Casetify, a prominent mobile phone case manufacturer, has recently found itself embroiled in a plagiarism controversy with allegations of copying designs from its competitors. The controversy has led to a lawsuit filed by Dbrand and YouTuber JerryRigEverything against Casetify for allegedly stealing their designs. This article will delve into the details of the controversy and Casetify‘s response, shedding light on the unfolding events. Casetify, founded in 2011, initially gained recognition for offering custom phone cases using Instagram photos. Over the years, the company expanded its product line to include various designs and accessories, becoming one of the fastest-growing tech accessory brands globally, with over 25 million phone cases sold.
Casetify’s Response
Casetify refuted the allegations of plagiarism, asserting that the designs in question were submitted by its brand partners. Click this link to see Casetify’s official response.
In its response, Casetify said
“Casetify has always been a bastion of originality and we hold pride in that. We are currently investigating a copyright allegation against us. We have immediately removed the designs in question from all platforms. Also, we are investigating a DDOS attack that disrupted our website when the allegation surfaced. All systems are back to normal now. All customer information is safe. Thanks for your patience and support during this challenging time”
Plagiarism and copyright issues are not one that could be taken lightly. While plagiarism may not lead to any penalty, it could hurt a brand’s reputation. People could lose confidence in the brand because no one wants to do business with a brand that is not original. For this reason, Casetify needs to do all it can to clear its name if the accusations are false. The company needs to do more than just release a response. It needs to show that it has some original designs that are doing well in the market.
Plagiarism Allegations
The controversy surrounding Casetify erupted when Dbrand accused the company of blatantly copying its Teardown device skins and cases. Dbrand alleged that Casetify’s “Inside Out” line of phone cases closely resembled its Teardown designs, with users noticing inconsistencies in the representations of internal components across different phone models. Furthermore, Dbrand claimed that Casetify had recycled the same design across various devices, leading to suspicions of design infringement.
Dbrand and JerryRigEverything went further to provide several proof of plagiarism which it called “Exhibits”. Dbrand claims that Casetify copies words or digits that are unique to Dbrand. The exhibits from Dbrand are shown in the images below. They include
Gizchina News of the week
- Glass is Glass and Glass Breaks (Dbrands phrase found in Casetify product as seen below)
- 11 11 11 – a unique Dbrand code found in Casetify product
- R0807 – a unique Dbrand code found in Casetify product
- All Seeing Eye – a unique Dbrand logo found in Casetify product
- 11.11 – a unique Dbrand code found in Casetify product
Lawsuit
Dbrand and JerryRigEverything filed a lawsuit (see a screenshot of the lawsuit filing below) against Casetify, citing evidence of plagiarism and seeking damages amounting to “millions of dollars.” The initial controversy started yesterday and the lawsuit was filed a few hours later.
After filing the lawsuit, Casetify removed the contentious case lineup from its website within 24 hours of the lawsuit going public. The company maintained that it has always upheld originality. However, it faced criticism for allegedly recycling designs and attempting to conceal the similarities by making slight alterations.
Design plagiarism can have both legal and ethical implications. From a legal standpoint, it can be considered copyright infringement if the design is too similar to an existing copyrighted work without permission or proper attribution. This can result in legal action and financial penalties. From an ethical standpoint, plagiarism is considered dishonest and can harm the reputation of the designer and the company they work for. It can also harm the original creator of the design and their intellectual property rights. Designers have a responsibility to uphold ethical standards and avoid plagiarism by creating original work or properly attributing existing work.
Conclusion
JerryRigEverything and Dbrand have been very vocal about this controversy since it started. However, Casetify has not being very vocal about it but it quietly delists its Inside Out cases after the accusations hit the public as confirmed by The Verge. The company also released a response stating that it is a bastion of originality. The plagiarism controversy involving Casetify has sparked significant attention within the tech accessory industry, raising questions about originality and intellectual property rights. As the legal proceedings unfold, the outcome of the lawsuit and the impact on Casetify’s reputation remains to be seen. In summary, the allegations of design plagiarism against Casetify have led to a legal battle with Dbrand and JerryRigEverything.
Casetify has responded that it is a company that focuses on originality and it does not involve copying or plagiarism. The lawsuit was filed only yesterday so both companies will have to meet in court and the court will determine the outcome of the legal battle.
Author Qualifications
Efe Udin is a seasoned tech writer with over seven years of experience. He covers a wide range of topics in the tech industry from industry politics to mobile phone performance. From mobile phones to tablets, Efe has also kept a keen eye on the latest advancements and trends. He provides insightful analysis and reviews to inform and educate readers. The author holds a B.Sc, M.Sc and Ph.D and has been writing professionally since 2013.
