Suppose I designed something for Mother's Day typography design using 10 MAY and MOTHER words.
And my friend also designed using same but look and feel is different. Let's say visual design is 80% same.
And then he shares his design on social media platforms. I'm a bit late in designing and I post it after 30 minutes (I'm unaware that he's already made a similar thing).
And he comments on my design, talks to his friends like:
"You shouldn't copy someone else's design. It's not ethical" "You shouldn't post this design as I did it first" "That guy stole my design"
...and shows the frustration.
Are comments like these ethical and moral? If yes, why? If no, how should the two concerned designers respond to this kind of situation?
And how should we respond when I'm aware that he's posted a similar design?
PS: On some occasions, I had to discard my designs when my friends made 60-70% similar designs faster than me, because I was afraid of criticism and negative comments.