Furry Chandelier

these look troublingly similar to the work of Chululy, a very well-known glass artist,

I was about the say the same thing. Dale Chihuly's work to a T.

I saw this and said to myself "Oh, a new Chululy!!" and then I read the blurb and said "Hey! Someone stole Chululy's style completely!" I went to the site to see if it was a one time thing, but no, they all look like Chululy's work.
Looking at google I see Chululuy sued Kaindl in 2006 for copyright infringement.
http://www.seattlepi.com/visualart/266884_dalelawsuit17.html

This is a blatant ripoff of Chihuly's work. There was a huge lawsuit by Chihuly against people ripping off his work; the results weren't too favorable for Chilhuly.

I'm very disappointed that neatorama publicizes such shady people as Kaindl.

Isn't it inevitable that Chihuly would be copied? I was thinking about this the other day when I saw a 13 million dollar estate on the market featuring an authentic Chihuly in the opulent mansion's foyer. What's to stop the copycats from making stuff like his now that the model is there (besides the blogosphere, that is)?

A lawsuit? That's ridiculous. Sure, it looks the same. It's a similar style. But unless he's trying to pass these off as genuine Chilhuly's, it's asinine.

So, a glass artist using swirly, protruding glass to make a sculpture. Is that illegal now?

So, whoever made the first Anime movie can sue everyone else for the big eyes and colorful hair? Maybe Lotus 1-2-3 or Wordperfect or whoever can sue anyone else who thought to make a spreadsheet or a word processor?

The whole idea of copyright is an antiquated and backward idea that needs to wither on the vine. Chilhuly can trade on his name just fine, he is not adversly affeted by people aping his work - if anything, his prestige is increased.

They settled out of court.
Maybe its "asinine" to have pursued a lawsuit but I don't know how Kaindl can sleep at night. OK--maybe he sleeps fine but just like he can't call them "genuine Chihulys" he also can't call himself any kind of artist. Just a sleazy businessman who can't come up with any sort of original vision.
You can't copyright an idea, true dat. But these are blatant rip-offs. Ideas are one thing, specific design decisions are another--but its a grey area and a free marketplace of both is better than not.

Chihuly's been ripped off left and right--this is the only person he sued. Its because his former employee sold him out.

Fine until you have to clean it. With the animals around here, eventually it *would* be a "ball of fur"!

Chihuly all the way.

Still it looks great.

That's the first thing I thought of -hanging lights get really dusty and have you ever tried to clean spun glass?

Frankly, I haven't heard of either of them, and I don't really care. Who would want that monstrosity hanging in their foyer? They'd have to hire a second maid just to keep it clean.

Give me my old Tiffanies any day.

I have to say... this design is so unoriginal that I don't see how it can be considered a copy. It looks like any number of organisms I've seen, real and imagined, and I've doodled this a million times myself. It's like saying a square can be copyrighted, or a shade of white.

Of course, I could be wrong. It could be an exact replica.

It also looks like my hair.

@BikerRay, that was my immediate reaction: visually impressive, but a major pain to dust.

Wow, I must've been the only one to have thought, "Wow, that's a huge flying spaghetti monster chandelier."

One does not clean or dust such big chandeliers- one lets them gather dust over the centuries while having outrageaous parties below them and swing from them, draped in Zorro-costumes and Musketeer-costumes....

:-D

Hey if it means that I am getting a Chihuly inspired work but not at a Chihuly inspired price - I am all for it.
I think it looks great.