Thursday, April 29, 2010

a discouragement

today, I received an email from one of my reader...She was asking me if I was the one teaching a scaley pouch class in a quilt shop in Portland.  Naturally, I was confused...here I am, in Jakarta....miles away from Portland, OR.  After further emails, I discovered this quilt shop's website.  My initial reaction was...it might be something loosely based on my scaley pouch tutorial...but upon downloading its spring summer pdf catalog, the pouch is awfully familiar.  It is for a class they're offering there.  As I've written on all of my patterns, I don't mind people using them for personal and commercial use.  All I ask is for you to acknowledge my work.  It is free, and it brightens my day when people are happy with the patterns, and even make money from them.  Here's the picture from the catalog found at a common thread

and here is my scaley pouch

22 comments:

  1. Wow... That is discouraging. I've had one of my ideas copied before and it's not a nice feeling at all. I'm so sorry.

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  2. i always get compliment's on my nappy pouch.... and i ALWAYS say i got the tutorial from Lia in Indonesia.. i think that Viki is quite rude not specifies where she got the pattern from.... even more so that she's teaching a class full of people.. and there again as you happily share with others.... rude rude.... sorry to hear about this but please do not be discouraged as not everyone is like this xx

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  3. What!!???? You've got to be kidding me. They look exactly the same. I can't believe that she had the guts to ask you if you wanted to teach a class. Didn't she think you would find your purse, with their name on it on their site?
    Not OK.

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  4. Lia, this must be so frustrating! And so hard to understand! Mostly because, as you say, if you know about it, you don't mind about it. & That is so generous of you that there is no point not to tell you.
    (I personnaly am so happy I contacted you about your seahorse!!!!)

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  5. ouch..
    Lia, so sorry to hear that :(
    have u tried to contact them abt this matter? u have the right to do it, u know..

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  6. Oh no! That's just wrong. You definitely need to contact them!!

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  7. You really should contact them, I once had some blogger use my pic without linking to my website, i find that offensive and ask them politely to add a link, and she was happy to do it:)

    I'm sure if you talk to them it will all work out fine! Good luck!

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  8. Lia,
    so sorry about that.
    It's a very unprofessional thing to do for someone to duplicate your work and post it in their website without acknowledging your name/blog. You should contact that person and give her a piece of your mind!
    Please dont feel discouraged and keep on posting those beautiful things in your blog :)

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  9. You are so generous to share your tutorials. That is so rude for them to take it without credit to you.

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  10. That is totally rude and ignorant! I'm so sorry to hear that. It is so discouraging that things like these keep happening.
    I think you should contact them to let them know. Maybe they don't know that Victoria is taking the pattern from you?
    Please keep on posting pretty things, Lia :)

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  11. I'm so sorry to hear about this. This is one of the downsides of the internet.

    What will you be doing about it?

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  12. Oh that is the worst. I'm sorry they are doing that to you. Your tutorials are great, your items so much fun! I hope they do give you the credit you deserve. Your the best!

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  13. If they acknowledge where the pattern came from, then no one would take the class. $35 for instruction you can get on the internet for free? Classic money grubbing...though you expect better from other artists.

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  14. thats so sad i am really sorry to know that one should get the credit for what one create.

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  15. Your creations are so unique and fun. I love visiting your site to see what you are doing next. Please do not feel discouraged. For one single person to do this you have many, many more who support your work and who are truly inspired by your creativity. The shop may not even know where she got it from. You DESERVE to be credited with your design. ((((hugs))))

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  16. boo- it's even a tile on their home page! Maybe she does give credit during the class and maybe the cost is only for the supplies- I'm trying to hope for the best on their part. They should still say- based on this design but I guess then they couldn't sell seats.

    Have you e-mailed the store?

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  17. always the same. in this case with a double meaning. same story and exactly the same zipper pouch.
    Take it as a compliment!
    I like yours more ;-)
    claudia

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  18. i agree, take it as a compliment. nevertheless am sowwy for you liaaaaa..

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  19. That's a huge disappointment of sharing your piece of work in the digital work.
    And it's a nice thing you found out about this, you can approach them, and ask them to nicely acknowledge it as your art.

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  20. dear Lia, so sorry to read about this. do approach the seller to clarify. we're here to back you up! :)

    (btw, i'd received your parcel. thank you. i adore everything. i'm having my parcel sent to you today.)

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  21. Lia,
    You are a creative genius and I hope this won't discourage you from sharing your talent with us again. I agree with all of the other comments on her obvious plagiarism of your idea. I hope your other followers in the states will join me in calling the store and making sure they give you credit or cancel the class.

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  22. Hey there - My name is Anne and I'm from the shop that scheduled and posted that class info, A Common Thread in Portland, Oregon. Lia did contact me today, and I immediately responded to her. As a designer and author myself, I fully respect Lia's tremendous creativity and personally understand not only the emotional aspects of sharing one's creativity, but the financial implications for so many creative souls. We do not offer a duplicate pattern for sale or for free, rather we direct the students for that class -- as well as any other customers who ask -- directly to Lia's blog. We do this for all the designers whose patterns and designs our instuctors teach. Most of them are published authors or designers and we require every single student to purchase those patterns or books. Not only to be in line with US copyright laws, but to just plain show respect for each artist and designer. I asked Lia to let me know her thoughts on this, and frankly, I'd like everyones thoughts! I honestly don't mean to be naive...and felt that since the pattern was online at no charge, there was nothing but respect in teaching it and sharing her design with students who would be finding and using it the same way anyone else online would. We followed the same process we do for any other author...and if I stepped on Lia's toes I can only apologize and say it's an honest mistake...one I definitely want to understand that, make it right in every way I can, and not repeat a mistake. I truly hope to hear a better way to handle this!
    Anne
    A Common Thread
    acommonthreadsewing@gmail.com

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