Understand the consequences

How can we make someone who violates copyright that their actions are not without consequence?

Does it give you pleasure to know you have made a world famous designer cry today? 

That you have taken her artistic abilities & reduced them to nothing by stealing her images and designs, to give them out for free to anyone who wants it, so that the design is no longer marketable? That the design she has spent hours, weeks or even months to design is being distributed by people who have no respect for her talent, whilst congratulating themselves on their “skill” in reproducing that design?

Thousands of hours are spent trying to protect our designers Intellectual Property. Only THEY have the right to decide how that design should be distributed. Not you – someone who has probably downloaded software illegally to copy the designs, not you – someone who thinks nothing of the work, time, money & effort that has gone into the production of a design, not you – who considers herself talented because she has COPIED someone elses artwork.

Is this how you bring up your children, that taking something that does not belong you is fun? To have them in the playground saying “granny* is a thief” (*Mummy, Daddy, Granny, Grandpa).

Do you teach them to go into shops and take things off the shelf, put them in their pockets and walk away without paying? And justify your behaviour because the person in the aisle next to you did so?

When a designer and their assistants have to spend hours policing websites, that designer cannot concentrate on her creativity. Honest fans are insulted and upset to know their favourite designer is treated in such a disrespectful manner. An honest stitcher who has bought a chart or kit legally can hold her head high and stitch that design with pleasure & pride.

Designers have to spend many hours reporting violations on websites who make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to have illegal copies of their work removed.

Does it give you pleasure to know you are contributing to the destruction of the needlework industry? Designers are forced out of designing as they can no longer pay their bills. They have to get a “real job”. The world is losing these talented peoples contribution to the needlework industry. Magazines, publishers, shops are closing.

Help us stop the thieves. If you know someone who copies & distributes designs, say 

“NO. This is illegal, disrespectful and criminal.” 

Support your designers. Buy designs legally so that we can carry on designing without the continual burden of theft.