Nov 21, 2011read the 34 comments
MGM Grand logo, yours for just £29
Here’s the MGM Grand logo.
And here’s a vector lion available for £29 from Shutterstock.
Curious.
Via Creative Group.
Similar: Buy the iconic WWF panda for $69
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Update #1: 01 December 2011
Having just been threatened with legal action for the sale of the MGM Grand lion, and as the vector graphic in question has since been removed from Shutterstock, I think it’s safe to say who was in the wrong. If ever there was a reason not to use stock graphics in logos (or anywhere else?), this is it.
Update #2: 01 December 2011
MGM apologised. No probs. Gotta do what we can.
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34 appreciated comments, click here to add one
Justin
Which came first, the lion or the lion?
Nov 21st, 2011
Jonathan Patterson
Somebody’s gonna get their pants sued off.
Nov 21st, 2011
Jerry Kuyper
At a quick glance I saw one small line had been removed from the original.
Perhaps this is the conscious of the rip off industry speaking.
“We will no longer make logos distinctly worse (WWF Panda) before we resell them. We will maintain the integrity of the original design.”
Nov 21st, 2011
Stijn
And it’s not even a good copy.
Nov 21st, 2011
Jerry Kuyper
I meant conscience not conscious.
Note to self: drink coffee first – then post
Stijn, good point on quality of copy. I love the addition of the Shutterstock logo on the lion copy – is that to keep MGM Grand from stealing the logo back?
Nov 21st, 2011
Jeff Kahn
this knock off will be removed soon… thanks to this post.
Nov 21st, 2011
Christina
This is frightening. My husband could do this. He’s a scientist.
Nov 21st, 2011
David
Really – it would help if someone would clarify which is the culprit. The idiot who used a piece of stock for the logo. Or the idiot who copied the logo for his piece of stock.
Nov 21st, 2011
Dylan
Step 1) Pirate copy of Adobe Illustrator
Step 2) Find logo to pirate > Right click > save.
Step 3) Open Illustrator > Place image on art board
Step 4) Click live trace > click expand > copy paths > save as “my design”
Step 5) Sell design/crowd source/contests > rake in cash > call yourself a “Professional Graphic Designer”
Step 6) Hire lawyer/disappear
Nov 21st, 2011
Michael Campbell
How do these “designers” sleep at night?
Nov 22nd, 2011
Casey
I clicked the link to the lion symbol and it’s been taken down.
Running scared or ducking for cover.
Nov 22nd, 2011
April
…and here’s a lawsuit for using the MGM Grand lion, for much more than it would have been to hire a graphic designer to design you a logo!
Nov 22nd, 2011
Joe
An absolutely incredible feat of nothing… there must be some kind of witty Zen quote for this somewhere?
Nov 22nd, 2011
Tino Cordes
Looks like the MGM logo has a little more quality in the form and the lines. My guess is that the stock logo is the copy.
Nov 22nd, 2011
Denis
Shutterstock already removed the file :)))))
Nov 22nd, 2011
Rajesh Pancholi
Oh dear me ……
Nov 22nd, 2011
Matt Hollands
The lion looks a little worried to me! Possible about impending lawsuit.
Nov 22nd, 2011
Kevin Burr
I’m surprised big stock companies like this haven’t hired someone to lookout for these rips before the art actually gets added to their site.
Nov 22nd, 2011
Dylan
I’m sure there is complex verbiage somewhere in the upload process that gives some sort of indemnity to these sites that “broker” stolen images so they either cannot or less likely to be sued. You cannot cover all the bases, but it makes it harder to go after them.
That $99.00 logo can wind up costing thousands of times the original cost and makes hiring a Pro designer look much cheaper.
Nov 22nd, 2011
Anzor
loool .. i wish he didn’t retouch the ear .. it looked better on the vector art
Nov 23rd, 2011
Theo
I am with Kevin Burr on this one, stock companies should check for plagiarism and close the “artist’s” account.
Nov 23rd, 2011
adam
I have some gritty, detailed experience with that logo. It is not a very clean vector. Maybe the shutterstock user just cleaned it up a little and offered the cleaner version for sale. It’s a lot cheaper than some designers would have charged to clean errant nodes.
Nov 23rd, 2011
The VMCA
Hmm, but which came first, the chicken or the egg…either way…ouch.
Nov 26th, 2011
Jon
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this at best borderline of copyright infringement? Still a little shady in this area :p
Nov 28th, 2011
Chris Clowes
Well, I don’t know which came first but I suspect the MGM version did, so it’s a simple, straightforward theft. The very few, very minor alterations are no where near enough to avoid a blatant copyright infringement suit. Lawyer up guys! Some people’s balls are bigger than their brains eh? If on the other hand MGMs logo uses a $29 Shutterstock image I’d love to know A: how much they paid their designers for the logo and B: how they can TM it…..?
Nov 29th, 2011
Amanda
GASP! Utterly shameless! :O LOL
*tweet*
Nov 29th, 2011
Simon C Page
It’s worrying how many innocent people have used this thinking it is fine and how many others are there on Shutterstock like this?
Dec 1st, 2011
David Airey
Having just been threatened with legal action for the sale of the MGM Grand lion, and as the vector graphic in question has since been removed from Shutterstock, I think it’s safe to say who was in the wrong. If ever there was a reason not to use stock graphics in logos (or anywhere else?), this is it.
Dec 1st, 2011
Dorothy
tsk! tsk! tsk!
BTW: Some of these comments (especially Dylan’s first comment) pretty much sums it up…!
Dec 1st, 2011
Dorothy
Hear! Hear! @David
Dec 1st, 2011
Krist
And to think Shutterstock has turned down plenty of my images
Dec 1st, 2011
David
@David – I’m pretty sure it’s against the licensing agreement to use stock from Shutterstock or iStock as the main element of a logo. Though I can’t throw any stones in that direction. But something as high profile as this shows just a tiny lapse of judgement.
Dec 1st, 2011
Stewart
Yep, no one saw this coming did they ;-)
Dec 2nd, 2011
Jerome Collinge
The designer should hang their head in shame to put out this type of work and actually pass it off as their own.
Dec 18th, 2011
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