What you suggest is:

"I made a black dock with a reflection. I'm the only one who ever did. Therefore no one else can repeat this feat involving heretofore unknown technologies and artistic abilities unseen until I created Eminence Dock. Since a variant of it exists, it was obviously stolen from me."

Yeah...that's exactly what happened. Everyone knows Stardock has no graphic artists working for it.

Hell, the CEO is/was a skinner (I sill have that Fuzzy on my Desktop to abuse)....

So you're wanting what, exactly? You wish us to assume what isn't true to be true to:

1) Stroke your ego.

2) Start a contentious thread where people can fight pointlessly about a ridiculous (and untrue) assumption.

3) Conduct a pointless, contentious and peudo-legal argument that is meaningless, endless and obnoxious.

Accusing a person/Corporate entity of theft of intellectual property/infringement is a serious accusation. It should not be made frivolously or lightly...especially when obviously untrue.

*Doc says, "I'll pass." 

just because they look similar does not in ANY way mean that stardock "ripped" any graphic from your docks.

You need to be very careful about making accusations like this without concrete evidence especially if you haven't contacted stardock about your concerns. Your comments could be taken as slander and/or libel.

Personally i think you have seen a slim similarity and decided to give your ego a stroking to make yourself look good and basically because you have nothing else of any value to moan about. Peace out

Yep...  Start getting into that and we'll be bringing back the bad ol' days like when Apple thought it could copyright the 'look and feel' of a spreadsheet.  Only so many ways that little puppy can be done..and..Apple wasn't the first ones to come up with the idea.  In fact, I kind of doubt they had computers back in Babylonia.  Abacuses maybe, but not computers...  

Huh? Is it still April Fools day? The Dell Dock is a generic looking dark rectangle.How do you rip that?

I have Eminence,(it comes with ObjectDock). Dated 8/21/2006

I also have Alienware Xenomorph dated 5/9/2006

I see a stronger resemblence between those two docks.

At any rate, rips should be reported privately by PM to a mod and NOT in the forums.

I think everyone needs to calm down until whoever posted the Dell dock image can come along and clarify what's what. The dock backgrounds do look pretty damn close, but how are they actually being used. Is it being used just as an example in the image or is it being redistributed as original work? Not making any accusations or assumptions here on this one...and it seems to be the same one used in the video. I'd tend to think that given the sites feelings on rips that the answer to this might turn out to be a simple one.

..yeah the the same could be said about your own dock, the same style had been done before you did it I reckon. Too generic a design to claim anything. Actually the Emminence pushbuttons look rather similar to some of Kols previous buttons....Imo. Almost every aspect of the Emminence WB could have been taken from a 100 previous themes. I'd say.. get over it.

I think a darker dock background, with gloss and gradients is pretty vague.

Not actually same, but "similar".

Actually if you go that site and then to Youtube - via their own link.

People call it ObjectDock/RocketDock/Mac ripoff in ....and so on (YouTube comments).

So people don't celebrate there and send roses to Dell.

So, just edit your artist-post, and state that yours is better than Dell Dock

...Actually i currently use your dock, lol.

But after all, if example Apple or Microsoft really want that their name, brands or similar looking docks or objects can not use anywhere... then thousands artist can forgot thir work and wait their lawsuit.

So calm down, and enjoy your over 130K downloads + ObjectDock downloads (~6.7 million from Download.com) + via Impulse, etc, etc

(Island Dog... are we ok?! ...ooops, did i say it here  lol)

Would you like the long answer or the short one?

There's not too many ways to make a black top-down-lit 3D background....and anyone who can mess with a gradient fill can do it.

Did the first instance of such a gradient fill/3D/Lighting effect [call it what you like] emerge in 2006 ...with 'Eminence'?

That short answer?

No.

I understand that a black glossy dock isn't a totally new idea.

Please don't be so quick to criticize me. I took some time and looked at the two background images side by side before making the post.  If I didn't feel like there was a strong resemblence between them, I wouldn't have posted.  It's not a huge issue, and trust me I don't need to "stroke" my ego lol.

My only interest was in finding out if it was an edit of my bg image, and if it was, was Stardock in the right to edit it and release it without notifying me.  I just like to know where my stuff ends up.  I'm not a manhunt for Stardock.

I'm not accustomed to things like this, so if a moderator feels that this topic is here in error, please close and delete it.

Again, Thanks for your thoughts and time.

Zero

WOW, that takes some nuts to come in here and accuse Stardock of ripping your "idea".  I think all you've done is bring your dock to the front of the limelight, which I suspect may be the entire reason for this post...Good job.

IF Stardock/anyone did that, then off course it wouldn't be ok.
And everyone is off course allowed to protect their interest/sources - but doing it in a public forum might not be the smartest way around it

Site rule is that any 'violations' must be reported directly to an admin (to avoid "trouble" for any of the parties)

Stardock has a long history of respecting and advocating the rights of artists.  There is no chance that they have taken work and claimed it as their own.

In any case, this is a topic best taken up privately.

It's "troubles" just like this we wanna avoid...... and do hope that our users one day will stop.

You can't stop a fire with gasolin....

The reason that notifications regarding possible/suspected rips are required to be done in private...via PM or Email is to deny the opportunity for any 'third party' to add their 2 cents of condemnation/whatever.

This is therefore closed.

If anyone is seeking further clarification/etc then you know the avenue by which to do so...