Whew! A lot of bad stuff has been happening right under my nose. Make me feel kinda yucky inside stuff. Patricia over at zencrafting posted a very insightful, well written and most timely article yesterday on Intellectual Property. April 26th is World Intellectual Property Day (I had no idea). If you create anything at all, I urge you to head over there and read what she has so graciously shared. I learned quite a bit myself and feel so much better about a few things.
Things? So vague, I know. This is what has been happening around here over the last week. A woman posted one of my tutorials to a foreign blog. She used all my pictures and translated my words into her language. She did have a link to my site. That is how I found out. I was getting lots of hits to that page of my blog. Which made me search a little deeper. Not only had this individual not asked permission to use one photograph, as is customary, but she used them all. And all my words too. So I sent her an email and contacted the host. It took 10 days or so, but I am happy to report that it has been taken down.
Wait there is more! A few days a go a neighbor friend stopped by and said "Your children's photograph is on a fundraising poster for the "Japanese Gulch". I thought surely she must be mistaken. So... I drove down to the coffee shop...and sure enough, Soren, Dunn and our dog Max, with our neighbor Bob in the background is on the poster. I was floored! Where could they possibly have obtained this photo? Sorens blog. They took the photo off her sweet little kid blog and put in on posters all over town. The town in which we live. To fund raise for the gulch which our house borders. Major yuckiness there! Here's the deal. I would have happily have allowed the to use the picture. We love the gulch and want to see it preserved. But no parent should have a photograph of their child published without knowing about it first. And I certainly shouldn't have found out about it from a neighbor. So, I emailed the president of the organization and layed into him on the yucky factor. I also suggested that he use this incident to educate his staff on the proper way to obtain promotional materials. I haven't heard a peep back in 6 days. Nothing!
Guess what? Jon and I are attending that particular fundraiser. Better keep me away from the open bar because I have allot I want to say about their silence. Think I will forward them Patricia's article. Might be a nice Hors d'œuvre for them.
Well thank you for listening to my rant. I hope you will take the time to to visit zencrafting and read what Patricia has shared.
And now for the GIVEAWAY!
I have a good spring cleaning urge to reduce some of my sewing supplies. I have four FARBENMIX patterns to pass along. If you would like one leave me a comment with the pattern you prefer and an email address by Sunday, April 24th. I will pick the winners when I wake up on Sunday while having my coffee. I have lots to unload so check back!
Lily
Things? So vague, I know. This is what has been happening around here over the last week. A woman posted one of my tutorials to a foreign blog. She used all my pictures and translated my words into her language. She did have a link to my site. That is how I found out. I was getting lots of hits to that page of my blog. Which made me search a little deeper. Not only had this individual not asked permission to use one photograph, as is customary, but she used them all. And all my words too. So I sent her an email and contacted the host. It took 10 days or so, but I am happy to report that it has been taken down.
Wait there is more! A few days a go a neighbor friend stopped by and said "Your children's photograph is on a fundraising poster for the "Japanese Gulch". I thought surely she must be mistaken. So... I drove down to the coffee shop...and sure enough, Soren, Dunn and our dog Max, with our neighbor Bob in the background is on the poster. I was floored! Where could they possibly have obtained this photo? Sorens blog. They took the photo off her sweet little kid blog and put in on posters all over town. The town in which we live. To fund raise for the gulch which our house borders. Major yuckiness there! Here's the deal. I would have happily have allowed the to use the picture. We love the gulch and want to see it preserved. But no parent should have a photograph of their child published without knowing about it first. And I certainly shouldn't have found out about it from a neighbor. So, I emailed the president of the organization and layed into him on the yucky factor. I also suggested that he use this incident to educate his staff on the proper way to obtain promotional materials. I haven't heard a peep back in 6 days. Nothing!
Guess what? Jon and I are attending that particular fundraiser. Better keep me away from the open bar because I have allot I want to say about their silence. Think I will forward them Patricia's article. Might be a nice Hors d'œuvre for them.
Well thank you for listening to my rant. I hope you will take the time to to visit zencrafting and read what Patricia has shared.
And now for the GIVEAWAY!
I have a good spring cleaning urge to reduce some of my sewing supplies. I have four FARBENMIX patterns to pass along. If you would like one leave me a comment with the pattern you prefer and an email address by Sunday, April 24th. I will pick the winners when I wake up on Sunday while having my coffee. I have lots to unload so check back!
Lily
Heather over at FeathertySews is doing a little destashing as well...hint hint hint!
Cheers!
Sonja
Oh man, quite a bit of weird stuff happening lately. Anyway, of course I would love to win something. I am a sucker for Farbenmix pants, and don't have the Qumaira pattern yet. So that would be the one. tricialee22 @ hotmail . com
ReplyDeleteWell, aren't you sweet? I'd love any one of them except Anna (I have it). If I had to pick one then I'd say Qumaira and then Lily. robin@robinkjohnston.com
ReplyDeleteThe photo/intel property violations? Inexcusable.
I've recently discovered Farbenmix and I'm trying slowly to increase my stash of patterns. I'd love to get either the Lilly or the Weeke pattern for my 4 year old girl. Fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI left the last comment but then realised that I didn't follow the instructions and leave my email address! suzie.evason@gmail.com.
Thanks. Enjoy your coffee. p.s. Would love to hear how the fundraiser goes.
I found your blog from your comment at ikat bag. I am horrified that someone used a photo of your children without asking! I hope that you can get that settled soon. :(
ReplyDeleteI would like to enter your drawing for the pattern Anna.
msjbird at gmail dot com
I do realize that the giveaway is over ... but I was wondering as there were only so few comments ... maybe you have a pattern left that you do not need? ;-)
ReplyDeleteFound you via the Farbenmix-Flickr group by the way ...