REALLY unfortunate MiTo..
This set is a blatant rip off of GMK Muted and the GMK Mr sleeves add-on. To claim ignorance when it's literally a carbon copy one of the most coveted gmk combos.. Unfortunate.
As close as you can get to infringing on another's IP. Really dissapointing from a guy whose had such success with his own designs.
AyEnKayIt's a grey colourway with muted accents. Of the 6 accents in Muted/Sleeves I would say there is only 1 with significant similarities to these (the blue). Even then, it's a push to claim it's "ripped off".
JoshimitsuHe's copying two GMK sets that are quite commonly used together. Muted and Mr Sleeves.
Here's what that looks like together if you're not aware:
https://m.imgur.com/a/CLTyTxh
It was one of the official renders used for the Mr Sleeves add-on.
AyEnKayAccording to you DCS Sleeper is a "blatant rip off of GMK Muted and GMK Mr Sleeves Add-On", when Sleeper:
Has different colors (Sleeper doesn't use any of the Pantones listed);
Has different legends (Sleeper uses classic legends, not icons);
Is made by a different manufacturer;
Is made on a different profile.
Still Sleeper is a "blatant copy"? If your definition of "blatant copy" is having similar attributes (soft colors) then by your logic the sets you mentioned are in the first place, blatant copies and remixes of DSA Quartz, DSA Granite (oh wait, the nephews pointing fingers never heard of those, but they might if someone makes a vlog and post on Discord), the authentic IBM keycap set, any WYSE keycap set, GMK Classic Retro and any set with a soft colorway palette. If having similar attributes automatically constitutes a "rip off", then let me start here with a list of the Laser rip offs with the GMK Japanese molds I made, or SA sets with vibrant colors, which I was the first to do. As if anyone owned languages and colors.
Incredible the double standards to which I and other creators are subjected to again and again to fit narratives of hive mentality, we are walking targets for people doing less for keycaps than we do. In the past I was vocal to defend that color schemes could use some protection and exclusiveness. Not a single soul agreed with me, or even understood what I was trying to say, in fact I was laughed at and attacked. Such a silly concept. If you are trying to make an argument, the consensus is that nobody owns, or have exclusive rights to use any colors. And I can't make a basic looking set with white, grey and soft RGB colors? Okay.
"Keycap connoisseurs" and "morality knights" at their best, I guess.
MiToIt's hard to argue this is not a Muted rip-off.
Let's assume i wanted to make a DCS rip-off of laser.
-It would have different colors from SA/GMK versions
-Different legends
-Different manufacturer (at least from GMK)
-Different profile.
Taking another guys design and launching it in another profile still makes it a copy. But i guess according to you i could run DCS laser, if i just change name and run it in different profiles.
MiToI'm aware of your own history with GMK laser which is why it's more baffling.
The key difference is you're not some nephew on geekhack that's looking to make a quick buck. You've HAD history with people trying to copy your own work. You yourself mention that you're a proponent of people having ownership over their work in this space..
There's always going to be people on both sides of an argument. Just as people can simultaneously hail your "originality" with this set and others that see the lack thereof. So, it doesn't surprise me that people didn't see what your side of the argument and dismissed the argument as someone trying to own a combination of colors.
This topic does come up often. And often times, most anyone with any weight in this hobby, falls on the side of protecting people's work and IP.
No one will be taking you to court for running analogous colors to these sets. But, I'd like to think people like you, that ARE distinguished members of the community, should be held to a higher standard.
Does this give me a green light to run an ePBT version of laser with slightly modified colors? It's never been done in cherry profile + PBT before. Furthermore, I could feature icon mods. Let's call it.. ePBT phaser. Would you so vocally come to my defense if people raised this same question then?
Bottom line is that anyone that looks at these two sets at a glance can see the similarities. Aesthetically the only difference between the two is that muted featured old school mods.
Ultimately, you've become the very person that you've supposedly been fighting against as a content creator in this hobby.
AyEnKay>-Let's assume i wanted to make a DCS rip-off of laser.
>-It would have different colors from SA/GMK versions
>-Different legends>-Different manufacturer (at least from GMK)
>-Different profile.
At this point it's a different set I guess, not a rip off.
> Taking another guys design
Ah, so "the other guys" (from circa 2015) are the original inventors of white and grey computer keycaps, the "design" is exclusively theirs. Noted.
AyEnKayI understand to some extent what you mean (its quite a stretch), but I don't see how it can be applied to a basic color palette that have been used over and over again throughout the times, in different styles and "design execution" over so many years. If people want "GMK Muted" or "GMK Sleeve", they can find a seller I guess, but for those who want grey/white keycaps that resemble IBM/WYSE/Compaq on the DCS profile, this is for them.
jrjr2I think it's a little different, laser colors can be considered "iconic", there's nothing quite like it, while white with grey modifiers is so common that I already have 3 keyboards in such a colorway!
It's just a classic color scheme, with an optional set of muted accent colors, something that is getting fashionable recently. It's not the first (yes, like sleeves add on, but also like 9009, gmk light dolch, and even canvas xda to close the circle!) and it won't be the last.
MiToI don't think your argumment is very convincing. It's just a game of words. Instead of trying to judge whether it's a "rip-off", let's just count how much originality is there:
Has different colors (Sleeper doesn't use any of the Pantones listed); But it's just different accent color from the same color palete
Has different legends (Sleeper uses classic legends, not icons); Isn't it just the standard modifier icons used by every gmk set?
Is made by a different manufacturer; But it's one of the handful of major keycap manufacturers. Should not really be a surprising choice to anyone
Is made on a different profile. But it's again a well-established run off the mill profile. You didn't create/modify the profile to make it better suit the set in anyway
I'm not really going to claim it's a "rip-off" and I think it's good that people have more choices on profile even if the color schemes are the same. However, I also think it's quite reasonable to say it lacks some originality, especially when it has the name of a well-respected designer on it.
woleizihanSaying a set lacks an "extra spark" to make it completely unique and original on its own is something, which I can understand as a form of criticism (which I much appreciate). But accusing me from "blatantly copying" another set because classic colors were used, with different technical specs, is a petty, hateful and unfair claim. I will get criticized for anything I do, if I use flashy colors, if I use soft colors, if I make crazy legends, if I use classic legends, I can't seem to able to please everyone.
AyEnKayI don't know, it seems like the colors Mito used are completely different and it's a different profile. There are a lot of gray and white keycap sets, it doesn't seem like a big similarity to me.
MiToI really like the set, thank you for making it. Messing around with keebs is one of the only things keeping me sane during lockdown, so thanks for putting this together. Love it! :)
AyEnKayGood lord you are sensitive... DCS Sleeper is a light gray set with a little bit of color added in. This is hardly a new idea that was invented in the last few years of GMK sets.
Mito is not stealing anyone's design, it's just a different take on the most common keycap appearance from the last 50 years of computers.