For SOME time now, I have stated that there was at least ONE competitor who has been trying desparately to advertise HIS website ON MY facebook page...and INCLUDING THIS VERY SITE!
I refrained from using the name of his site simply because I was not going to allow someone to try to use cheap tactics to make themselves appear much better than they are. In fact, he lacks so much its amazing. I see it everywhere in his style of works.
Most recently, he has reached a new level of all-time lows. Now, here's the thing. For months I had been quite public of the fact that I would never stoop to such lows and copy The Sigil of Baphomet that the Church of Satan utilizes. I think its a great piece. All Satanists KNOW that Baphomet has been around for centuries. Many renditions have been drawn up over the years if not centuries. At one time, I did pitch some ideas to the Church of Satan DIRECTLY and they turned it down. No problem there. I KNOW the limitations of the copyright and trademark laws. I didn't use THEIR version NOR do I use the WORDS: Church of Satan WITH the pendants I sell...the back of each pendant states Sigil of Baphomet, which is exactly what the image is...its a different rendition than the one they use. Now, having said that, the person in question regarding the most recent tactics was GRANTED permission by the Church of Satan to use their trademark.
The problem I am dealing with for quite some time now, is that since I have managed to block the owner of the website from my Website and Facebook Page, he has now taken on the tactic of literally COPYING my WORK!
I never once went to his facebook page and attempted to plug my website. I never attempted to contact him via his website either. Yet, time and time again, he has tried to ruin my reputation but making plugs in public forums that I OWN and RUN and lately, he's been taking my ideas to sort of compete with me, head to head. I always said, I welcome competition, however, originality is a KEY FACTOR here. When someone takes the very ideas I come up with and they replicate them, then its NO LONGER a competition. It's infringing on some copyrights AND REPUTATION OF THE BRAND I BUILT!
If you take a look at some of the earliest blogs I posted in the 2 years that this site has been up and running, I have CLEARLY made it known why I bothered to create pendants in the first place. Many years ago, the Church of Satan had a shop page on their site called Emporium. They created and sold pendants but I was always hesitant on purchasing one. I LIKED the work that they did and the quality was definitely there, or so it appeared that way online. Pictures were limited. I prefer lots of pics, front, back, side, close-ups, etc...all for the sake of assuring quality! So, there were some design flaws that I always felt they could have done better in. Needless to say, I never did purchase one because I did get to see some up close from friends who had purchased one. I thought it was a pretty good piece of work but I felt that if I ever did one, I would design it slightly better.
I waited patiently. Did my research and had my capital ready to go. When the time was right, I began to move forward on the philosophy of QUALITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, that's all...none of this "Embodiment of Satanism" bullshit that tries to sell his stuff on that pitch. Fuck that! ITS BULLSHIT! People want what they want and at a price that is REASONABLE! END OF STORY!
This unoriginal person decided to start taking my ideas when I mentioned that I would be working on lapel pins a while back. It was like a race, he literally jumped at the chance to beat me to it. I saw what he had created and I thought to myself: first, let me work on cuff-links instead...and suddenly, he starts talking about doing the same thing. That's when my suspicions grew. Afterwards, I discussed a new design for Baphomet pendants AND an upgrade on the metals used. He quickly moved towards Silver...which I personally think its a good idea...a little too pricey but the reason I didn't go that route is because to me, COLOR is everything. I came up with the colored versions of my 1.5 inch pendants that included the new Baphomet design based on the Oswald Wirth VERSION.
NOW, allow me to be clear on this...Olwald Wirth was basically a Tarot Card designer. He did artwork for Tarot Cards...and Baphomet on his cards included an INVERTED Goat of Mendes design....IT DID NOT include the words Leviathan encircled around it....which is where I get the design. Matter of fact, I asked my CUSTOMERS to submit some artwork of what they would like to see come to life in the form of a pendant. This was submitted to me and I compensated the person for their submission.
While my unoriginal competitor went the route of lapel pins and then tried selling the 1 inch lapel pin as cuff-links with a lapel pin attachment on the back, clearly spoke volumes to me about his tactics. Unoriginal and definitely intended to keep up with my new ideas. His silver pendants, were also pretty good until I discovered that he went with the 'Bessy Version' a version used by the Church of Satan in the early years...and updated to a more modern look it uses today. EPIC FAIL on using that design on Silver....PLUS, there's no color...the only color you can ever add to Silver is black...and its called Oxidation...where you literally have to oxidize the areas you want in black when it comes to Silver...Now that he is reading this, I am sure he is scrambling to update his inventory.
I went with color, heavier metal, and additional work on the back of each pendant with the words "Sigil of Baphomet".
Then came the race to create the ring. I have been working on the ring for over a year. When he read my blogs and facebook posts, he began working on one too. Til this day, he has yet to produce one, a real one and not a digital image. I have already created one, posted the pictures, and began selling them. I still welcome the competition, after all, he has a different design.
What surprised me lately, however, was that he is NOW stating that he is offering COLORED versions of the pendants...he already stated that he is going to do the exact same version of my Black and Red 2 inch I have had for almost a year now. Although, his will likely be smaller....takes extra capital to go with larger sizes...and good luck keeping it within budget. My prices cannot be beat, I guarantee it.
Even more shocking is that he LITERALLY TOOK my digital image of the Baphomet design when I posted it on facebook about a year ago, cropped it with photoshop and is now claiming that he is going to use the Oswald Wirth version...which is NOT the Olwald Wirth version because I MODIFIED IT by adding to the original design. He literally took my image and is about to start claiming that it's a version that the Church of Satan ALLOWED him to utilize. Little does he know that that design is not owned by CoS.
Below, is a SCREEN SHOT image of what he took from me. A direct COPY OF MY WORK and announcing that he will also be creating a Black and Red pendant like the one I currently have.
So You can CLEARLY SEE...THIS IS MINE>...Also...take a closer look...look at the edge of the design. Its not a perfectly ROUND crop...clearly done through Photoshop to crop out the rest of the FULL PICTURE....ESPECIALLY when it says www.SIGILOFBAPHOMET.COM ....just like ALL MY PICTURES have this on them.
Below is the Black and Red 2 inch VERSION...MINE, of course
NEED I SAY MORE?
SO why the public display of distain...well its quite simple. I BUILT this website and THESE PENDANTS with ONE THING IN MIND: QUALITY and CRAFTSMANSHIP...BUT
It does not end there....REPUTATION is on the line! Just like the Church of Satan had CLAIMED years ago that there would be many other Churches claiming to be a part of the Church of Satan, I am making the same claim today...THERE will be MANY producers of these pendants, BUT NONE WILL MATCH the QUALITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP that I have put on mine!
DO NOT BUY imitations that carry the same design and/or color because HE would simply not carry the same work ethic that goes into creating these great pieces. The reputation I created was solely based on what I knew EVERY Satanist across the globe has been waiting to see for many years, QUALITY that is guaranteed and CRAFTSMANSHIP that's unsurpassed!
Until I recently discovered this, I am currently seeking legal counsel to determine to proceed to shut down someone else's attempts by ruining my reputation by offering the public something of lesser quality and utilizing the images I have BEEN using that have created the brand you have come to know, The Sigil of Baphomet Pendants.
I will end my blog with these very simple words to the wise:
Buyer Beware: ISatanist.com is a FAKE! An UN-Original who attempts to discredit my reputation for the quality I brought to Satanists on a global scale.
Let it be known, anyone who cannot come up with something original and uses cheap tactics cannot be trusted to provide quality and craftsmanship on their work. Its that simple.
Hail Satan!
And a BIG FUCK YOU to the guy who I KNOW will be reading this...you lit the flame and BURNED you shall be....(legally).
Xerxes
