Copycat Suing Original Artist

... yes, that's right, and guess what for?  For the rights to mass produce and sell the items he copies, basically.  Mr. Rick Wittrig, owner of FirePitArt.com has been selling pretty much exact copies of the beautiful firepit sculptures created by the wonderful, talented, and hardworking artist, John T. Unger.

What if this was you?
John, who owns the copyrights to his firepit sculptures (which he's made since 2005) is being sued by Mr. Wittrig to have those very copyrights overturned!  This is not a case which is likely to hold up in court, and I'm sure Mr. Wittrig is well aware of that fact.  However, it seems clear that he intends to 'outspend' John, since he is in a position to do so.  John's already spent over $50,000 of his own money in court cases fighting Wittrig, and if he cannot come up with the enormous funds necessary to defend his copyrights, a default decision means Wittrig wins.  That simple, and infuriating.  This cannot happen.  The Law needs to protect artists better than that.  There but for the grace of God go any one of us small-time artists who come up with an idea some big business man decides to seize as his own money-making scheme, and while I do not know this artist, I intend to help.

I hope some of you do as well.  Donate.  I just did, it was easy and safe.  Give a dollar.  Give five.  If you feel more strongly, give $75, and for that price take a sculpture of your choosing from this first set of 100 sculptures made from the firepit cutout scraps.  John lets you reserve the exact one by simply saying so in a comment to it's Flickr pic in the set.  (Each 100-piece set will be made in a different color of steel.  This one is colorless, or natural.  Red, orange, yellow, white, and black are also available.)

Put one in your studio or work area as a reminder of how we need to support each other, and that in doing so we make the ability to make a livelihood at being an artist a more attainable goal, not an idea easily desecrated by some unethical thieving businessman with fat pockets.  I've had my work stolen and sold, and not just once.  Many of us know how this feels, and it's not nice.  United States law needs to be more supportive and strong in this regard, and our assistance in helping to establish precedence in these cases might be the step in the right direction towards that end!