After posting details of my new pattern yesterday, I received an email from one of my lovely readers asking if I would consider supplying my patterns digitally as PDFs. My heart sank. Believe me, it would be so much easier if I could offer patterns digitally – fewer trees used to print on, faster delivery, no outlay for me on paper, printing etc etc.
However, until a lot of things change, unfortunately I will not be offering my patterns digitally as PDFs or in any other digital format.
Why not?
Firstly, I must emphasise that I am not implying that my correspondent had nefarious things in mind. I am sure that she could only see the wonderful benefits such as easy delivery. And for a purchaser, they are wonderful benefits.
Selling via PDF is something many designers have considered, some accepted and some rejected. I am amongst those who have rejected it. The reason why is because of digital pirates and the breaching of copyright. You may be familiar with The Gift of Stitching Magazine. One of the reasons why it is no longer published is because of people “sharing” it amongst themselves. (You can read a response to it ceasing publication here.)
Too many people either don’t know or don’t care about the fact that “sharing” a digital pattern breaches copyright. I have heard selling PDFs described in the following way: “it makes too easy to share with 1000 of your nearest and dearest friends.”
As a designer and author I put many many hours worth of work into each of my designs, and many many more into my books. I expect to be paid for that. If I sell my patterns as PDFs then it basically just encourages those dishonest people who would rather get something for nothing, because it makes it far too easy for my patterns to be distributed illegally. That’s not going to pay my bills, and if my bills aren’t paid I can’t keep designing.
I already get regular alerts telling me that things I have designed are being “shared” illegally on the internet. This is even without providing digital patterns! While these breaches of copyright can be reported to the hosting providers or such places, it takes time and effort, and there is no guarantee that the files will be removed, or if they are, that the poster will not just pop up somewhere else under another alias, offering the same things again.
You can read more about how a couple of internationally renown designers have been affected by piracy (and many more have been affectd by piracy than just these two!):
Ellen Chester, of With My Needle
Scarlet Quince
I’m sorry if this really discourages you, but for the moment, until PDFs can be delivered in such a way that they cannot be shared, I cannot consider selling my work in that way. Some may have taken the decision to do so, but I cannot currently do so.
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
Yvette, se tiver um tempo dê uma olhada no novo bordado que executei. Acharam lindo. Fiz uma inovação.
http://www.alcastrosantos.blogspot.com.br/
Me dê sua opinião sobre o trabalho. Abraços, Algecira
Hi Yvette
I just read your post about PDFs and not wanting to supply your patterns in that format.
I bought a knitting pattern from Chic Knits and thought that they had a way around this problem. I literally had about 3 days in which to download the pattern. After that it disappeared and if I wanted to download it again I would have to purchase a second copy.
Hopefully this helps. Perhaps if you contact Chic Knits they can give you more information about this.
Regards
Renee
Hi Renee! Yes, that is one way of delivering the patterns, but it still doesn’t stop people from then sharing the pattern with 1000 of their nearest and dearest friends…! I belong to an international designers group where many are constantly looking into this issue, and no-one yet has found a failsafe way of managing the problem. There are some really creative problem solvers amongst them too.
I think, but am not sure than e-books can not be transferred from one device to another. I know some people are annoyed that they cannot share from one computer to another at home, so I am guessing a bit here. Perhaps, just perhaps, one solution might be to sell the patterns as e-books, one pattern in each book. I do not know anything about printing from readers, although if I bought a pattern I think I would like to print it. What do the other readers know about this?
Worth looking at. But, the problem with that (not trying to be a big black cloud!) is that you could still print out say, 20 copies of the pattern, one for everyone in your stitching group. Still breaches copyright…
I had no idea, Yvette, that this kind of thing was going on! Although I am disappointed to hear it, I wish I were more surprised. There just seems to be more and more of this ‘idea’ of “Well, I am special, so I should get it free!” kind of thinking all the time.
I truly support your attempts to be able to market your ideas and creativity! I’ll join your team of ‘on the lookout’ artists to spy looking for your copycat competitors!
Lynn
Thanks for your support and encouragement, Lynn. 🙂
Algecira, it is a beautiful piece interpreted from Mountmellick embroidery! You make such lovely things!