Good Evening Everyone!
I know all of you have been reading about the
"sharing" of needlework designs. Thanks to Lori
of www.farmhousenotforgotten.blogspot.com and
Nancy from www.widgetsandwool.com, many of
you are now aware of the problems needlework
designers have been faced with for many years.
The internet company they site is huge, but
it is not the only one out there. For years I
have been getting emails from my customers
giving me sites that had downloads of my
designs. This is far from a new problem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am still in shock from seeing so many of my
designs on this site, just for the taking.
I am still in shock from seeing so many of my
designs on this site, just for the taking.
There are 161 of my publications
listed at the moment. One of my newest, Spring
Eggs III, is on their "hot thread" list right now.
I don't know what that means and I really won't
understand how the site works unless I sign up.
I don't know what that means and I really won't
understand how the site works unless I sign up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I honestly believe that until everyone understands
what 'getting something for nothing' is doing to
this industry, we are all going to suffer.
This doesn't just affect the designer. The brick
and mortar stores and legitimate email stores
are affected by this as well. Obviously,
consumers will be affected if their favorite
designers give up.
consumers will be affected if their favorite
designers give up.
Many shoppes have said to me that a large part
of their sales are now in fibers and fabrics.
What does that tell you? One or both of the following.
We are either stitching designs from a huge stash
that we have accumulated over the years or the free
and 'shared' designs that are readily available. No one
can blame anyone for stitching from their stash. We
all do that. We all have wonderful things just
waiting to be stitched, but free or 'shared' designs
are another thing. They are killing this industry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those of you who know me well, know that
I don't like to get up on a podium, I'm not one to speak
up at meetings, just tend to go with the flow. This
though cannot be swept under the rug, or that is where
the needlework industry will go.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Think how sad that would be for all of us
who so love this beautiful and creative art form.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please spread the word about what is going on.
Thanks for listening to me and an even bigger
thank you for liking and buying my designs
over all these many years.
Wishing you and me
"Many Happy Stitches",
Sandra
I have seen the results of this among my own "favorite designers" who are no longer designing, precisely because of copyright issues: the name Jennifer Aiken-Smith of Dragon Dreams springs to mind. And then there is the sudden unexplained disappearance of designers: Monsterbubbles comes to mind. I know some designers who still teach the craft using their own designs but no longer publish new designs. The only way you can get certain Brightneedle designs is to attend a class that features one of them. The profit margin on teaching is more reliable than that on publishing. It has to be frustratiung to publish a chart only to find your designs "shared" on the Internet and your profits eliminated. And isn't "shared" such a lovely word? I think we need to start using words that say what we mean: stolen, pirated, fraudulent use of intellectual property.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is riding out the current economy by stitching primarily from stash [I own enough charts to keep me busy at least 5 years, and books and magazines to keep me busy another decade beyond that], I still worry that my meager chart purchases will damage the industry as well. For the past three years, I have limited myself to five new charts per year. So far this year, I have purchased only one chart and it was an older one that I feared would go out-of-print if I delayed much longer. I don't even look at the trade show websites anymore for fear I'll be tempted to spend money on charts that will only sit in a drawer. I wonder how many people are doing what I do. For the past two years I have actually tracked my expenditures on this craft and posted the results on my blog in late December 2010 and 2011. It's been an eyeopener: first making me aware of how much I really do spend and secondly, making me aware of how I divide up my purchases.
I know what you mean. I discovered Monsterbubbles designs in the JUST CROSS STITCH Christmas Ornaments editions. I've gathered almost everything for the "Day One" ornament except for the charm, and since the site is shut down, there's no way to get it. I e-mailed Heather Holland-Daly personally and learned there were other designs besides "Day One" and "Day Four", part of a series with her take on "First days of Christmas, and told her I was willing to pay for any others that she had, but I haven't heard back.
DeleteSandra: I am saddened by the ignorance of some people, how can someone live with themself knowing they are stealing from our Designers what a low person with no morals are they.
ReplyDeleteShame on them.
catherine