According to Catwa Clip, both companies copied her UV's. She has filed a DMCA against them and has stated that she is talking with her attorneys.
From what I have witnessed and read from everyone involved, here is my honest opinion on the subject.
Firstly, all Catwa, GA.EG and Akeruka heads take LL skins. That means that they had to use the LL UV maps to make theirs. Some could say that they all copied their UV's.
Putting that aside, however, Catwa's claims are still.. Rather petty, honestly.
Both the owners of GA.EG and Akeruka have shown side by side comparisons of their UV's. There are very many differences, and obviously, they are not the same UV's. Even someone who knows nothing of Second Life skins, UV mapping or digital content creation could tell you that.
Take a look for yourselves:
Obviously, these UV's are different. The topology is different, the basic shading...
So I'm sure you're asking, why then, would Catwa attack these people for no reason?
It is noteworthy that Catwa is an expensive brand. Their bento heads sell for 5,010 L$, or 21.53 USD. That does not include accessories, and only come with a few basic animations and expression sets.
GA.EG bento heads sell for 2,800 L$, or 12.69 USD. Considerably cheaper. They also come with some basic animations, and sell animation add-ons. This is a considerably more affordable option. Their quality is also quite beautiful, with both their meshes and animations seeming very smooth. You do not have to sacrifice quality for affordability. They also have a few features that Catwa does not, such as rigged mesh eyelashes and animated eye textures.
Akeruka takes things a step farther. Their bento heads sell for 1,249 L$, or 6.49 USD. They are more bare bones from the start, and their animations hud is 1,099 (5.89 USD), but they are still a much cheaper option than Catwa. They are also quite smooth in both their meshing and animating, and are Omega compatible.
As a side note, Catwa's first comments and posts when she first lashed out have all been deleted. Catwa Clip has since released an "update", stating that she is not proud of how she reacted.
If I had to guess, I would say that Catwa feels threatened by GA.EG and Akeruka, not because they are stealing her precious UV's, but because they offer quality without an outrageous price tag. She is now only an option, rather than the only option for users to choose from. I can imagine she may not be happy about that.
I currently do not sport a human head, as my avatar is far from human. However, should I ever choose to step back into the furless world, I shall not be supporting Catwa. I have in the past, but her recent actions have, quite frankly, disgusted me.
Should they still be there when I take that step, I shall be lending my support to GA.EG and Akeruka.
Stay strong!
~ Korvinus Torvanel.
