Copyrights and Wrongs

I'm one of those people who won't knowingly violate a copyright when it comes to cross stitching patterns (or any other printed media for that matter). Yes, I do make working copies of patterns when I am stitching them, but the copies get run through the shredder when I'm finished stitching from them.

Don't ask me for a copy of one of my patterns; I won't give it to you. Don't offer to give me a copy of one of your patterns if I express appreciation or desire for it; I won't accept it. Even if it means that I have to spend exorbitant funds on eBay to get a legal copy. If you give me a copy of something and I discover later that it is illegal, I'll run it through my shredder.

If something is out of print (OOP), this is not an excuse to make copies. I won't even try to rationalize that copying is okay because the pattern is no longer in print. Copyright laws still apply! I'll spend my money on eBay or peruse garage sales and thrift shops in search of OOP patterns I'm wanting.

Today, I was reading a cross stitch message board and noticed a post from a designer. She had discovered a picture of a finished project on a blog stitched from one of her patterns that has not been released to the public yet!

The designer had posted a picture of the pattern on her website, and this thieving blogger had made an illegal pattern from the picture! The thieving blogger had then given the pattern to her friends and posted it on a disreputable message board for further distribution!! And she bragged about it!!!

The post also included information about how some designers had backed off from the business due to losing money from copyright infringement. ACK!!

If you aren't sure about copyrights yourself, read this article about "Copyright Basics" from Yarn Tree.

Now, on a lighter note, here is Emma desperately begging (albeit mostly politely) for a chip from DH as he eats his "watching football snack" of chips and hot sauce.