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"If you were watching game seven of the World Series last Friday, you might have seen a new commercial for Chevrolet. It tugs at the heartstrings, is awash in American nostalgia, and if you're a web culture aficionado, it probably felt familiar.\n\n\n\n\nThat's because the popular blog Dear Photograph has been getting readers choked up with similar photo illustrations since May.\nThe site, founded and operated by Taylor Jones, has been growing its reach, and popularized the \"picture in picture\" concept that elicits nostalgia and family memories.\nOf course, no content was taken from Dear Photograph for use in the Chevy ad, but the concept is almost note-for-note.\n\"When you look at it, there appears to be a lot of creative similarity, so I was hoping they would a least acknowledge that they were inspired by my site,\" says Jones. \"I didn't invent the technique of taking a picture of a picture \u2014 but I did popularize it by creating a unique site that brings together the physical technique with deeply emotional reflections that are expressed as captions.  My site receives submissions from around the world and has been seen by more than 10 million visitors [since launch].\"\nJones tells Mashable that neither Chevy nor the agency that created the ad (Goodby, Silverstein &amp; Partners) has reached out to him, despite some criticism on the social web and a handful of negative comments on the video's YouTube page.\nBut can a creative concept like this be protected as intellectual property? \n\"Copyright protects the expression, but not the underlying idea,\" says Kevin Thompson, an attorney who specializes in trademarks, copyright and Internet law. \"So, what Chevy is doing is not actionable, at least with regards to Dear Photograph.\"\nThompson likens it to other legal issues where motifs are \"borrowed\" but no actual content is stolen. \"There have been similar lawsuits with JK Rowling and the Harry Potter books. The idea of a young boy wizard facing trials during school was not protectable.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIndeed, the idea was not wholly the province of Dear Photograph to begin with. It has been employed by artists before, notably Michael Hughes. But what it really comes down to for Chevy is sentiment. The execution is so close in feeling to Dear Photograph that some consumers have taken notice. And a social web scorned is never good for a brand.\nStill, Jones is appreciative of the creative nod, even if he hasn't been acknowledged publicly. \"They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,\" he says.  \"Chevy is a iconic brand with a lot of talented people working on the business.\"\nMashable reached out to the creators of the ad, Goodby, Silverstein &amp; Partners, but they declined to comment on the matter.\nIn the end, it will be left to the court of Internet opinion. What do you think? Did Chevy crib from Dear Photograph's unique concept, or are pictures of photographs as old as photography itself? Have your say in the comments, and check out our selection of Dear Photographs below \u2014 used with permission, of course.\n\n\nDear Photograph\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Adventurous Grandma\n\nDear Photograph, Grandma was an adventurous woman and had a fantastic sense of humor (even when her street was flooded)!Chad\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. Back in Time\n\n\nDear Photograph,\u2028 I want to know what\u00A0you were\u00A0like before the illness took over. I\u2019d give anything to go back to this moment and spend the day with you.\u00A0I hope\u00A0you\u2019re proud of me.\u2028\nLove Always,Halle\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. First Kiss\n\nDear Photograph, \u2028That was the best first kiss I could have asked for.\u00A0Katy Ann\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Golden Days\n\nDear Photograph, We couldn\u2019t possibly know what would cross our paths in the years ahead.\u00A0One thing is certain,\u00A0no one can take away those golden days\u2026.Joel\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Grandma's House\n\nDear Photograph, I can still feel the warmth from Grandma\u2019s wood stove and all the\u00A0happiness\u00A0that radiated throughout her house.\u00A0It\u00A0has been long abandoned and the stove is no longer lit, yet I will never leave the happiness behind.\u00A0Love, Dawn \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. House is Still Blue\n\nDear Photograph, \u2028Over 25 years later, the house is still blue and my mother is still looking over me.\u2028Alexandra\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. It's a Girl\n\nDear Photograph, \u202825 years ago my baby girl\u00A0filled my heart with all the joy a mother could ask for.\u00A0In a blink of an eye the years are gone, but never the joy. My heart is still overflowing.\u2028Annesta\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n8. Parents to Lean On\n\nDear Photograph, \u2028I\u2019ll always have my parents to lean on.\u2028Matteo Pelliti\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n9. Place at the Dinner Table\n\nDear Photograph, \u2028It\u2019s\u00A0comforting to know, that after 20 years, my place at the table is always waiting for me when I\u00A0return home.\u00A0\u2028\u2028Juliana\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n10. Proud Behind the Pram\n\nDear Photograph, At the time it was not common for a man to walk behind a pram.\u2028I\u2019m still proud of my father.Eva Willemier Westra \n\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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