Is it wrong to copy a cache that's in another town?

[+Lacomo]

There is a really neat cache in a neighboring town that is 50 miles away. I would like to place one in my town very simular to it, with another twist to it that I think would make it even neater.

 

The person that placed the other cache has said they copied it from another cache in another state.

 

Is it considered tacky to copy?

[+treasure_hunter]

There is a really neat cache in a neighboring town that is 50 miles away. I would like to place one in my town very simular to it, with another twist to it that I think would make it even neater.

 

The person that placed the other cache has said they copied it from another cache in another state.

 

Is it considered tacky to copy?

 

Simply ask the cache owner for permission.

 

Maybe ask the person who invented the cache.

[+stepshep]

Mimicry is the greatest form of flattery. Go for it!

[+Renegade Knight]

The more unique the cache the more polite it is to ask. The less unique, the less it matter if you ask.

 

Mostly I think the hide doesn't matter so much as if you borrow the description or cache page theme/story.

[+traildad]

There is a really neat cache in a neighboring town that is 50 miles away. I would like to place one in my town very simular to it, with another twist to it that I think would make it even neater.

 

The person that placed the other cache has said they copied it from another cache in another state.

 

Is it considered tacky to copy?

I say go for it. You could give credit to the people that inspired you by mentioning them on your cache page.

[+Ambrosia]

I got an email once from a cacher asking if they could copy one of my caches. I thought it was so cool! They mention my cache in their cache description. Yes, like stepshep said, it's the sincerest form of flattery.

 

I was in Seattle recently and was glancing through nearby caches in GSAK and was surprised to see my name in a cache description. I realized that someone else had used the same style and credited mine and the other cache.

 

It's silly, but it makes me feel good. I think that would be most people's reaction. It's probably nice and or best to ask just to be polite. And possibly to reference it in your cache description.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I've seen it done and called a 'tribute cache', where it says in the description something like "I saw this cache in Tennessee and thought it was really neat, so I am bringing the idea home' or "JoeBlow has one like this, I thought it was cool so I am making one like it" or some such.

 

Mostly I get the feeling that they sent the owner an email and asked if they could borrow the technique.

 

There's no rule or obligation to do that, it's just the nice thing to do.

 

I would not say "This is like GC12345" as it gives away the original hide.

[+geomann1]

.As there are 400,000 or so caches worldwide, pretty much everything has been done before, so go for it. Acknowledging the owner you copied it from is always a considerate act.

[+SixDogTeam]

.As there are 400,000 or so caches worldwide, pretty much everything has been done before, so go for it. Acknowledging the owner you copied it from is always a considerate act.

 

It's a good thing the earth is flat....

[+Super_Nate]

Here is a cache that I copyed. I emailed the creator of the cache that I really liked and I asked him if I could do one like it in my hometown, and he said yes. Thus, I have created this cache.

[+briansnat]

I don't have an original bone in my body, so every cache idea I have is stolen from someone else (with the exception of one). I don't give credit because I want everyone around here to think I'm some sort of cache hiding genius. Little do they know hehehe.

[+Team Cotati]

I don't have an original bone in my body, so every cache idea I have is stolen from someone else (with the exception of one). I don't give credit because I want everyone around here to think I'm some sort of cache hiding genius. Little do they know hehehe.

 

Placing a piece of paper and a matchbox car in a box and sticking it under a rock is not copying or stealing the 'creative' work of anyone.

 

Copying the work of another person that is sufficiently unique to the extent that a majority of reasonable adults would recognize it for its display of creative thought and effort............is cheesey to the max.

 

Fortunately, since we are talking about geocaching, it doesn't really matter very much.....unless you want it too. hee hee

Edited August 19, 2007 by Team Cotati

[+RockyRaab]

I'll cop to the cheesy plea. I have two caches that I duplicated (sounds better than "stole") from other places. Neither original is closer than 150 miles from here, so I don't think there's any danger of creating anything like lamp post syndrome with them.

 

Besides, both of the ideas require more labor than throwing a film can under a bush, so few cachers will go to the trouble to re-stea...I mean, re-duplicate them.

[Dinoprophet]

I'm still waiting for someone to steal one of mine. It was a hit with everyone who did it, and some people did ask me if they could copy it, but so far I haven't seen anyone locally imitate it (granted, it was a hassle to set up, and I had some trouble keeping the stages in place in this particular park). I want to try to solve one!

[+StarBrand]

Give credit where credit is due.

 

Simply thank the person(s) that inspired the cache hide or technique in the listing page.

[Uberquandary]

I'm still waiting for someone to steal one of mine. It was a hit with everyone who did it, and some people did ask me if they could copy it, but so far I haven't seen anyone locally imitate it (granted, it was a hassle to set up, and I had some trouble keeping the stages in place in this particular park). I want to try to solve one!

Ha-I showed it to my husband and he's already wanting to try copying it.

 

If you want to come out to Denver to do it, that is.

[+J-Way]

It depends on how unique it is and much of the cache you copy. If you copy a unique description word-for-word and the container is identical and don't give credit to whoever you copied from, then the original hider might be offended.

 

But it sounds like you're planning on improving the idea (changing it slightly) and giving credit, so the original hider will probably be honored.

[bogleman]

ok, kinda a long story but I'll be short. There was a special container that was being sold back in 05. Someone posted a question about it and I jumped in. I/we found who had the original design but they wanted money for the "plans/container".

 

Being a natural born cheapskate I pondered the pictures for a few days and figured out how it worked and made one of my own. It did require quite a bit of work but I was proud of myself of being able to get the thing to work. In the end it would have been cheaper for me to buy it rather than go through the design phase but I was so proud of myself and the reaction that I received from the locals.

 

I had others with more technical skills make professional plans and I have shared my plans with many folks. I never gave the owner of the "original container" credit for anything since I later found that my plans were slightly different than his and I never charged anyone for what I gave them.

 

All that I want out of this game is smiles, that's worth more than anything to me. I'll copy what and where I like and I am flattered that others would do the same from me.

 

I don't need to be a legend or famous for anything, I'm proud of myself and what I do

[+Cache_advance]

I recently came up with a cache idea that I THOUGHT was incredibly original, and a rather ingenious method. I emailed my reviewer to check that it fit within the guidelines, and ask if he would approve it, before I got started with it.

 

His reply bummed me out. He told me that since there was another cache following the same principle about 30 miles NW of here, he didn't think it would be a problem. Dang!! and I thought I was "pushing the envelope"... still debating over whether I want to do it anymore.

 

Cache_advance

[+Harry Dolphin]

I found a confluence cache on a trip to New Hampshire. That had never occurred to me! I loved it! So, I set out my own, and creditied the owner of the cache that I found. Obviously not an original idea, but I thanked and credited rjbnh43 for the thought.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I recently copied a hide from a long-archived cache in Albuquerque. The original was placed at the airport and security finally had enough geocaching visitors that they removed it. My cache isn't placed in a sensitive location, so in effect it's better more appropriate than the original. This "new" style of cache was so successful that I placed one just like it up in the mountains. If I didn't copy myself, there would be one less cache to find

[+Misha]

NO, but I would give idea credit to the origional site

[+Wadcutter]

Is it considered tacky to copy?

If only it were so then we'd only have 1 light pole cache instead of 1 in every parking lot in the nation.

What are we going to do when everyone finally goes to digital cameras and there are no longer any 35mm film cans?

Edited August 22, 2007 by Wadcutter

[+Zop]

There is a really neat cache in a neighboring town that is 50 miles away. I would like to place one in my town very simular to it, with another twist to it that I think would make it even neater.

 

The person that placed the other cache has said they copied it from another cache in another state.

 

Is it considered tacky to copy?

 

I know I'm echoing other replies here but by all means YES! UNLESS.... It's a micro in a lamp post skirt

 

Just last week while about 150 miles out of town, I stumbled across a fantastic hide and mentioned in my log that "I hope you don't mind if I copy this" in the log. I promptly received an email from the owner with their blessings.

 

Consider this however, if you don't copy, will all of your placements be unique?

[+JohnnyVegas]

Go ahead and copy it, it people did not copy caches they found there would not be many cache to find.

 

Just, if people did not copy caches there would only be 10 or 12 lap post hides in the world

[+Zop]

Go ahead and copy it, it people did not copy caches they found there would not be many cache to find.

 

Just, if people did not copy caches there would only be 10 or 12 lap post hides in the world

 

Now.. If I could just find that custom cammo JV uses I have a 55 gallon drum I wand to hide in the Bay Area