The Eternal Maker Crafts

Friday 14 November 2014

Spotting the difference: on copying in fabric design.


 This morning I turned away a sales rep from a company I have in the past bought fabrics from.  This company has great designed fabrics, and although their quality is not great, they are cheap.  There are plenty of shops that stock their fabrics, and the usual retail price is £6.99, although I have seen it both dramatically cheaper, and dramatically more expensive.  This all sounds like a great deal, right?

 So why did I turn them away?

The designs aren’t theirs to sell, they are copies of prints from other designers.  
Alexander Henry - Goo Goo Babies, original on the left, copy print on the right.
 Let me add, for fear of being reprimanded, that I am sure that not all the prints are copied.  I am sure that some lovely prints are available from this company that are entirely their own designs.  But while I can't be sure of the original prints from the company, I can be sure of the copies, as we have previously sold their original counterparts in our store.  

Over the past year I have come across more and more designs from this company where we have stocked the original, yet a cheaper ‘fake’ is being sold around the corner for half the price.  I’ve thought about saying something.  I haven’t.  I have spoken to the company, but each time I have mentioned it to them they have protested ignorance, and blamed their ‘german factory’.  They have told me that once they know a design is a copy, they withdraw it from sale.  I have been through their fabric racks, and shown them which ones are, where they can find them, and yet months later still see them being shown at the trade shows. After noticing this company, I became aware that there is more than one UK company out there selling these same fabrics, or others in the same vein.   I haven’t said anything further than this, I’ve thought about it, I’ve stopped buying their products, but I haven’t said anything about it on any public sphere.
Another Alexander Henry print. 
This week, I read this article: https://whileshenaps.com/2014/11/fabric-designers-earn.html - if you haven’t read it, you should, it’s an interesting portrayal of how much the designers we all know and love earn, and what, precisely, they have to do to earn it.  It made me stop and think.  It made me realise that there’s more to designer copyright than just the ‘kudos’ of having designed that print.  It costs them money.  Very few designers earn a living wage unless they have more than one string to their bow. 
Alexander Henry Goo Goo Babies - this one was obviously popular, as it's now available in all the prints and colours.
Now, I’m motivated to talk about this for various reasons. 

I have a store, here in the UK.  We focus mainly on designer ranges of quilting fabrics, and  also stock a lot of modern Japanese prints.  We are not known for being ‘cheap’, yet I (hope) we aren’t equated with bad value for money, either.  We value good design, and want to share our love of print and pattern with our customers.   Our relationship with our customers is important, and it’s important for them to feel they can trust us.  
echino by etsuko furuya.  The colours on this one has been changed, but that's it.
I'm speaking out on this because I now feel that this could effect that relationship. 
I do not want our customers to feel we are marking up items unnecessarily.  I do not want our products to be undervalued by their cheaper counterparts.  And yes, on a base level, I do not want to lose my sales to another company selling the ‘same’ fabrics at half the price.  

Please don’t misunderstand: me writing this blog post is not in any way an altruistic act.

Kokka Trefle - this entire range of hedgehogs, scottie dogs etc in all colours has been copied.
 But there’s so much more to it than me making sales and keeping my customers happy.
I also have friends who are in the design world.  They rely on their designs for their living.  They don’t make much, often.  They are successful, and busy, yet royalties from fabric design can be pennies, as shown in the link to the blog above.  These copies are, in effect, robbing what small income these people have.  It’s entirely probable that the designs won’t get reprinted, if sales are being lost to elsewhere.  
ok - so I couldn't find an original picture for this.  But it is a Cosmo-Tex print we stocked several years ago.
This week I contacted the various companies involved.  I wanted to see what the 'official' take on this was.  I do think, being based in the UK, for the bigger (usually) American companies, we are such a small market for them, and unless it starts directly affecting their customers, it's easier to ignore.  I was pleased to read from the (very quick) responses I received, that the companies do take it very seriously and plan to pursue my worries.  More than one had already tracked it to a mill - not in Germany, not even in Europe, but in Asia - and told me that these designs were being sold for less than 10% of their UK market price.  
Obviously, selling fabrics at this price leaves a lot of room for designer royalties.  And the cost of the base cloth.  And the cost of the inks and dyes.  The machinery that makes it.  The people that make it.  The workers on the factory floor.  Obviously it does...  Does it?  And don't forget that's all with the mark up to the wholesalers, too.
kokka - j'aime le ballet - je n'aime pas le copy
robert kaufman metro market (this collection seems to have been popular.)
And of course there's the long term effect on the market.  The designers who aren't making the money to be able to keep designing for the fabric industry.  The manufacturers who are less likely to be able to introduce new, lesser known designers.  The independent retailers not able to encourage a new generation of sewers.  Without innovation, the market goes stale.  

We are a creative industry.  We're a group of makers, doers, and encouragers.  We should be making a stand about the importance of creativity, and should be supporting the people trying to make a living from it.  More than any other industry, we should understand this.
robert kaufman metro market?  guess which one.
this is a print a few years old from Kokka - original on the left, copy on the right
I'm not naive.  I know not everyone can afford to buy the higher priced items - if I didn't own a fabric shop, I would be shopping around looking for the cheap options too.  I know that it's a buyer's market,  and it's down to the consumer to buy from the person they choose, be that me, or my competition down the road.  That's fine.  I'm not against cheaper fabrics.  Ultimately I want people to be sewing, rather than not.  As long as they are designed by, or for, the company producing the fabrics, then have at it.  The playing field is even.  Competition in the marketplace produces a healthy industry, with everyone, including me, trying harder, doing better, trying to be best.
Sevenberry Strawberries?  Or an identical print?

46 Comments:

  • At 14 November 2014 at 22:13 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Well said. I always think that the copies are not such nice quality to work with as well. If you are not up on the latest patterns and trends how are you supposed to always spot the difference though?

     
  • At 14 November 2014 at 22:22 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    I know - it's easier for me as I'm around new fabric all the time, but I know it's really hard to tell, and I've definitely been fooled before. That's why I'm trying to get to the source and stop it happening :)

     
  • At 14 November 2014 at 22:35 , Blogger Handmade Home Deco said...

    Thank you for this article! I hope you don't mind me sharing, my customers will be able to read it tomorrow morning via my FB page. Hopefully that will explain some why handmade, good quality items costs a lot.

     
  • At 14 November 2014 at 22:39 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    please do! All the shares possible would be great, I think it's important for people to realise the costs involved in all aspects of making.

     
  • At 14 November 2014 at 23:14 , Blogger Isabella Golightly said...

    This is one side-effect of globalisation - manufactuing is pushed out to countries with no regard for copyright or intellectual porperty. Maybe we need a "name & shame" website? Great article.

     
  • At 14 November 2014 at 23:24 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    Thanks! I agree about globalisation. I thought long and hard about whether to include the names of the companies involved but thought I might be in a grey area legally (even though it's true!).

     
  • At 14 November 2014 at 23:31 , Blogger Kate said...

    This is interesting, I have seen very similar copies at a fabric chain store in Australia. I doubt they are realising that that is what they are, it is difficult to be over every fabric line and many non-quilters would not be aware of most fabric designers. A great thing about the internet is that word spreads pretty fast and you can be in touch with designers immediately and let them know what is out there.

     
  • At 14 November 2014 at 23:36 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    It's entirely possible they come from the same place, although I doubt they're the only ones doing it. I think the answer is the internet, and letting the stores and the manufacturers know when you do notice. It's not going to stop unless we let people know we think it's wrong.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 07:52 , Blogger A Peppermint Penguin said...

    good on you! there is such a lot of rot around about IP and copyright, people trying to protect rights they actually don't have, whereas this, this is the real thing. I was told that Mandor's in Glasgow had the sock fabric. I denied this was possible as i knew just how out of print it was! I see now it must have been the copy.

    what about the selvedges, can we be sure of what we buy with the selvedges? or are they copying that as well!

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 08:34 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    As far as I can tell, the selvedges aren't being branded. So that's a way to tell, if you think it might be alexander Henry, it's got to say it's Alexander Henry, or it's not.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 09:13 , Blogger Jo Jo said...

    I'm glad you have written this post as I have noticed for a long time that there are fabrics that are direct copies all over the place! There's definitely a seller on eBay who are based in Thailand that have hundreds of copies of quilt fabric designs for about £1.50 a FQ with free shipping. I haven't ever bought from them, but it's amazing how they are getting away with copying the work so obviously.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 11:57 , Blogger Sewing Directory said...

    It is shocking that they have gotten away with it for so long, and that they have the audacity to make such blatent copies. They aren't even trying to disguise what they are doing. Good on you for speaking up and making people aware of what is happening.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 12:34 , Blogger Unknown said...

    I'm glad you raised this issue too and will be sharing this article for my customers at The Village Maker. I see a lot of the copies coming out so fast after the long hard yards done by designers and fabric houses to produce originals and get these designs to market. The one I see a lot of at the moment is the Native American trend. Like you say, it is hard to know where the true origin of the themes comes from for both fabric buyers and consumers.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 13:47 , Blogger PaperArtsy said...

    We see it in our industry too (papercrafts), but we even see manufacturers within the UK imitate other UK manufacturers. You would like to think they should know better.

    It's laziness too. Turnaround and new product development times are getting shorter, and recession sees big budget and production cost cutting. So to copy someone else who did all the hard work in thinking up the idea first is a cheaper, easier option. If they get away with it they will keep doing it.

    It's wrong on so many levels. When we are in a creative industry companies are more exciting when they develop their own unique ideas. Often those with the cutting edge passion are smaller, independent and don't have deep enough pockets to take the plagiarists to task in a legal battle.

    Which is why social media can be the best way to name and shame the plagiarists.

    It's important if you become aware of any copying to immediately let the original creator know, and there is no harm in flicking an email to the copycat manufacturer/distributor. Tell them you are aware and that you will be exposing their inappropriate actions/behaviour online.

    Good for you in doing just that ! This kind of thing is so disappointing to see. It certainly seems to be increasingly common.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 14:50 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Well done - great article.

    Are you also aware of an organisation called ACID (Anti Copying In Design)
    http://www.acid.uk.com/spot-the-difference.html

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 15:14 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    Thank you - I think if we all start being vigilant and saying when we see it we're not creating an apathetic environment where we're just letting them get away with it. Make it harder for them, and they'll think twice next time.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 17:04 , Blogger Unknown said...

    It is the factory's in the Far East who are doing the copying not the importers/wholesalers. They offer these designs to importers/wholesalers like myself.
    They are sold to us as 'factory designs' without us knowing that they have been copied. I have imported designs I found out at a later date were infact copied from an American company. Had I known this I wouldn't have imported them.not a chance.I now only design and produce my own fabrics.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 17:35 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    Hi James - I know it's the far east factories doing the copies, and it's important to stop them. But they won't be stopped unless people don't buy them. And while I agree that many such as yourself are innocent parties (and I can only imagine the problems that may have caused) I know that the particular one I was talking about has been told and has done nothing to change it, so is guilty in their own way. It works all the way down the food chain, from the manufacturer, to the importer, to the shop, to the end user. Well done for producing your own fabrics. Would love to see them!

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 22:22 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Thanks for writing about this issue. I have noticed many copies and if you buy a lot of fabric or look at 'official ' fabric sites, it's immediately obvious which fabrics are copies, one site I buy from sells 'alexandra' henry and 'klona' cottons, which really annoys me, they are of inferior quality to the 'real' fabrics. I also wonder if designers are credited for their work when I see unusual patterns that I have seen on design led sites such as Spoonflower, in watered down form elsewhere.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 23:04 , Blogger Swedish Scrapper said...

    Thank you so much for taking a stand and letting us know what to look for in counterfeits. I have seen watered down "tribute" prints at one prominently inexpensive fabric company that prints all their own fabric. While I applaud their efforts to print at home and keep costs down, I think it is shady that their I'm house designer spontaneously has very similar ideas to many varied designers from other fabric companies.

     
  • At 15 November 2014 at 23:06 , Blogger Benta AtSLIKstitches said...

    Thanks for that. I know there are different qualities of fabrics but had no idea that some were copies,

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 09:03 , Blogger Louise Ambrosi said...

    Thanks for clarifying something that has been baffling me for a while - I recognised a few of the copies and when I see something familiar priced too low it sends alarm bells ringing! I'd much rather purchase fabric from a place that makes a point of not stocking copies!

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 10:57 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    well said...I am always suspicious of cheaper fabrics. I have posted a link to this post on my FB page

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 11:45 , Anonymous kurkuma london said...

    Thanks for this! I have come across prints that I assumed were copies of designer fabrics (e.g. the metro market), and decided not to buy them - but as someone else has mentioned here already, buying and using designer fabrics makes handmade items more expensive - yet ultimately also better quality! Let's hope your blog post will help our customers better understand our pricing now... Will share it on my fb site!

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 11:57 , Blogger Reene@Nellie's Niceties said...

    Great article :)

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 12:21 , Blogger magistra said...

    Great article. I hope that the police forces in the countries that are hurt by the copies go to work. They bust counterfeit "name" bags, sunglasses, clothes, etc. It would be nice if they started joining forces on counterfeit fabrics, also. Magistra13 at yahoo dot com
    Beth

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 13:01 , Blogger Unknown said...

    I don't believe the wholesale companies are intentionally buying them as copies. They won't be sending cutting of the designers fabric and asking for it to be copied on a poplin quality. They are offered these designs and then buying them without realising they have already been produced by an American company. As I have said previously I have been guilty of that myself. What is important is that when you do come across a fabric that has been 'copied' you notify the supplier so they can relay this information back to their supplier in the Far East.

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 13:33 , Blogger eternal maker said...

    I agree with you that the copies aren't being commissioned, and are likely bought in innocence. But I do believe that once told, they shouldn't continue to make a profit from it. I have repeatedly told the wholesaler, and they continue to market and sell the fabric, and it is this part that I believe is wrong.

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 13:41 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    It's terrible that I wouldn't know if I'm buying a copy or not :/

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 16:48 , Blogger Unknown said...

    I agree with you. They shouldn't be doing that.

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 17:38 , Blogger Radka said...

    I am shocked by the scale of it. I have put a link to your post on my blog.

     
  • At 16 November 2014 at 18:24 , Anonymous Dee Bamford said...

    Bravo!! For making a business decision without sacrificing ethics and morals. And for speaking out boldly about it. Realistically, this sort of knock-off will continue to dog designers, in all fields. The internet has made it all too easy for unscrupulous (or desperate?) people to rip others off. We probably can't change that. But as consumers, we can use common sense when making purchases - if prices seem too good to be true, then someone is getting ripped off somewhere, somehow. And as business people, we can continue to make ethical choices, courageous choices, and have the trust and respect of our customers (even if a small minority go bargain hunting elsewhere).

     
  • At 17 November 2014 at 00:39 , Blogger kathy said...

    Whatever we sold at holiday bazaars was quickly copied and produced from China in less than 12 months. It's that quick of a 'steal'. I'd see the "made in china" copy in catalogs the next year.
    Love your thoughts - it ultimately resides in the end user to buy responsibly. Which means doing your homework when sourcing supplies.

     
  • At 17 November 2014 at 14:15 , Blogger Passionate Quilter said...

    my husband owns a manufacturing company and has to patent everything he does because the Chinese will copy everything. It's gets weary trying to bust those that buy the counterfeit products. In one case, a BIG discount store used to buy from us and then quit. We found out that they started to buy from the Chinese factory. Fortunately the patent protected him and he won. But it was only because he discovered it. Who knows how many others do the same thing and haven't been caught. They are just so unscrupulous! At the trade shows when they see the Chinese walking down the aisle, they assign someone to stand with them so they don't take pictures to go home and copy. So it's EVERYTHING they copy and leave the original design person out. It's so sad.

     
  • At 17 November 2014 at 14:24 , Blogger pennydog said...

    I'm glad you wrote about this, I've come across several of these copies that you've shown and not actually known the lines well enough to tell if it's a "real" print or a copy.

     
  • At 17 November 2014 at 17:25 , Blogger Jen L said...

    Thank you - I was a little afraid that I was imagining things for awhile. Ultimately, counterfeits undermine the creative process. I don't want to support that which (in the US) might be a federal crime.

     
  • At 18 November 2014 at 00:18 , Blogger Crafts @ Home said...

    Good for you, at least someone is making a point. As a customer, I would never buy a copy if I knew it was. Touching a fabric is one way of telling the quality, but not as easy to do as more & more sales are through the internet. Let's hope this terrible practice can be stopped.

     
  • At 18 November 2014 at 10:00 , Blogger Tracey said...

    As far as I know its illegal to sell counterfeit goods in the UK and Trading Standards are hot on the topic but I'm not sure if this falls into the counterfeit area as the fabric isn't being branded to be something its not. Pity in some ways because importers would be prevented from bringing it in. Might be worth raising the issue with Trading Standards though to see if anything can be done.

    Just a thought and I've no idea if this actually happens but could an original design be 'sold on' when its no longer being printed by the original manufacturer .. thereby making the copy prints legit?

     
  • At 19 November 2014 at 18:24 , Anonymous Berene said...

    This is an excellent article. Well researched, well documented and factually stated. Thanks for sticking your neck out with it, and for your honesty. I've seen some knock-offs in stores but never complained to the store owner. I think I will now.
    Also, in response to one of the comments above: there are definitely "designers" on Spoonflower that rip off designs. But, interestingly, it works both ways. I recently walked into a store and saw a complete knock-off of one of my Spoonflower designs. And it wasn't copied in China but "designed" by a US designer (who is also on Spoonflower) and printed by a US fabric company. Mine had been entered into a Spoonflower contest (so viewed by other Spoonflower designers) a few years prior to the knock-off hitting the shelves. I never contacted the fabric company to complain, as I try not to put negativity "out there", but reading this article makes me think I really should. Thanks!

     
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  • At 17 June 2015 at 12:08 , Anonymous Gosia said...

    Thank you for putting together this article. Copying artists' work is becoming a very big problem nowadays. A lot of people aren't even aware of just how much hard work goes into each design but once you find this out you can understand why the price is higher too. I'll share the link on my Facebook Page.

     
  • At 22 July 2015 at 17:39 , Blogger Tonya Ricucci said...

    yeah, that's blatant thievery. I'm glad you contacted the big companies - seems like they're the only ones to do something about it officially. Poor designers can't get a break.

     
  • At 22 July 2015 at 17:57 , Anonymous Matt Montague said...

    I work for a manufacturer/wholesale company in the U.S. We have about 300 prints that we design in house. We also sell close outs from Robert Kaufman, Michael Miller, Riley Blake, etc. Often one print comes in several different colors. My advice would be to compare selvages, and the bolt board labels. We ship worldwide and have awesome prices. www.marshalldrygoodswholesale.com

     
  • At 22 July 2015 at 21:34 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Some of the textile factories in Africa are now on 3 day week and have sacked thousands of workers because within 3 weeks of a new design coming out, it is copied in China and smuggled into the African countries to be sold at a much lower price. Sometimes shoddy and sometimes mixed with nylon. Everyone is suffering this underhand business.

     
  • At 23 July 2015 at 17:04 , Blogger SHELAGH FOLGATE said...

    Hi. Thank you so much for making this stand. I am a very small seller of quality 100% cotton like the ones you sell. I am also a designer. Im furious with the industry for not stamping on this quickly. I have shared this with facebook groups and anywhere else I can think off, far & wide. Huge support, lets get rid of the crap fabric.

     
  • At 23 July 2015 at 18:55 , Blogger liniecat said...

    I had no idea there was a trade in copied designs, though I should have guessed it since everything else gets copied.
    I will keep my eyes peeled and tread carefully when buying on EBay too.
    Thanks for the heads up

     

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