ArtMetal

As an artist, what I do is the result of my unique life experiences, and the way my particular brain processes the world.
If given the exact same materials, and told to make a piece about the same thing, no 2 artists will produce the same piece.

"Ideas" are pretty worthless unless you turn em into something.

The concept of "owning" an idea is repugnant to me.

If somebody tried to somehow incorporate one of my sculptures into the design for an "antique" lamp made in china by the thousand- well, it would have so little relationship to what I do as to be laughable.

That said, years ago I did have several of my designs, production pieces for candlesticks mostly, knocked off. Legally, there was nothing I could do, as art and craft pieces are not patentable, and they changed enough small details as to avoid any copyright issues as well.

To any trained eye, the difference between my originals (cast gray iron, with a powdercoat finish) and their copies (bent coat hangers spray painted from a can) was obvious, and my pieces continued to sell for approximately 5 times the retail price of the Tijuana knockoffs- but they sold 1000 per store to Bed Bath and Beyond, while I sold 2 pairs to the high end gallery.

I stopped doing the piece, because I felt the idea had been diluted enough that it no longer interested me.
Since then, I have seen variations on my idea (and it was only my idea briefly- I dont believe in some godlike form of originality- I worked off the visuals in my environment, just like everybody else, changed a few things, and was a part of a much longer chain)
made in Haiti, several african countries, the phillipines, indonesia, thailand, mexico, and god knows where else.
I consider the theft of my idea, my own personal foreign aid program to third world countries- think of all the poor people who ate as a result of making those candlesticks....

Anyway, as Satchel Paige used to say, "dont look back- they might be gaining on you".