the artist about your "CHARITY" in advance.
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Sarah Jan 23, 2020 04:38pm
@Shamsuddin Channa Someone’s else’s art was displayed “as someone else’s art” and no credit was taken for any of the artwork - in fact credit was given to Jimmie Martin. Are you telling me that if tomorrow your 5-year old daughter wants to have a Frozen-themed birthday party, you’re going to inform Disney and pay them royalties? This is ridiculous. No one was selling Jimmie Martin merchandise as their own design - it was a theme. Please appreciate the nuance. Instead of being flattered and moving on, Jimmie Martin is just looking for a pay-day which is pretty despicable if you ask me!
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Jane Jan 23, 2020 05:51pm
@Sarah still plagiarism! One can be inspired by anothers work, but to blatantly copy another's work is disgusting! Just because you are in Karachi does not make you original or exempt! If you had their permission, then that would be ethically ok, but you didn't!
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Amna Jan 23, 2020 07:36pm
Quite appalled by the vicious attack on Amina by ppl who’ve been falling over thmslvs to dine at a cafe which is blatant copy of a London cafe. It was meant to be a ‘JimmieMartin’ themed event just like all the Disney characters/shows based events that NO ONE ever takes permission from Disney for. The way Amina has been villified and singled out by our own ppl is sad and hypocritical at the same time. We are quite happy with getting pics taken next to a replication of Eiffel Tower in Bahria Karachi and LAHORE , yet don’t think twice before setting alight our torches and sharpening our pitchforks when an event designers uses an artist’s work while giving credit to him and never claims it as her own. We all are guilty of copying ; Amina has been singled out just because she was called out by the designer. Rest of us can point fingers at her and have a holier-than-thou attitude because we haven’t been caught (yet). “Let that who has never sinned cast the first stone at her”
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IBRAR Jan 23, 2020 09:21pm
@Sarah well said totally agree with you.
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Caller Jan 23, 2020 10:15pm
@Sarah when people see this, they will ask the question, who made the decorations . What do you think the answer would be?
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ali Jan 24, 2020 08:00am
the plagiarism must be taken very seriously.
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ali Jan 24, 2020 08:02am
@Sarah next time better take permission for copying any artist 100%. this is truly not a inspiration or theme. this is definitely an event to get the attention of future clients.. what a fail.
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Amna Jan 24, 2020 11:58am
@gghh Lol. Ashamed because of THIS?? Not because a 7 year old child was raped and killed ?? Not ashamed because ppl are committing suicides right left and centre because they can’t feed their family !? Ahhhh the irony !
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A true fact Jan 24, 2020 02:28pm
@Sarah regardless of it being a charity event or a normal event. One cannot simply plaster someone else’s work and start calling it an inspiration. At the end of the day raka events was asked to “organise” a charity event and if they chose the theme as Jimmys work ; then the right and normal thing to do would have been to take permission before hand! Not write someone’s name under the door in a size 6 font and claim it as an inspiration. This entire clarification would not have been required had Raka events taken any prior written approval for this “inspiration” from the artist himself. We cannot hide in claiming that we were doing charity no matter how and what was done hence send us to heaven right away! Such entitlements must end.
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A true fact Jan 24, 2020 02:34pm
@Sarah secondly there is a very very area to discuss what amounts to charity. Did raha events pay for each and every item out of its own pockets? Or was the cost covered not profiting doesn’t mean not being paid for the materials used. Regardless whether they profited. They were given a contract in which they wanted to use someone else’s recognised ideas. On which that person has spent years working and given his life to it. Cannot be simply taken for granted. Artistic values must be respected. If Raka events is such a charitable and honest organisation then they should have sent an email to jimmy simply saying we are paying each and every penny out of our pocket to do and organise this event for charity and would like to use your ideas as the central main theme your permission is required! Ever wondered how that would have turned out? Maybe jimmy might’ve even joined you guys to make it better and bigger.
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Yusuf Jan 24, 2020 07:52pm
Raees and Faheem, a well known interior design firm from Lahore did the same with my work. They blatantly copied everything from my page and used all the artwork to redo a space in the old Rawalpindi Club, it's now called the Petman cafe. But the artwork is all taken from my research page, and they never had the decency to even ask my permission! So yes, intellectual copyright? What's that!
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Yusuf Jan 24, 2020 09:33pm
@A true fact my thoughts exactly. I had a similar experience with a well known Lahore based interior design firm copying all my research work from my page, and using it to theme a cafe in an army officer' mess! Koi sharam nahe.
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Fahd Jan 25, 2020 03:29am
@A true fact .......The issue here for this lady and people in the past like Anisa, R Lakhani etc is that they charge a big percentage to organise these events...upto about 25 percent. Not all is as charitable as it seems.....
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A true fact Jan 26, 2020 07:45pm
@Amna are you really going to compare the replication of Eiffel Tower or the pyramids to someone’s actual work of bread and butter? As far as this blatant argument of Disney themed birthdays are concerned. Please be clear that Disney actually encourages the sale of its merchandise of characters to be produced and sold world over. That’s the concept for Disney inspired themed birthdays world over. Disney is a behemoth and wants it’s merchandise displayed all over. The Eiffel tower or the pyramids in Giza are world wonders and and replicated in Vegas , New York , Dubai , malls all over. But an upcoming artist with his own shop and investment is not Disney or a world famous landmark. If drawing such comparisons, the only defence for Raka events then they are really going to sued really bad!
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A true fact Jan 26, 2020 07:48pm
@Amna so just because there are more serious and heinous crimes going on in this world therefore all other wrongs should take a back seat? It’s like “oh I just stole from someone, but he actually stole and murdered! So I should go Scott free since my thing or crime is less in intensity as compared to what the other person committed!” Is that so?
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