Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Aaaargh

So it appears that it is that time of the year again. Luckily this doesn't happen too frequently, but when it does I feel I must rant at least a little. When you use one of my free patterns or purchase one from my etsy store, I request both in the listing and on the pattern itself that you please use them for personal use or offline sale only. This is of course because I sell my own pieces online and I don't want to compete with my own designs. I know that not every designer feels this way, but many do and even though this is not a legally enforceable mandate(who can honestly afford trademark or patents?), most people comply, I assume out of common courtesy or respect. Every once in a a while though someone fights me on it. Yesterday was that day. I fought a seller on esty whom I had asked to remove the listings made with  my patterns. In the end it appears courtesy lost and she refuses to remove the listings. I of course have no recourse and the worst part is that when some people see those listings they will assume I gave permission or that is is fine for them to do it as well and I won't be able to stop the bleeding.

Okay, I may be being hyperbolic, but these events always cause me so much stress. This one even had the added bonus of a bad review for a sale pattern that called out this policy and then stated that they didn't even need the pattern because they could see how to make it anyway. It's everything I can do to keep myself from pulling down all my patterns and never listing another to avoid this in the future. It really is a lot of stress. I mean I get a nervous stomach just sending the messages. I didn't even find the listing myself, but someone had asked if my policy had changed because they saw the listing and so I had to send the message. I know that most people who use and buy pattern have no interest in selling and that to pull them down would be an overreaction, but I still just want the stress to stop. Anyway, I think it's mostly out of my system now, provided that no more of it rears it's ugly head anytime soon.

So back to making things. It was hard to get through any oya yesterday as I kept getting distracted and then shaky from the afore mentioned drama, but I did get some done. This first one here is called the basket stitch in the book I'm using. I like that it looks like little stars after the third row is done. I also like that I don't have any ends to hide when I cut off the threads with this. The knots are so tight, I can't seem them unraveling ever.

This next one is my favorite so far. The book refers to it as a pine cone and adds a tassel to the end. This is the first bit that I can imagine as a piece of jewelry. In fact I may try it out with thicker thread and see how it looks today, provided that I'm not distracted again. Oh, how I hope that drama is all done for now. Sorry, I know, I thought I was done too. Here's hoping today is better and thank you to everyone who does understand and respect my request. Thank you to all of you who support my work and give me confidence to learn new things and occasionally design new things. I need that more than you know.

6 comments:

Jane Eborall said...

I agree with you totally. I ask the same thing of people who have my free patterns and for the same reasons too. I give my hard work for no financial reward so consider that I'm not asking a lot that they are not used to sell online. It's happened to me before and when I asked the seller to remove the item she did and apologised. You've been very unlucky to have come across a rude, ignorant seller. Hope she reads your blog and the comments too. It's immoral and hurtful when there are so many designs which she could use instead.

craftie sylvie said...

I am a good crafter (sorry for the lack of humility!), and I knit-crochet-tat-etc everyday, but I am no designer at all! Nil! Peanuts! Nothing! So I NEED the genius and creativity of true designers. And I simply can't understand why I should take it from them, when all I have to do is benefit from their generosity (so many free patterns around) or pay a fair price!
Of course I do understand that that seller on etsy wanted the money, but how can she face her own reflection in her mirror without being disgusted (liberal translation of a French phrase ^_^) knowing that she stole your ideas!?!?
Even when I alter a pattern to suit my size or taste I still don't pretend it's mine, because I could never have created it on my own. So I hope that people will be careful and boycott her shop. Too bad we can't blacklist her somewhere!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow - its one thing to object to not being able to sell the things she's made, but quite another for her to admit that she's more than happy to perform full copyright theft, regardless of what you say - which is what she's said in her review. I'm so sorry that you have to deal with that.

victats@gmail.com said...

don't feel bad about telling her to cease and desist. It's your pattern and you're very generous to share it. If she's such a good Tatter than she's capable of coming up with her own designs and doesn't need to use your patterns. Tell her to girl up and design her own stuff. Love the Romanian lace bracelets, very excited to see what you do next....the caterpillar is still my favourite design!

Aussie Jo said...

I think you should name and shame!

Rita Gibson said...

Yes, we know that feeling. It's really a bother for others to pick up a design you made, then sell it on their own Etsy store. While it is not an enforced policy, it’s still common courtesy to the person who have made the original piece or pattern in the first place. Anyway, I wish there was a way to deal with that rude copycat.

Rita Gibson @ YEAH! Local