Being original is not about originality anymore

"We're different."

Yeah right.

But are you really?

It's not accurate to claim that you are different and therefore original, especially when you disclose your source.  Keep in mind that everybody wants to be different.  It follows that everybody has the itch to claim that they're original.

The rules of intellectual property says otherwise.  You cannot claim an idea that it's yours.  Period.  An idea always comes from a source... be it from a problem that requires a new approach to creative solutions or simply out of vanity.

You cannot patent, trademark, or copyright an idea.  What you can claim however is the actual product to which your idea is manifested from.

Levi's did not claim that they invented the jeans.  But they can claim about the design quality of the jeans that  they make.  Apple did not claim that they invented laptops.  But they can claim they invented the best design functionality of a laptop in the world.  The Beatles did not claim that they invented British pop music.  But they can claim ownership of their sound recordings.

So next time when you say something about your music, your art, or your product, don't say it's original because it's different.  No.  Because today, no one really cares so much.  It's more about the how without divulging the source than the what.

And chances are every single thing is different from the other already.